Sic transit gloria might be an apt subtitle for this item, except that for Joe Strummer, the gloria wasn't all that swell in the first place. As the frontman for the Clash, Strummer was part of one of the most important groups of the punk era, a band that combined fierce politics with some great tunes ("London Calling," "Train in Vain," "Should I Stay or Should I Go," etc.) to great acclaim before disbanding in the mid-'80s. But the Clash's critical darling status with reviewers didn't translate into pop chart success, and when he returned to the scene after taking most of the '90s off, Strummer faced a long uphill climb. Thus writer-director-actor Dick Rude's film, which documents the singer's 2002 tour with his band the Mescaleros, finds Strummer having to talk his way past a radio station receptionist who's obviously never heard of him, standing on the boardwalk at Atlantic City trying to hawk tickets to his own gig, and hoping that the band's new CD, Global A-Go-Go, will sell enough copies to warrant their making another one. Strummer takes all of this in stride; he's an amiable, well-spoken guy, unfailingly cordial to his fans and not bitter about having to start over again. As for the live performances, the Mescaleros are a good deal less exciting and provocative than the Clash, but the musicianship is more polished and the tunes (all of them unidentified) more subtle and melodic. DVD extras include five bonus songs (including the Clash's "Armagideon Time"), interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, and more. Presented in Dolby Digital stereo, Let's Rock Again! is particularly poignant in light of the fact that Strummer died not long after it was filmed. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)
Joe Strummer: Let's Rock Again!
(2004) 68 min. DVD: $19.99. Image Entertainment (avail. from most distributors). Color cover. Volume 21, Issue 5
Joe Strummer: Let's Rock Again!
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