Introduction

"Woody Mellor" and then "Joe Strummer", the ironically self-proclaimed "punk rock warlord" was the son of a civil service diplomat. He was an amateur graphic artist, a street busker turned professional musician, actor, soundtrack composer, radio DJ, and most famously, lead singer for the rock band, the Clash. Although a working musician both before and after the Clash, Strummer is most famous, and deeply revered, for his work in that band. This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides the collection of critical essays devoted to Joe Strummer. It focuses on Strummer's unique and transformative power as a rock artist. The book explores Strummer's abiding interest in all things American, especially musical forms and the movies. In Revolution Rock?: The Clash, Joe Strummer, and the British Left in the Early Days of Punk Matt Worley, reading Strummer's political pronouncements and lyrics from the eponymously-titled first Clash album.