Chris Salewicz's writing on music and popular culture has appeared in publications around the globe, including New Musical Express and The Sunday Times (London). He is the author of more than a dozen books.
"God might be in the details, but as Redemption Song so vividly reveals, so is Joe Strummer, in all his flawed glory. As it turns out, the man who achieved the seemingly impossible -- he made punk rock noble -- was all too human. But as a wise man once said, 'The one who always strives can be redeemed.' That is the message of this remarkable book." --Michael Azerrad, author of Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana and Our Band Could Be Your Life "Joe Strummer was one of the most electrifying rock stars of all time. Chris Salewicz's in-depth biography is a labor of love that definitively captures the man's humanity -- his complex, volatile and vulnerable soul." --Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming "REDEMPTION SONG is the epic tale of rock & roll's unlikely, complicated rebel hero. Chris Salewicz was front and center for Joe Strummer's whole wild ride -- and he's got the scars and bruises to prove it." --Alan Light, music journalist for Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and former editor-in-chief of Spin and Vibe Engrossing. -- BEN GILL, Mother Jones Passionate and detailed. -- ROBERT CHRISTGAU, The New York Times Book Review [An] epic, meticulously researched . . . biography. -- ZAC CRAIN, Esquire The most complete and honest account of Strummer's professional and personal life. --RON WYNN, The Nashville City Paper There was a time when The Clash . . . was (quite properly) billed as 'The Only Band That Matters.' [This] biography about lead singer Joe Strummer explains why . . . Salewicz, a longtime Strummer associate and chronicler of the punk scene, quickly settles into his groove and stays there, his words as vivid as the lyrics to 'White Man in Hammersmith Palais' or 'London Calling.' Details abound, providing fresh glimpses into the Strummer persona, along with those that preceded it . . . [A] compelling tale of Strummer's too-short life. -- LARRY MCSHANE, Associated Press Will likely go down as the definitive bio of Strummer and the Clash. -- JEFF TAMARKIN, Harp
In this biography of punk icon Joe Strummer, music writer Salewicz focuses on the heady days of the punk explosion and Strummer's long hiatus after leaving the Clash. Born John Graham Mellor in 1952 in Ankara, Turkey, to diplomat parents, Strummer enjoyed a peripatetic childhood before being parked at a British boarding school. An art school dropout, Strummer (who was known then as "Woody") lived a hand-to-mouth existence in London squats before rock impresario Bernie Rhodes selected him to head a new punk band, and Woody became Joe Strummer, the sardonic, gravelly voiced rabble rouser. For a long moment, the Clash channeled the most progressive elements in pop culture, blending punk anger, rasta vibes, bank robbers, cowboys and revolutionary traditions into music that remains compelling today. After the band's breakup in 1985, Strummer fell into a long depression that Salewicz attributes to heavy pot smoking and a family legacy that included his brother's suicide. Yet Strummer had revitalized his career and was making excellent music before his sudden death of heart failure in 2002. As a young writer in the punk years, Salewicz had plenty of access to Strummer, and does a good job of providing a blow-by-blow account of the tours and albums. However, Salewicz provides little historical context, thereby diminishing the importance of the Clash. Despite nearly 600 pages of analysis, Strummer remains an opaque figure. (May) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
"God might be in the details, but as Redemption Song so vividly reveals, so is Joe Strummer, in all his flawed glory. As it turns out, the man who achieved the seemingly impossible -- he made punk rock noble -- was all too human. But as a wise man once said, 'The one who always strives can be redeemed.' That is the message of this remarkable book." --Michael Azerrad, author of Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana and Our Band Could Be Your Life "Joe Strummer was one of the most electrifying rock stars of all time. Chris Salewicz's in-depth biography is a labor of love that definitively captures the man's humanity -- his complex, volatile and vulnerable soul." --Jon Savage, author of England's Dreaming "REDEMPTION SONG is the epic tale of rock & roll's unlikely, complicated rebel hero. Chris Salewicz was front and center for Joe Strummer's whole wild ride -- and he's got the scars and bruises to prove it." --Alan Light, music journalist for Rolling Stone and The New York Times, and former editor-in-chief of Spin and Vibe Engrossing. -- BEN GILL, Mother Jones Passionate and detailed. -- ROBERT CHRISTGAU, The New York Times Book Review [An] epic, meticulously researched . . . biography. -- ZAC CRAIN, Esquire The most complete and honest account of Strummer's professional and personal life. --RON WYNN, The Nashville City Paper There was a time when The Clash . . . was (quite properly) billed as 'The Only Band That Matters.' [This] biography about lead singer Joe Strummer explains why . . . Salewicz, a longtime Strummer associate and chronicler of the punk scene, quickly settles into his groove and stays there, his words as vivid as the lyrics to 'White Man in Hammersmith Palais' or 'London Calling.' Details abound, providing fresh glimpses into the Strummer persona, along with those that preceded it . . . [A] compelling tale of Strummer's too-short life. -- LARRY MCSHANE, Associated Press Will likely go down as the definitive bio of Strummer and the Clash. -- JEFF TAMARKIN, Harp
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