Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros: Vision of a Homeland

""This part of the book has been written using diary notes and a bloody good memory,"" notes Davie in the third section of this hagiographic tome that, despite its promise, hits mostly off-notes. Davie opens by covering the Mescaleros tours of 1999-2002, primarily through the eyes of band members. This most interesting portion of the book suggests Strummer's audience had mellowed a bit since the 1970s and notes that while some questioned the validity of Strummer's formation of a new group to play Clash songs, it's clear that that's precisely what Mescaleros fans wanted. The central part of the book features reminiscences of 15 people who knew and collaborated with Strummer, of which Richard Flack's account of recording with Strummer is a standout. Davie's self-indulgent final section spins out in informal prose as he describes (again, but in excruciating detail) the tours covered in the first 50 pages. Similarly, in the ""account"" of Strummer's December 2002 death, Davie writes nothing of the singer's death, instead describing how it affected him. In addition to a discography, the volume closes with a list of Mescaleros gigs arranged by tour, complete with set lists. Photos.