Earthquake Weather

In thinking about albums I've loved that sucked, I thought of Joe Strummer's 1989 solo album, "Earthquake Weather." I've read that it sold somewhere around 7,000 copies, which isn't very many given he was the lead singer of the Clash.

I was a massive Clash fan (despite Cut the Crap), and I bought "Earthquake Weather" a few years after it came out. Like a lot of solo albums, it is mellow and introspective, and I was a little disappointed by it. It was the second solo record by an aging punker I had bought that turned out to be country tinged mellowness (John Doe's "Meet John Doe" being the other). Still, there were some pretty great songs on it, including the beautiful "Leopardskin Limousine," which features the genius lines "Dressing like a duck/not giving a fuck."

Leopardskin Limousines - Joe Strummer

Listening to tracks from this on Imeem, I have to admit that it isn't quite brilliant. There's "Boogie With Your Children" which is an embarrassing funk song, and a few other duds. The production leans towards a crisp, whiteboy reggae/funk sound which sounds dated. Still, there are also tracks like "Slant Six," which could almost be a lost Clash song, or "Passport to Detroit," which is pretty great despite the cheesy wah wah.

Passport to Detroit - Joe Strummer

"Earthquake Weather" didn't convince me to buy any of Strummer's other solo work, but there are some good songs on it, and it might be worth tracking down. Yeah, this is what I do when I'm sick and feeling sorry for myself.