Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer

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Summary: Let Fury Have the Hour, Antonino D'Ambrosio
Review: "Let Fury Have the Hour" by Antonino D'Ambrosio is a thrilling book that engages as well as entertains. D'Ambrosio has put together a book that brilliantly places Joe Strummer, a ground-breaking musician and committed activist, as a model of what he describes as "creative-activism." The book's structure is wonderfully laid out, as D'Ambrosio builds from Strummer's early days with the Clash in the first section Let Fury Have the Hour, which includes essays by D'Ambrosio, Greil Marcus, Lester Bangs, and Sylvie Simmons. The following sections, "The Rebel Way," "You Can't Have A Revolution without Songs" and "The World is Worth Fighting For," are highlighted by some of the most original and challenging writings on art and activism, and certainly about Strummer and punk music. Standout essays include Charlie Bretsch's "Always Paying Attention" and Amy Philips' "A Brother in Revolution." Two essays by D'Ambrosio really captured my imagination with writing that is wholly original and passionate. These include "You Can't Have a Revolution Without Songs," which discusses Strummer as a political folk musician in the tradition of Caetano Veleso, Victor Jara, Silvio Rodriquez and others. The second is "White Riot vs Right Riot," which looks at punk, anti-racism and Strummer's commitment to racial and cultural justice. And it seems that D'Ambrosio has a line to every actor, musician, artist who has ever been influenced by Strummer as there are interviews with Tim Robbins, Michael Franti, Jim Jarmusch, just to name a few.
The book is perfect for Strummer/Clash fans as they will l learn something new through D'Ambrosio's unique approach to various subjects--Strummer, punk, the Clash, political activism etc. And essays will enjoy the essays from the likes of Billy Bragg and Chuck D, two pieces that deeply moved me. "Let Fury Have the Hour" is excellent for young people, who will learn the importance of fusing creativity with a sense of social justice. It will be inspirational for artists, activists and everyone in between as the book is comes at a important time. As D'Ambrosio writes in the introduction, "echoing a favorite expression of Strummer-the future is indeed unwritten, how we write it offers us all a grand hope and a compelling opportunity."

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Summary: I Have to Agree with Sour...
Review: I just finished the book, and while the spirit of the thing is terrific, I was a little disappointed with the typos and misstated facts - there are also a lot of lyric errors and one page that seems to end with the middle of a sentence and doesn't connect with the next page.

The author is obviously a big fan but some of his articles sound a bit too much like research papers for college.

I hope a future edition (if there is one) will correct this stuff.



Rating:
Summary: Strummer and D'Ambrosio: men of conviction
Review: It is amazing to read "Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer" by Antonino D'Ambrosio. Joe Strummer is a man of progressive vision with conviction, so is the writer of this wonderful book, Antonino D'Ambrosio. We are living in a world of unfairness and craziness; nothing seems to work out the right way. Strummer would have been crying out loud about it, if he were still alive. D'Ambrosio's book is a perfect companion with Strummer's music. Radical politics with music of Strummer is what this book is all about. Apparently, some people are missing the point reading it like a biography. That is so dumb and pathetic. It is exactly the reason why we need the music of Strummer and this book by D'Ambrosio to get the message through, so people would be enlightened. "Let Fury Have the Hour: The Punk Rock Politics of Joe Strummer" is a must read for all fans of Strummer and radical politics.

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Summary: A Truly Great Book about Joe Strummer
Review: Let Fury Have The Hour is a thoughtful and moving examination of the soul of creative-activist Joe Strummer who, through the medium of punk rock, became for many the "unofficial leader of a people's movement." This book may not appeal to Clash fans looking for newly unearthed trivia. D'Ambrosio has given us instead a well-chosen collection of vivid stories, both old and new, and deeply felt reflections upon the enduring importance of Joe Strummer and the Clash.

I was repeatedly struck by the stories of Strummer's generosity, empathy, and gracious attention. In both his music and his interactions he proved himself a profoundly committed humanist who recognized the need for class struggle and the fight against racism, imperialism and music industry commodification. A radical consciousness imbued his music, and his melding of multicultural genres with punk and pop became a political statement for justice and equality.

Joe Strummer's wish for himself was to be seen as simply "a good soul." He sought, through his music, to break and remake the world a better place. Strummer told D'Ambrosio when they met in April 2002 that the goal all along was to keep things hopeful and remain optimistic. "We must be positive and know that truth is on our side," said Strummer. "Music can turn people on to the beauty of a life still to be lived...we choose to not take any more and not be miserable." Let Fury Have The Hour is a fitting tribute to Strummer in that the book itself carries on that message of idealism and faith.

This volume is artfully structured in four parts that tell the story of Strummer's musical and political legacy, as each essay delves progressively deeper into the major stages of Strummer's life and career--from his early days with the Clash through his final work on Streetcore and his end-of-life meeting with quintessential rock outlaw Johnny Cash. It opens with a broad essay by D'Ambrosio, intended for an audience unfamiliar with the Clash; followed by six exciting essays originally published in the 70s and 80s that offer up-close glimpses of the Clash unleashing its fury. The most thrilling is Lester Bangs' recapture of a performance where a whole lot of kids "supped on lightning" and Strummer "connects with the nerves of the audience like summer thunderbolts...a man trapped and screaming and...it's the cage of life itself and all the anguish to break through which...is rock `n' roll's burning marrow."

The second section explores the period after the breakup of the Clash when Strummer experimented with film-acting and stayed true to his vision of building up a community of rebels. The third section places Strummer in the canon of great political folk musicians. In the last section, "The World is Worth Fighting For", a set of fresh, gorgeous essays by Anthony Roman, Not4Prophet, Billy Bragg, and D'Ambrosio himself demonstrates why Joe Strummer, still making socially conscious music to his last breath, was a hero whose pioneering life and work will continue to manifest itself for generations to come.

Rating:
Summary: Fine intentions, maybe, but ultimately best avoided
Review: On the surface, you can't really argue with a book compiling Strummer-related writings from people like Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus, Sylvie Simmons and Ann Scanlon. Much of the material between the covers has previously appeared elsewhere, but never before with such a stunning array of glorious typos. Unfortunately, Mr Ambrosio dually blows his cred as both a writer and an editor before he even finishes what serves as his introduction. "London Calling was recorded in New York City" (p. 11)? No, I don't think so, but close...it was recorded in London. But it's a spattering of mis-information, disguised as matter-of-fact statements, such as "In an ironic twist, on December 22 he would perform (with Mick Jones) for the last time ever at a benefit for striking firemen in London" which ultimately made me dismiss the book without a whole lot of further reading. Firstly, the gig in question was on 15 November and not 22 December, which was actually the sad day of Mr Strummer's passing. Picking the nit? Maybe, but not when there are absolutely fantastic books out there at the moment which do quite an honourable bit of justice to Joe Strummer's memory and legacy. My recommendation, then, would be to bypass this book altogether and make a dash with cash for Pat Gilbert's "Passion is a Fashion: the Real Story of The Clash." "Let Fury Have The Hour," unfortunately, smacks of a careless cash-in with little regard for factual accuracy or careful editing.