Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash [Paperback]

Kris Needs (Author), Joe Strummer (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2005

If one band could be said to symbolize British punk in its heyday, that band is The Clash. As a young journalist on tour with all of punk's biggest names, Kris Needs forged lifelong friendships with The Clash while witnessing their wild exploits firsthand. One of the first journalists to see the band live, Needs championed them from the start, becoming close friends with Joe Strummer and the rest of the group, accompanying them on many major tours, and being present at pivotal moments in their career. Combining his own anecdotal and press material from the era with a wealth of biographical detail and photographs, Needs illuminates the legend with accounts of life-changing gigs, on-the-road antics, and the recording sessions that produced the critically revered and ever-popular albums. The book pays special attention to the late Joe Strummer — his motivations and passions and his place as a punk pioneer.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Journalist, DJ, Production artist and party animal extra-ordinaire, Kris Needs has been at the forefront of all the greatest musical movements of the twentieth century – punk, hip hop and acid house. He’s lived the rock’n’roll lifestyle to the max, but almost didn’t live to tell the tale. He was divorced by his first wife, after being caught in an uncompromising situation with Debbie Harry; he once stayed up for three days on a bender with Keith Richards; he witnessed Sid Vicious learning to play bass; he conducted the last ever interview with Bob Marley and has toured with Primal Scream and The Clash.

About the Author

Kris Needs is the former editor of the legendary alternative rockzine ZigZag. In the last 25 years, he has conducted the final press interview with Bob Marley, worked as a DJ on the 1990s dance music scene, and enjoyed club success with the record ‘Sugar Daddy’. He is the author of Needs Must, his autobiography, The Scream, a career biography of Primal Scream, and Keith Richards: Before They Make Me Run.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Plexus Publishing (January 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 085965348X
• ISBN-13: 978-0859653480
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #158,335 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A genuine, funny book that portrays The Clash as real people rather than inaccessible rock icons, October 3, 2005

By 

Sarah Brozlowski (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash (Paperback)

Kris Needs' 'Joe Strummer & The Legend of The Clash' is the most fun that you'll have with a book on this legendary band. The author hung out with the group during the heyday of punk and recounts many amusing anecdotes from this period.

His reminiscences go a long way to dispelling the myth of the band as a quartet of humourless political activists and give a genuine sense of Messrs Strummer, Jones, Simonon and Headon's true personalities. In addition to exploring the indvidual band member's fun-loving natures, Needs exposes the interpersonal dynamics within the group and the way in which outside forces caused Strummer to sack both Mick Jones and Topper Headon, thus effectively destroying the band.

The two decades following The Clash's split are comprehensively described and the section recalling Joe's untimely death from an undiagnosed congenital heart condition are especially moving.

If you want to know what The Clash were really like, then you should check out this lively, entertaining book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best Clash retrospective I have found, October 17, 2007

By 

Michael A. Franko (rochester, mi United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash (Paperback)

This is an extremely detailed, up close and personal history of the Clash. The unique perspective of being written by a journalist that became a true friend of the band and who was there from the start gives it an authenticity that is irreplaceable. I did not want the book to end, just like a lot of things relating to the band.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Soak up this book!!, May 24, 2007

By 

J. Brozic (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Joe Strummer and the Legend of The Clash (Paperback)

This "you're right there book" inspires and grabs you. Joe Strummer and The Clash are some of the greatest artists and original creators of all time. Author Kris Needs keeps you hooked. Fill your soul with Joe Strummer. Like a cosmic twin of John Lennon--he is raw, genuis, powerful, loving!!!