Rock Art and the X-Ray Style

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Rock Art and the X-Ray Style
Studio album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros
Released	October, 1999
Recorded	1999
Genre	Rock
Length	49:44
Label	Hellcat
Producer(s)	Antony Genn Richard Norris
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros chronology
	Rock Art & The X-Ray Style (1999)	Global a Go-Go (2001)

Rock Art and the X-Ray Style is the debut album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros, released in 1999. This album featured the band in its first incarnation: Joe Strummer and Antony Genn on guitar and vocals, Martin Slattery playing Keyboards and guitar, Smiley on drums, Pablo Cook on other percussion instruments, and Scott Shields on bass. Richard Flack also did engineering on the album.

The record marked Strummer's reemergence from a long absence in the music scene, his last record being 1989's Earthquake Weather. The album begins with the stellar "Tony Adams," a track which sounds not unlike Strummer's previous work with The Clash. Saxophone riffs are juxtaposed with reggae inspired guitar, as Strummer recites lyrics detailing a catastrophe hitting New York City. Listeners expecting a revisit to The Clash will however, be sorely disappointed. The rest of the record takes a winding journey, with songs that capture Strummer's genre mixing. "Sandpaper Blues" features hand drums and African chanting, "Techno D-Day" dabbles in electronic instruments, while "Road to Rock and Roll," another song written by Joe for Johnny Cash combines acoustic guitar with turntables and electronic drums. The highlight of the album is "Yalla Yalla," which Joe himself once described as "an ancient British folk song....written in the year 1999." The song is rich in layers, which includes keyboards, synths, bass, drums, and a guitar with endless sustain (likely provided via an e-bow). Although it doesn't show all the same elements of experimentation as would be found on 2001's Global a Go-Go it is a strong album in its own right.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Tony Adams"
2. "Sandpaper Blues"
3. "X-Ray Style"
4. "Techno D-Day"
5. "The Road To Rock 'N' Roll"
6. "Nitcomb"
7. "Diggin' The New"
8. "Forbidden City"
9. "Yalla Yalla"
10. "Willesden To Cricklewood"

[edit] Personnel

• Joe Strummer - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, mixing
• Antony Genn - synthesizer, guitar, piano, bass, strings, beats, backup vocals, programming, mixing, producer
• Richard Norris - keyboards, E-Bow, drum programming, producer
• Martin Slattery - Hammond organ, Wurlitzer, melodica, saxophone
• Scott Shields - acoustic guitar, bass, electric guitar, backup vocals
• Pablo Cook - percussion, drums, backup vocals
• Steve Barnard - drums
• Dave Stewart - acoustic guitar
• Ged Lynch - drums
• Gary Dyson - backup vocals, chant
• B.J. Cole - pedal steel
• D.J. Pete B. - scratching
• Richard Flack - programming, engineer, mixing
• Ian Tregoning - engineer
• Damien Hirst - cover art
• Streaky - Mastering