Rock Art and the X-Ray Style

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 "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. 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 Strummer for Johnny Cash combines acoustic guitar with turntables and electronic drums. "Yalla Yalla" Strummer himself once described as "an ancient British folk song....written in the year 1999."^{[citation needed]} The song is rich in layers, which includes keyboards, synths, bass, drums, and a guitar with endless sustain (likely provided via an e-bow).

[edit] Track listing

all songs written by Joe Strummer/Anthony Glenn. except noted.

"Tony Adams"
"Sandpaper Blues" (Joe Strummer/Gary Dyson/Richard Norris)
"X-Ray Style" (Joe Strummer)
"Techno D-Day"
"The Road to Rock 'N' Roll"
"Nitcomb"
"Diggin' the New"
"Forbidden City" (Joe Strummer)
"Yalla Yalla" (Joe Strummer/Pablo Cook/Richard Norris)
"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