| Rock Art and the X-Ray Style | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros | ||||
| Released | October 19, 1999 | |||
| Recorded | 1999 | |||
| Genre | Alternative Rock | |||
| Length | 49:44 | |||
| Label | HellCat | |||
| Producer | Antony Genn, Richard Norris | |||
| Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros chronology | ||||
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| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic | [1] |
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, Steve "Smiley" Barnard 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 re-emergence 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." [2] The song is rich in layers, which includes keyboards, synths, bass, drums, and a guitar with endless sustain (likely provided via an e-bow).
All songs written and composed by Joe Strummer and Antony Genn, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tony Adams" | 6:35 | |
| 2. | "Sandpaper Blues" | Joe Strummer, Gary Dyson, Richard Norris | 4:28 |
| 3. | "X-Ray Style" | Joe Strummer | 4:36 |
| 4. | "Techno D-Day" | 4:09 | |
| 5. | "The Road to Rock 'n' Roll" | 4:00 | |
| 6. | "Nitcomb" | 4:32 | |
| 7. | "Diggin' the New" | Joe Strummer, Richard Norris | 3:09 |
| 8. | "Forbidden City" | Joe Strummer | 4:48 |
| 9. | "Yalla Yalla" | Joe Strummer, Pablo Cook, Richard Norris | 6:58 |
| 10. | "Willesden to Cricklewood" | 6:46 | |
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Total length:
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49:44 | ||