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The Clash - Michael Casswell Page One

front cover If you are a electric guitar playing Clash fan you are going to want this guitar lesson. Even if you aren't a Clash fan you will, I venture to say, become one.

There are 5 songs, 4 originals and a cover. The cover is a great song anyway. Its I Fought the Law and the Law Won.

Wikipedia tells us: "I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and became popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, which went on to become a top-ten hit for the band in 1966 and was also recorded by the Clash in 1979.

I am kicking my self as to how simple this cover song really is particularly if you can get that guitar sound he uses. Simple is good!

2 of the remaining of the 4 originals I really like: London Calling and Should I Stay or Should I Go. The last 2 songs I didn't know but am thrilled by.

Tommy Gun and White Riot. These are all inspiring songs designed to sweep us emotionally in to the spirit of the revolution and rebelling against authority. They do a pretty good job of it too and are quite sophisticated. One could learn quite a lot about song writing as well as guitar playing from watching this lesson. Of course there are no lyrics in this, its just guitar parts.

I particularly like the knock 'em over the head use of rock and roll bar chords with 'new wave' trebly diad melodies all tossed with an art artful mix of hand picked reggae partials and dollop of Dang! Jones and Strummer knew how to write songs didn't they? From Wikipedia: Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, Ska, dub, funk, rap, and rockabilly. Incidentally Joe Strummers given name was Mellor. John Graham Mellor (21 August 1952 – 22 December 2002) Born in Turkey, father a diplomat and he grew up alone basically attending boarding schools.

Clash Page Two

Role Models

What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Wilde, Oscar