Aural Fixations

THE 101ERS
Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited
(Astralwerks)
The 101ers were the legendary mid-70s London band led by singer/guitarist Joe Strummer prior to the formation of his more famous outfit the Clash. Elgin Avenue Breakdown was originally put together out of demos and live cuts and issued in 1981, as the popularity of the Clash skyrocketed. The Revisited version leaves some of the original live tracks off and adds some different concert and studio cuts. That's a moot point for a lot of folks, especially Americans, who've probably never heard this music at all. Well, thank the rock & roll gods we've finally got the chance, because the 101ers are brilliant.

Drawing more explicitly from the rockabilly and R&B strains that threaded through the Clash's work, Strummer and the 101ers play what was then called pub rock with the kind of passion and energy that just a couple of years later would be associated with punk. Make no mistake—there's nothing here as ferocious as the songs found on the first Clash album. But Strummer originals like "Motor Boys Motor," "Sweet Revenge" and "Keys to Your Heart" (in two versions) stand proudly next to his Clash faves, with perfect blends of smart melodies, tight rhythms and the main man's distinctive vocals. The fiercely live and bopping "Keep Taking the Tablets," wonderfully sung by bassist "Desperate" Dan Kelleher, equals any of the studio tracks. Clash fans may be surprised at how non-political most of the material, concentrating on the timeless subjects of girls, cars and rock & roll, is; the socially conscious "Lonely Mother's Son" will put those hearty souls back on familiar ground.

Breathless live covers of Bo Diddley ("Don't Let It Go"), Chuck Berry ("Maybelline") and Slim Harpo ("Shake Your Hips") double the energy of the band's originals, even if they don't quite have the finesse to be a true R&B act. But who cares about technical skill when you're hearing a band that loves what it does as much as the 101ers obviously did? Just listen to the final track, a raw, extended take on Them's "Gloria" that gleefully venerates and trashes tradition at the same time. It's tempting to sum up this record by saying Clash fans should acquire it immediately, if not sooner. While that's true, it also does it a disservice. Really, fans of rock & roll in general will love Elgin Avenue Breakdown Revisited, no question. Michael Toland [buy it]