The Future Is Unwritten - Dark Publications

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com
This 25-song soundtrack to Julian Temple's biopic of the late Joe Strummer is not as much a retrospective of the punk-rock kingpin as an 80-minute radio show with the ex-Clash leader spinning the dials on influential favorites, such as Tim Hardin's "Black Sheep Boy," Eddie Cochran's 1958 rocker "Nervous Breakdown," and Nina Simone's 1967 version of the Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody." Snippets of interviews and Strummer testimonials break up dead air between tracks, which include previously unreleased demos of Clash nuggets like "White Riot" and "I'm So Bored with the USA," as well as Strummer's toned-down solo work with the Mescaleros. But the real treasures lie in the rarely-heard-before: The Clash performing Strummer's "(In The) Pouring Rain" live in 1984, which never made an album; 1988's "Trash City" recorded with Strummer's Los Angeles combo the Latino Rockabilly War; and the 1975 UK-only single "Keys to Your Heart" from his pre-Clash band the 101ers. The latter's ska-and-punk tendencies, obvious influences on English bands like the Pretenders and the Beat, indicate an early direction for the Clash and the sway its leader would hold over the future of music. --Scott Holter

Album Description
The soundtrack to "The Future Is Unwritten," a documentary chronicling the life and times of Joe Strummer, frontman for the seminal UK band The Clash. The film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for a Grand Jury Award.

Album Description
Filmmaker julien temple chronicles the transformation of a self described "mouthy little git," born john mellor, into an antiestablishment icon known to the world as joe strummer. In his latest documentary, temple uncovers the myth behind the front man of the seminal punk band the clash. The film includes live concert footage spanning strummer's career and tapes of his bbc radio program, all of which provide a fitting soundtrack to his distinctive and storied existence. Further details will follow as they come to hand

Customer Reviews: Read 1 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

STRUMMER UND DRANG July 27, 2007
31 out of 34 found this review helpful

When the ancient Greeks were creating their myths, Gods and heroes, they had men like Joe Strummer in mind. Epic entities possessed of such intense power and influence that their cult alone could sway the course of mortal men. Dionysus thought flutes could cease all worry. Strummer's guitar thought you weren't worried enough. The most appealing thing to me about Greek mythology is that their Gods were flawed and their heroes doomed. Give me a God with a God-complex and I'm a believer. A tale of an effed-up fallen hero? We will tell that story till the end of days.

I'm glad Joe didn't go out like Sid or Kurt, but his passing was reported with a barely audible whimper. He deserved better. How many statues of Apollo are there? Joe never caused a plague. His aim was true. Release the doves!

There's a rumor going 'round that ..Julien Temple has made a documentary about Strummer called "The Future Is Unwritten". For reasons that defy understanding, it isn't being screened in the U.S. until November (maybe). Meanwhile, it's been playing in Europe for months. Just to rub a cake of salt into the wound of the frothy mouthed faithful, the soundtrack to said film HAS been made available in the states of disgrace.

Well...that'll do. It's easily the most riveting bunch 'o' songs I've heard all year. Back in the early eighties Strummer orchestrated a pirate-radio broadcast from a London rooftop, RADIO CLASH. It was probably pretty great but I wouldn't know because I never heard it. Nor did I have the opportunity to listen to his BBC shows from 1999-2002. What "The Future Is Unwritten" soundtrack offers is a chance to experience a bit of what those shows were like. You can play the U.K. version of The Clash debut until the needle turns to dust (and you should), but you won't get closer to the soul of the man than you will here. If you follow the arc of Joe's music...from the 101ers to The Clash to Latino Rockabilly War and the Mescaleros through to his last solo work on Hellcat...you see a man searching for a sound. A fearless sonic explorer. A man with an exotic aural appetite. Joe was an exemplary musicologist. He would have exhausted Harry Smith.

What if...you could sit in a room with Joe Strummer and have him play you some of his favorite records? How much would that be worth? Julien Temple, Ian Neil, & Alan Moloney have scoured those old broadcasts and assembled a jaw-dropping example. Running the gamut from Elvis Presley's "Crawfish" (from what is, for my money, the finest soundtrack ever...King Creole) to the live MC5 version of "Kick Out The Jams" to Eddie Cochran & Woody Guthrie...from Bob Dylan to Nina Simone. If you've never heard Tim Hardin or Ernest Ranglin before, you will certainly be seeking them out upon hearing this.

Lest you think Andres Landeros' jaunty "Martha Cecilia" might taint your Mohawk, there's a healthy dose of the Strummer music arc I spoke of. A blistering (how else to describe The Clash?) demo take of "White Riot"...a Manna-from-heaven never before released Clash song "(In The) Pouring Rain"from a 1984 Seattle show...The 101ers classic "Keys To Your Heart"...Joe's indescribably beautiful instrumental "Omotepe"...and not only that, kids...but interspersed between all this are little sound-bites and introductions from the Punk Rock Warlord himself!

Whereas the Strummer/Cash duet on Marley's "Redemption Song" had reduced me to tears (3 ghostly heroes on THAT song? I defy you not to cry) a few years ago, this album is filled to the brim with life-affirming discovery and awe-inspiring passion...and F&*# YOU if that's not punk rock. The hell it ain't!

4 out of 5 stars

Insightful and entertaining eollection May 30, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

It's hard living off the scraps that may come our way now that the great man has gone and I'm sure there will be some pretty crass compilations in days to come! This however is skillfully put together and paints a picture of the man through the music he wrote and the music he loved. The opening studio take of just his voice singing White Riot sends a chill and as the full song commences memories flood back of sweaty Top Ranks and the band blasting away within touching distance of the audience.Following thisThere is a very unusual rendition of Rock the Casbah in Arabic however the most part is taken up by Joe playing songs from his radio show all of which are special. My particular favorite is the U Roy song. Many of you will have bought the 'Front Line' album back in 76 as it was sold at a promotional price of 69p the track that appears here is a version of the original and to my money superior, what a voice!!
I enjoy this album because it flows and it something to keep as an aid to remembering Joe Strummer, the songs are linked by passages of dialogue, a sprightly sounding Topper Headon is just great to hear at last, but most moving is Joe's passage about the ability and power of people to change things. His voice seems to crack with the emotion and intensity of what he is saying and I'm afraid to say I cried again!!

5 out of 5 stars

A well done tribute June 21, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I think this is a great album! It is, of course, a soundtrack strictly speaking but it sounds more like a mix CD from a very cool friend with broad musical tastes. Yet it does all tie together because of who it's about. There are few compillations that cover so much territory and yet flow so evenly. I can't wait to see the film!

1 out of 5 stars

Crappy fluctuating sound, bad songs. only 2 worthy of record August 11, 2007
2 out of 18 found this review helpful

Bad fluctuating sound levels from song to song. There is a cool alternative version of rock the casbah that is definetly worth checking out...you can just buy the single song through itunes or somewhere. The rest of the album pretty much sucks.

5 out of 5 stars

great mix of some music not heard much plus some old favorites from the clash January 12, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I like this, and the film I saw on IFC, i brought the cd after watching the movie,, there is quite a mix, some old stuff you can tell was not done in a studio but it has a nice feel not too polished like old stuff a bit scratchy but it adds to it

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