The Joe you don’t know.

Joe Strummer 001 Limited Edition Super Deluxe Boxset

The Joe Strummer 001 compilation tells the story of Joe before (and after) The Clash. The Limited Edition Super Deluxe Boxset offers collectibles that are as diverse and random as the music that fills the 2 CDs, and 4 vinyls…and 7 inch single. There’s also a cassette with a demo of the previously unreleased track Full Moon. This is one of 12 unreleased tracks on the compilation.

The super deluxe boxset includes standard goodies including a hard cover book featuring rarely seen photos. The 64-page book includes old press reviews, album notes and memorabilia. There are limited edition screen prints and reproduced handwritten lyrics. But there is also a pin. Punk rockers love their pins. A sticker sheet and a recreation of Joe’s Californian licence. Which is kinda random, but when you stand back and look at the eclectic nature of The Clash and Strummer’s work, it all makes sense.

Anyone who has listened to Sandinista, knows The Clash were never a band to stay in the musical puck rock pocket. As early as their self-titled debut, the band were taking on reggae standards.

Is this set for you?

Now that depends on where you sit on The Clash fan scale.

1: Love Should I Stay or Should I Go? and Rock the Casbah: yeah I remember those songs from university beer bashes in the 80s. The Clash rawk.

If this is you, please file yourself under C for casual. But there is still time to repent.

2: Love London Calling. You’ve been overheard at parties stating that Rolling Stone Magazine listed it as one of the best albums of the 1980s.

Nerd fact, upon hearing this, Joe’s response was, ‘But it came out in 1979.’

If you’re a number 2, you can stay. You get it, but dude you really should dig a little deeper.

3: Love The Clash – (The band) One of the most important bands to arise from the British punk movement circa 1976. (The Album) Along with The Sex Pistols’ Never Mind The Bollocks and The Ramones’ debut, this is a blueprint of punk.

Extra points if you’re a purest and prefer the UK green version over the North American blue release.

Nerd fact #2, The Clash’s second album Give ‘Em Enough Rope came out before the band’s debut album in the US.

If you are a number 3, there’s a good chance you know Joe had other bands before and after The Clash. You know none of them changed the world the way The Clash did. You’ve heard snippets of the 101ers in documentaries. You were excited about the Mescaleros.

But you haven’t heard it all.

The 12 unreleased tracks on Joe Strummer 001 are the biggest draw for most. As for the Super Deluxe Boxset, it was put together by Robert Gordon McHarg III who has the pedigree of having worked on The Clash Sound System box set and The Black Market Clash Exhibition.

And if that doesn’t convince you. I’ll repeat, there a replica of Joe Strummer’s California license.