Ska Boom-Episode 021: Paul Simonon & Guns Of Brixton

Listening to London Calling as a teen required an open mind and a willingness to follow The Clash on an existential and esoteric journey through the darkness of recent history and the darker realms of the human psyche.  It was a bit like a history and philosophy class set to music and it didn’t always make sense to me but listen I did, and as I listened, I found myself drawn more and more to the ska and reggae anthems on the album like “Guns of Brixton” with powerful calls to action and layered stories about characters battling impending social chaos and situations that were out of their control.  London Calling was the perfect soundtrack for the dawning of the Republican Party's Darwinian fantasy of “Morning in America” that would begin one year later with the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.As such, The Clash get name checked a lot in Ska Boom and for good reason. London Calling demonstrated The Clash’s move from punk rock to explore the sounds of reggae and ska and it resonated with other Gen X musicians in New York, Boston, Chicago and LA who hearing ska and reggae from multiple sources and also looking to raise their own voices. I know it inspired me to think I could be a musician too. In this episode I explore my admiration for Paul Simonon of The Clash and the effect the “Guns of Brixton” had on me and I share the story of how he influenced me to pick up the bass.  I’ll also dig into the story of that famous smashed Fender bass guitar.  Please note: The music clips included in this podcast fall under the “Fair Use Doctrine” as defined by Section 107 of the Copyright Act. The law allows for use of music clips for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices