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Add Your New Review About The Song The Reviews about Corner Soul (page 1/1) ------ performed by The Clash Joe Strummer's Folk Roots | Reviewer: Jeff Sanchez | 1/11/2006 Corner Soul falls into the category of Clash music that defies categorization- not punk, not rock, what exactly is it? A lilting folk tune with reggae influence, featuring what sounds like accordion and sympathetic background vocals, Corner Soul reveals Joe Strummer's folk roots. In another guise, John Graham Mellor was known as "Woody" because of his identification with traveling minstrel Woody Guthrie. In 1976, Woody became Joe Strummer, with short hair and spraypainted clothes, but essentially still a folkie at heart. Punk was, after all, a form of folk music- it came from the streets, and represented the true aspirations of real people. It wasn't till much later that it turned into a fad, by which time Joe had progressed back to the folk roots that were among his biggest influences. Corner Soul in particular, and the Sandinista album as a whole give evidence of these influences, as does Joe's later work with the Mescaleros. The lyrics concern the sentiments of a sensitive soul who knows the savagery of the streets, but also knows that music never calls for bloodshed. Instead, the narrator searches for a peaceful way to avoid bloodshed- tai chi, music, and community. This is one of Joe's least appreciated compositions, and shows that he was years ahead of his time. It still sounds fresh today, whereas a lot of the angrier Clash material has begun to sound dated. Fads come and go, but Folk music is always at the heart of great songwriting. Is this review helpful to you?     Yes      No Add Your New Review About The Song