[quote name='Mojimbo']strummer, two things.
1. What do you think of Sandinista and do you recommend anything outside of London Calling, Combat Rock and the S/T(I'm already familiar with those three as well as Streetcore).
2. You should check out The Future is Unwritten, I watched that the other night and I thought it was produced exceptionally well(I thought it would be dryer and more low-budget).
Two parts really stood out to me.
They intercut a raw, black and white video of the band of the band performing Career Opportunities(I think) early on in the 70s with a color video of them doing the same song in the 80s on this huge stage where they're decked out in their faux military gear with the berets and everything. I thought that was really tragic, not because the music changed but because it seem like they didn't have the heart for it anymore.
The second was when they show a video of Joe and his kids(grankids?) a couple of years before he died. I felt like the biggest asshole for being bummed out that there's no more Joe Strummer when those kids aren't ever gonna have their dad.
I think it's supposed to be making the rounds in art houses right now but the less scrupulous can find a DVD rip on those intertubes.[/QUOTE]
Sandinista would have been an OUTSTANDING single album, and even a great double album. It just has too much filler.
Give 'Em Enough Rope is also great. Production is a little too slick, especially compared to the S/T and London Calling, but if you can get past it, it has some of great songs (much better than Combat Rock, which is the original line-up's weakest album).
Everyone even slightly interested in the band also needs to listen to From There to Eternity, one of the best live albums ever put together.
I'm also a HUGE proponent of Strummer's second album with the Mescaleros, Global A Go-Go. It's by far his best solo album.
I have not seen The Future is Unwritten yet, but I need to. I also need to read the book. I have Westway to the World and I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.