THE CLASH – COMBAT ROCK LP – EXC+ A4/B2 UK 1982 PUNK STRUMMER

The Clash – Combat Rock
(CBS Records  1982  FMLN2)
Matrix No’s: A4/B2 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Excellent+ condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from some light pops/crackles)

Sleeve in Very Good+ condition
– some wear to edges/corners and sticker tear in top right corner
Inner Sleeve has some discolouration marks but no splits
No Poster

The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, dub, funk, ska and rockabilly. For most of their recording career the Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, lead vocals), Paul Simonon (bass guitar, vocals) and Nicky “Topper” Headon (drums, percussion). Headon left the group in 1982, and internal friction led to Jones’s departure the following year. The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986.

The Clash achieved commercial success in the United Kingdom with the release of their self-titled debut album, The Clash, in 1977. Their third album, London Calling, released in the UK in December 1979, earned them popularity in the United States when it was released there the following month. It was declared the best album of the 1980s a decade later by Rolling Stone. In 1982 they reached new heights of success with the release of Combat Rock, which spawned the US top 10 hit “Rock the Casbah”, helping the album to achieve a 2× Platinum certification there. Their final album, Cut the Crap, was released in 1985.

The Clash’s politicised lyrics, musical experimentation, and rebellious attitude had a far-reaching influence on rock, and alternative rock in particular. They became widely referred to as “The Only Band That Matters”, originally a promotional slogan introduced by the group’s record label, CBS. In January 2003, shortly after the death of Joe Strummer, the band—including original drummer Terry Chimes—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Clash number 28 on their list of the 100 greatest artists of all time.

Critic Sean Egan summarised what made them exceptional by writing, “They were a group whose music was, and is, special to their audience because that music insisted on addressing the conditions of poverty, petty injustice, and mundane life experienced by the people who bought their records. Moreover, although their rebel stances were often no more than posturing, from The Clash’s stubborn principles came a fundamental change in the perception of what is possible in the music industry, from subject matter to authenticity to quality control to price ceilings.”

Combat Rock is the fifth studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the United States, spending 61 weeks on the chart. Combat Rock is the group’s best-selling album, being certified 2x platinum in the United States.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by The Clash, except where noted.

Personnel

• Joe Strummer – lead vocals, guitars
• Mick Jones – guitars, vocals,
• Paul Simonon – bass, vocals
• Topper Headon – drums, piano and bass on “Rock the Casbah”

Additional musicians

• Allen Ginsberg – guest vocals on “Ghetto Defendant”
• Futura 2000 – guest vocals on “Overpowered by Funk”
• Ellen Foley – backing vocals on “Car Jamming”
• Joe Ely – backing vocals on “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
• Tymon Dogg – piano on “Death Is a Star”
• Poly Mandell – keyboards on “Overpowered by Funk” (Really Tommy Mandel)
• Gary Barnacle – saxophone on “Sean Flynn”

Production

• The Clash – producers
• Glyn Johns – chief engineer, mixing
• Joe Blaney; Jerry Green; Eddie Garcia – assistant engineers
• Pennie Smith – photography