One of the all-time great Joe Strummer intros to a song: “This is a public service announcement…with guitars!”

I was never a big fan of Combat Rock but I always loved this song (much in the same way that I’ve never been able to come around to Sandinista but still really dig “Police On My Back”). I recently watched Don Letts’ Punk Attitude documentary again and when this song came on, I was determined to find the 7″ single. It is one my favorite late-era Clash songs. You can’t deny that punchy rhythm and Strummer’s dark political rant. The B-side — “First Night Back in London” — was never actually released on album. It is one of those interesting Simenon songs, always a little off-kilter, but still good nonetheless. “First Night Back in London” was supposed to be included on the original incarnation of Combat Rock, a double-album (ala Sandinista), called Rat Patrol at Fort Bragg, which was ultimately scrapped, remixed, and cut down to a single disc.