The Clash Comat Rock/The Peoples Hall Special Edition 180G Black Triple LP

Originally released in May 1982, Combat Rock is the final album from The Clash of Joe Strummer, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon. Featuring two of the bands most well-known songs, Should I Stay Or Should I Go and Rock The Casbaha, plus favourites Straight To Hell and Know Your Rights, it is both their biggest selling album and highest charting set in both the UK and US.

Now comes a special edition of the album, titled Combat Rock/The Peoples Hall, which will be released on May 20th.

It couples the album with an additional 12-tracks compiled by The Clash.

Having returned to London following their pivotal 17-show residency at New Yorks Bonds Casino in 1981, the band rehearsed and recorded at The Peoples Hall in the squatted Republic of Frestonia near Latimer Road in London and from there they embarked on a tour of the East and South East Asia, during which the album sleeve image was captured by Pennie Smith in Thailand.

The tracks on The Peoples Hall chart the period from what was their last single Radio Clash right up to the release of Combat Rock, including unheard, rare and early versions of tracks.

The LP highlights a new version of Know Your Rights which was recorded at The Peoples Hall on the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, and the previously unreleased instrumental He Who Dares Or Is Tired. Other notable tracks include Futura 2000, an unreleased original mix of The Escapades of Futura 2000, Mikey Dreads Radio One, and the outtakes The Fulham Connection, previously known as The Beautiful People Are Ugly Too as well as Idle in Kangaroo Court.

Combat Rock is indicative of The Clashs constant evolution and was influenced in part by the relatively recent end of the Vietnam War, particularly on Sean Flynn, inspired by the disappearance of the photojournalist and film stars son. The bands curiosity and range is illustrated by the many styles and voices here, notably poet Allen Ginsbergs apocalyptic spoken word on Ghetto Defendant and graffiti artist Futuras rap on Overpowered By Funk.

The Clashs influence on punk, post-punk and indie rock is well documented and Combat Rock specifically continues to inspire waves of rediscovery from new audiences, most notably with the use of Should I Stay Or Should I Go as a prominent plot device in the first season of the Netflix smash Stranger Things. Meanwhile, Straight To Hell remains instantly recognisable having been used in Paper Planes by M.I.A.