This release from the Clash is, forever the album that drew a line in the sand for the group's fortunes/misfortunes. After the overloaded, but compelling triple set of Sandinista!, the Bond's Times Square performances and the group gaining ever the more momentum with their growing audiences, Combat Rock took more of the route within the material that was flowing from the Strummer/Jones songwriting duo, and, at one point, looked like it was going to be another double disc set; however, because of the Clash's last 2 releases(London Calling(2 disc) and Sandinista!(3)), it was wisely decided to pair the material down to the standard single release. With the help of Glyn Johns to oversee the mixing and final track listing of Combat Rock, the record that emerged would alienate some hardcore fans, yet in the process, attract a wholly new fan base altogether for the band. Know Your Rights starts things off with Strummer's choppy muffled rhythm guitar count with the basic drum beats from Topper and lyrically deals with the American modern day standards of society while commenting on the current state of affairs of the overlooking of the first amendment laws. The main thing that I've loved about the Clash coupled with Strummer's lyrics, is that they had a message in meaning, more often than not, behind their music, as it was used as a platform to inform and ignite a spark within their listeners to take in and think about the world around them and their inert surroundings.

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Car Jamming follows in next and features an African/world beat backed by the calypso-like melody from Mick Jones' guitar attack, while Strummer paints a crowded city atmosphere testimonial on display. Paul Simonon's bass lines also help along the plodding rhythm and continue to show his growth as a musician, also. Then after "Jamming" fades, a straight-ahead rocker is in order as Should I Stay or Should I Go emerges and pays homage to the Rolling Stones and the Kinks most respectively, in its rhythm guitar progression and performance and yielded a number 45 single chart placement in the States. Rock the Casbah follows and is the album's most commercially accessible track next to "Go"; its origins came from a piano melody that drummer Topper Headon began fumbling through during studio downtime and on one particularly, fruitful occasion, he managed to lay down the basic keyboard, bass and drum tracks to this number and after arranging it among the rest of the band, an unsung hit was realized. It proved to be their highest charting single in the US and boosted album sales as a result of its number 8 chart placement. Red Angel Dragnet is a Paul Simonon number about the shooting of a member of a vigilante group out of New York City known as the Guardian Angels; further into the number, Simonon quotes dialogue from the movie, Taxi Driver, specifically from its main character, Travis Bickle, adding relevance to the atmosphere of New York street life that this rare Simonon original evokes. 

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Straight to Hell commences with another world music-like beat and the music itself is somewhat apocalyptic in its delivery as Strummer renders his haiku-like lyrics set in a post-nuclear time period. The ominous atmosphere is simple and simultaneously direct all at once, which is another important aspect of the album itself and an uncanny quality to the band's sound as well. Overpowered By Funk is an energetically, charged assault on the senses and is hyper-funky as the title suggests, mixed with synthesizers, staccato guitar rhythms, and a solid bass line added to the mix. Atom Tan is a bit mid-paced and seems little more than filler here by the lazy pace that is set from the tempo and the shortness of the track, itself. Sean Flynn has a very raga-like/tribal feel, featuring deep elements of  percussion, sax and flute, taking cues from the experiments done previously on Sandinista!.  Ghetto Defendant features 1950's beat-poet, Allen Ginsberg doing speaking passages throughout Strummer's tale of 3rd world countries whom have corruption within their governments and the conflicts of the impending drug trade(Heroin in this case), which is yet another front page commentary within the Clash's "Aural Newspaper" dealing with World issues and the conflicts within humanity and society. Inoculated City is another short track, but is more upbeat and tuneful than the previous Atom Tan, featuring a marching tempo to its composition; not extraordinary, but it does contain some slight merit within its 2 minutes of duration. The album closes with Death is a Star, sounding as if the track was recorded outside in the early evening as you can hear sounds of a calm breeze and crickets chirping, set against a sparse acoustic guitar and  simple piano melody with Strummer's poetic, lyrical delivery and Jones harmonizing on the bridge of the number. Combat Rock begins earnestly and ends quietly, much like the lifespan of the group did.

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Although the Clash would put out one more record with only Strummer and Simonon remaining, Combat Rock is, rightfully, the final statement made from this magnificent band, whom had a dynamic and fruitful career that had seen them grow as artists and musicians from their very humble origins of the punk movement, into (almost) big rock stars. Sadly, the very thing that they had fought against in their perspective as a group, they had slowly become. However, Combat Rock is the testimony. 

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Rating Grade- A+

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