November 8th, 2019 - Combat Rocks The Casbah... Or ...Overpowered By ESB

Good evening rockers, rollers, punkers, and craft brew lovers!  Your drinking buddy the Meista here tonight with one more pairing for ya... the classic "Combat Rock" by The Clash and a Rock The Casbah ESB from Roosters Brewing Company!  This pairing is dedicated to all my friends down at Roosters B Street!!  Cheers!!


Album Info:

• Artist: The Clash
• Title: "Combat Rock"
• Recorded: September 1981 at Ear Studios in London, England; November 1981 through January 1982 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, New York; April 1982 in Warnford, Hampshire, England
• Release date: May 14th, 1982 (5th studio album by The Clash)
• Record company: CBS Records
• Production: The Clash
• Album cover art: Pennie Smith (photography)
• Personnel: Topper Headon (drums, piano, and bass on "Rock The Casbah"), Mick Jones (lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards, and sound effects), Paul Simonon (bass, backing vocals, and lead vocals on "Red Angel Dragnet"), and Joe Strummer (lead and backing vocals, guitar, piano, and harmonica)
• Additional musicians: Gary Barnacle (saxophone on "Sean Flynn"), Tymon Dogg (piano on "Death Is A Star"), Joe Ely (vocals on "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"), Futura 2000 (vocals on "Overpowered By Funk"), Allen Ginsberg (vocals on "Ghetto Defendant"), Tommy Mandel (keyboards on "Overpowered By Funk"), and Kosmo Vinyl (vocals on "Red Angel Dragnet")
• Musical style: New wave, punk rock with elements of dub, funk, ska, rockabilly, and pop
• Sound: High energy,
• Major themes/lyrical content: the moral decline of American culture, the impact and aftermath of the Vietnam war, gun violence, U.S. foreign policy, life, death, etc.
• Notes: Sadly, "Combat Rock" was the last album with Mick Jones and Topper Headon.  Topper was fired shortly after recording due to his increasingly problematic drug addiction.  Jones was fired in September of '83.  Strummer and Simonon would continue the band, but only releases one more album under The Clash moniker, the abysmal "Cut The Crap" in 1985.
• Tracks: 

1. "Know Your Rights"
2. "Car Jamming"
3. "Should I Stay Or Should I Go"
4. "Rock The Casbah"
5. "Red Angel Dragnet"
6. "Straight To Hell"
7. "Overpowered By Funk"
8. "Atom Tan"
9. "Sean Flynn"
10. "Ghetto Defendant"
11. "Inoculated City"
12. "Death Is A Star"

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Roosters Brewing Company (Ogden, Utah)
• Website: https://www.roostersbrewingco.com/ 
• Brew: Rock The Casbah ESB
• Style: Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
• Serving: 32 ounce crowler can
• ABV: 4.0%
• Pour: The Rock The Casbah pours a deep mahogany / copper with a thin, light tan head that dissipates fairly quickly leaving a small ring with minimal lacing.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by a wonderfully balanced blend of hoppy citrus and toasty malts.  There are aromas of orange peel, grapefruit rind, herbal tea, freshly baked bread, crackery biscuit, and soft toffee.
• Taste: Like the nose, the flavor of the Rock The Casbah is a lovely blend of hoppy and malty flavors.  There are notes of grapefruit, herbal tea, grassy hops, toasted malts, crackery biscuit, and a hint of burnt toffee.
• Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied and moderately carbonated, the mouthfeel of Rock The Casbah is crisp and slightly bitter, yet very smooth with clean, dry finish.

Overall pairing: The crisp, smooth drinking flavors of the Rock The Casbah ESB from Roosters is perfect for the new wave punky punch of "Combat Rock"!  

Cheers!!