The Clash Hits Back

Background

The best of album is sequenced to copy the set played by the band at the Brixton Fair Deal (now the Academy) on 10 July 1982, rounded out with big numbers that failed to make the set that night.

The Fair Deal was a special venue for the Clash, Paul Simonon told the Guardian, because of the memories the venue held as the cinema he and Mick Jones went to as children. "It's actually where I saw my first ever pop show," Simonon said. "We all turned up as 10-year-olds, and they said: 'Right, boys and girls, we've got a special surprise for you—we're not going to show you a film!' So everyone was: 'Booooo.' 'No. we've got a special surprise—we have Sandie Shaw!' And Sandie Shaw came on, and she was going on about not having any shoes. So we had an hour set from her, and that was my first pop concert."

The actual set the band played that evening has the song "Bankrobber" as the 5th tune, not the 8th. This is verified by audience recordings from the show. The band entered the stage to the sound of "La Resa Dei Conti (For A Few Dollars More)" by Ennio Morricone.

Track listing

All songs written by Joe Strummer and Mick Jones unless otherwise noted

Disc one

1. "London Calling" – 3:20
2. "Safe European Home" – 3:51
3. "Know Your Rights" – 3:39
4. "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" – 4:01
5. "Janie Jones" – 2:05
6. "The Guns of Brixton" (Paul Simonon) – 3:10
7. "Train in Vain" – 3:11
8. "Bankrobber" – 4:35
9. "Wrong 'Em Boyo" (written by Clive Alphonso; originally performed by the Rulers; including Stagger Lee) – 3:10
10. "The Magnificent Seven" (The Clash) – 5:33
11. "Police on My Back" (Grant) – 3:17
12. "Rock the Casbah" (Topper Headon/The Clash)– 3:42
13. "Career Opportunities" – 1:52
14. "Police & Thieves" (Junior Murvin, Lee "Scratch" Perry) – 6:00
15. "Somebody Got Murdered" (The Clash) – 3:34
16. "Brand New Cadillac" (Vince Taylor) – 2:09
17. "Clampdown" – 3:50

Disc two

1. "Ghetto Defendant" (The Clash) – 4:44
2. "Armagideon Time" (Willi Williams, Jackie Mittoo) – 3:50
3. "Stay Free" – 3:40
4. "I Fought the Law" (Sonny Curtis) – 2:39
5. "Straight to Hell" (The Clash) – 5:30
6. "Should I Stay or Should I Go" (The Clash) – 3:08
7. "Garageland" – 3:13
8. "White Riot" – 1:59
9. "Complete Control" – 3:13
10. "Clash City Rockers" – 3:56
11. "Tommy Gun" – 3:17
12. "English Civil War" (traditional, arranged by Strummer-Jones) – 2:36
13. "The Call Up" (The Clash) – 5:25
14. "Hitsville U.K." (The Clash) – 4:20
15. "This Is Radio Clash" (The Clash) – 4:11
16. "London's Burning" – 2:10 (Japan bonus track)
17. "City of the Dead" – 2:23 (Japan bonus track)