The Clash “Historia de la Musica Rock” 1983. Orbis Records. I’m spinning the Spanish re-issue version of The Clash’s 1978 album Give ‘Em Enough Rope in honor of Joe Strummer’s birthday (b. John Mellor, Aug. 21st 1952, d. 2002). The Historia de la Musica Rock is a series of albums released in the early 80′s, sold as a companion to a 6-volume rock encyclopedia released weekly for about two years in Spain with artists ranging from The Clash to Joe Cocker to Chuck Berry. This reissue of The Clash’s second album (the first to be released in the US) follows the original UK track listing titles: “All the Young Punks (New Boots and Contracts)” was renamed “That’s No Way to Spend Your Youth” on the original US release, and “Julie’s In the Drug Squad” became “Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad.” Give ‘Em Enough Rope peaked at #2 on the album charts and made it to #128 in the US with the single “Tommy Gun” hitting #19 on the UK charts. I love that song and some of my other faves are “Guns on the Roof” (its opening riff highly reminiscent of “Clash City Rockers” plus I’m even more fond of the song having recently been to London where we saw the particular roof in Camden Market where the gun incident that inspired the song happened – a special shout-out to and recommendation of Alison and her Rock-n-Roll Camden Walking Tour), and “English Civil War” (its melody derived from the American Civil War song “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”) which was released as a single in early ‘79 and went to #25 in the UK. I love the entire album, one listed by NME in the top 100 records of all-time, except “Stay Free” which is the only track that features Mick Jones on vocals; though all the tracks have writing credits given to Strummer and Jones (“Guns on the Roof” gives Paul Simonon and Topper Headon credit as well), I have a feeling “Stay Free” was a very Jones-inspired song: sing-songy and a pop music flavor.