▁Pr ison er " ▁ ▁M ick ▁Jones ▁– ▁lead ▁vocals , ▁lead ▁guitar , ▁rh ythm ▁guitar , ▁ac oust ic ▁guitar ▁ ▁Joe ▁Str um mer ▁– ▁backing ▁vocals , ▁lead ▁guitar , ▁rh ythm ▁guitar ▁ ▁Paul ▁Simon on ▁– ▁bass ▁guitar ▁ ▁To pper ▁Head on ▁– ▁drums ▁ ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁"( White ▁Man ) ▁In ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Pal ais " ▁helped ▁the ▁Cl ash ▁assert ▁themselves ▁as ▁a ▁more ▁vers atile ▁band ▁mus ically ▁and ▁polit ically ▁than ▁many ▁of ▁their ▁pe ers , ▁and ▁it ▁broke ▁the ▁exc iting ▁but ▁limit ing ▁punk ▁m ould ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁established ▁by ▁the ▁Sex ▁P ist ols ; ▁from ▁now ▁on ▁the ▁Cl ash ▁would ▁be ▁" the ▁thinking ▁man ' s ▁y obs ". ▁ ▁Robert ▁Christ g au ▁recommended ▁the ▁single ▁in ▁his ▁Cons umer ▁Guide ▁published ▁by ▁The ▁Village ▁Vo ice ▁on ▁ 4 ▁September ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁and ▁described ▁the ▁song ▁as ▁" a ▁must ". ▁Den ise ▁S ull ivan ▁of ▁All Music ▁wrote ▁that ▁"( White ▁Man ) ▁In ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Pal ais " ▁" may ▁have ▁actually ▁been ▁the ▁first ▁song ▁to ▁merge ▁punk ▁and ▁reg ga e ." ▁Conse quence ▁of ▁Sound ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" one ▁of ▁Str um mer ’ s ▁greatest ▁lyr ical ▁compos itions ". ▁ ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁ranked ▁at ▁No .   8 ▁among ▁the ▁top ▁" Tra cks ▁of ▁the ▁Year " ▁for ▁ 1 9