And, love or hate them, the likes of Idles owe a debt to Crass too. Specifics may have changed, but the fundamental questions about why and how we are treated by people in positions of power has never stopped being relevant. If anything they have come more into focus since the advent of austerity, disaster capitalism and especially during the current administration. The first 6 CD sets chart the rise and fall of Crass as a band and phenomenon through their albums.
Feeding of the was all wide eyed youthful exuberance and cockiness. Two fingers in the air. It established them, and provided their signature tune. Stations of the Crass saw their confidence in their popularity and identity growing.
With Penis Envy they used their growing influence to show the world through feminist eyes. Christ The Album saw them reach maturity. Their musical output was arguably at its finest. Meanwhile shit had got real, these freedom loving pranksters were wearing furrowed brows, feeling the pressure. Even the government treating them as a serious threat.
Yes Sir I Will was an outpouring of visceral frustration and anger at the Falklands War, thrashing about in a whirling freeform explosion as the band started to crash. Right from their first 7 inch, the first Crass Records release, to their last gig in Aberdare in Then all becomes clear. Nothing about this collection is accidental. These miniaturised covers themselves make amazing artefacts. Along with the chunky lyric booklets which tell the tale of the band they are intensely interesting.
Painstaking effort by Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher on design matters has paid off. In the booklets, lyrics are laid out in a more easy to follow style than the original cover, accompanied by imagery: some familiar, some less so. It is noticeable that the lyrical author of each individual song is credited.
This is a departure, and I believe a source of some of the internal struggle among ex-Crass members over the original release of the Crassical Collection. I think he has tried to bring in all the actors, but it is very much his voice and his view. He clearly enjoyed it though, with tales of lager induced burps on the recording and generally misbehaving like a cheeky young punk should.
He also reminds us that every one of those poster covers was hand folded by the band! And we are talking tens of thousands. Steve explains that he always thought the original mix of Feeding was missing something. He has always come across as frank and honest, and it shines through here. He for one is pleased that it was given a bit of touch up and a shine.
Eve Libertine writes how gender stereotyping that she railed against still stands strong. Her sarcasm is palpable. She came to the conclusion that some of the ideas Crass promoted may be of use to deal with personal problems but encourages you to discard them once used.
And reminds us to laugh! As well as talking about the recording process, Penny Rimbaud handles the history of the band. He also effectively paints grim pictures of the context — what was going on in the world around them.
As the years progressed we were living under an increasingly oppressive Thatcher government. War in Northern Ireland. But there was a revitalised Peace Movement, animal rights, feminism and anarchism all on the rise — thanks in part to the efforts of Crass. He covers the roots of the collective in hippydom. The first iteration of Crass as a duo called Stormtrooper. The source of the band name a line in Ziggy Stardust courtesy of Bowie fan Ignorant.
Clearing rooms with early gigs. How they hooked up with Pete Stennett at Small Wonder to release Feeding of the and the problems Asylum created first at the pressing plant and then with the Vice Squad. The stencil graffiti campaign on the Underground, the location of the wall pictured on Stations and the bizarre outcome on the only occasion they were caught in the act.
The sources and double meanings of some of the album titles. Certainly in the earlier album booklets these are accounts full of humour. And in the pictures of the band that follow, they are all smiling. Behind that serious image they were having fun, at least in the beginning. Crass were hated by the music press a mutual loathing I am certain but the kids thought differently as record sales and gig attendances proved.
How they hoodwinked a teenage girls magazine into promoting the song Our Wedding to its readers — more headlines! The impact of this album in particular seemed measurable. Anarcho-feminism was now occupying a central position in the punk movement and the peace movement. By the time they released Christ The Album the threatened prosecutions and increased state surveillance were taking their toll on the band.
They were involved in helping organise Stop The City which was as much carnival as protest. The Falklands looms large, of course.
So much raw passion and emotion packed into one LP. After hearing Mother a few years ago, they really caught my attention. I vibe with their thoughts on society and the state of the world. Fighting back against the broken system we all live in.
Finding joy in the few ways we all can. My favorite songs are: War Mr. Bonus Flowers by Maxshh. Max Goldstein makes "acoustic" music that is a unique mix of guitar, experimental electronics, and percussion.
Make indie rock weird again. Aunt Sally by Aunt Sally. Bandcamp Album of the Day Dec 2, Do You Like Salt? Money Flows is simply outstanding. Bandcamp Daily your guide to the world of Bandcamp. No matching results. Explore music. Get fresh music recommendations delivered to your inbox every Friday. Walachian Tyrant. Rainer Springenschmid. Damian Marshall. CJ Marsicano. Moly Pona. J Smolders. Cullen Murphy. Forrest L Norvell. Neb Dz. Juan-Carlos Rodriguez.
Erasmus Windage. Stuart Hunter. Busta Nezz. Jon Truett. Joel Swanson. Derik Badman. Purchasable with gift card. This beautiful remastered double CD package includes a high-quality booklet and fold-out poster. Mother Earth Remastered The intention and effect immediately pushes the listener off balance. Crass remain a very difficult band to categorise. Stations of the Crass consolidates the sound and fury introduced on Feeding of the Frequently dismissed as musically one dimensional, with Stations Dub like basslines underpin several tracks, 'The Gasman Cometh' is almost post-punk and sounds uncannily like Wire, while the Clash are pastiched and pilloried on 'White Punks On Hope' and 'System'.
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