Thursday 27 December 2007

Crass

What's there to say about Crass? I love them, they changed my life and stuff like that, I suppose… When I first heard them, it was while I was in high school, sometime back in 1990-1991. Vedran K. borrowed their "The Feeding Of The 5000" LP from a guy called Mihun, and we listened to it quite excitedly. They were something different from bands like The Exploited, U.K. Subs, G.B.H., various Oi!/punk bands that we listened to at that time. They even had a song called "Punk Is Dead"! And I've spent all that time writing "Punk's not dead" slogan on walls and school benches and in my notebooks… Fortunately, since it was an original LP, I had a chance to make photocopies of the record cover and sleeve and had more time to analyze the lyrics. I found them great, sort of cynical "we-are-more-moral-than-you" type of lyrics pointed at the people who pretended to be more moral then the rest of us (church, government, school, army, etc.) in which they said things I could personify with. Like the lyrics for "Banned From The Roxy" that go: "Oh yes they say it's defence, they say it's decency, / Mai Lai, Hiroshima, know what I mean? / The same fucking lies with depressing frequency, / They say "We had to do it to keep our lives clean" / Well whose life? Whose fucking life? / Who the fuck are they talking to? / Whose life? Whose fucking life? / I tell you one thing, it ain't me and you." The war in Hrvatska (Croatia) was just starting and I could really identify with Crass and above said/shouted things. More I learned about them, more I liked them. So this are their releases that I got on CDs, and if you want to know more there's a Wikipedia article on them, a very good Southern Records pages on them and you can get some of Crass' stuff from Active Distribution (Christ – The Bootleg CD and more).


CRASS [1978] The Feeding Of The 5000

Year: 1978
Label: Crass Records
Size: 44 MB / 192 kbps / 7z

01. Asylum
02. Do They Owe Us A Living?
03. End Result
04. They've Got A Bomb
05. Punk Is Dead
06. Reject Of Society
07. General Bacardi
08. Banned From The Roxy
09. G's Song
10. Fight War, Not Wars
11. Women
12. Securicor
13. Sucks
14. You Pay
15. Angels
16. What A Shame
17. So What
18. Well? ...Do They?
(1978 Crass Records)

Steve Ignorant - lead vocals.
Eve Libertine - voice on “Asylum”.
Joy De Vivre - voice on “Women”.
Phil Free - lead guitar, backing vocals.
N.A. Palmer - rhythm guitar, backing vocals.
Pete Wright - bass, vocals on “Securicor”, “Sucks”, “You Pay”.
Penny Rimbaud - drums, radio.
G - artwork.
Recorded live at Southern Studios, London 29.10.1978.
All songs written and produced by Crass.
Engineered by John Loder.

DL




CRASS [1981] Penis Envy

Year: 1981
Label: Crass Records
Size: 78 MB / 320 kbps / 7z

01. Bata Motel
02. Systematic Death
03. Poison In A Pretty Pill
04. What The Fuck
05. Where Next Columbus
06. Berkertex Bribe
07. Smother Love
08. Health Surface
09. Dry Weather
10. Our Wedding
(1981 Crass Records)

Eve Libertine – lead vocals.
Joy De Vivre – lead vocals on “Health Surface”.
Phil Free – lead guitar.
B.A. Nana – rhythm guitar.
Pete Wright - bass.
Penny Rimbaud – drums.
Gee – harmonium on “What The Fuck”.
Members of Crass not on this recording – Steve Ignorant.
Recorded at Southern Studios, London, December 1980.
Engineered by John Loder.
All material written and produced by Crass.
Collages by Gee, design by Crass at Exitstencil Press.


DL




CRASS [1983] Yes Sir, I Will

Year: 1983
Label: Crass Records
Size: 100 MB / 320 kbps / 7z

01. Yes Sir, I Will
02. Yes Sir, I Will
03. Yes Sir, I Will
04. Yes Sir, I Will
05. Yes Sir, I Will
06. Yes Sir, I Will
07. Yes Sir, I Will
(1983 Crass Records)

Eve Libertine, Steve Ignorant, Joy De Vivre – lead vocals.
Pete Wright – bass.
Phil Free – lead guitar.
N.A. Palmer – rhythm guitar and voice.
Penny Rimbaud – drums and vocals.
Gee – artwork and voice.
Recorded and mixed at Southern Studios, March 1983.
Engineered by John Loder and produced by Crass.

DL




CRASS [1999] Christ - The Bootleg

Year: 1999
Label: Active Distribution
Size: 108 MB / 320 kbps / 7z

01. The Falklands (Introduction)
02. Yes Sir, I Will
03. Nineteen Eighty Bore
04. Don't Get Caught
05. Mother Earth
06. Mother Love
07. Smash The Mac
08. Bata Motel
09. Darling
10. Poison In A Pretty Pill
11. Gotcha
12. Big A Little A
13. Yes Sir, I Will
14. Major General Despair
15. Take It As Entertainment
16. You're Already Dead
(1999 Active Distribution)

Recorded live on 5/2/1984 during Crass' last tour. This CD is a reissue of the Allied Recordings CD that was itself a reissue of a vinyl-only LP released in 1989 (limited to 1,000 copies). It is also now a benefit for the McLibel Campaign in order to help them to continue the fight against McDonalds. (So listen to it after downloading it and go buy it!!!)

DL

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