Crass/ Christ/ Album/ Review/ Punk/ Lives
Crass : Christ The Album, Crass the Band (Crass Records cat. no Bollux 2U2) Double album £5
[Review by me from Punk Lives no idea which issue, front cover gone, but 1982. Other reviews of The Dark, Anti-Pasti, Bow Wow Wow, Lords of the New Church, The Fits and Billy Idol]
Boxed in black, the people we all misunderstand.
A double attack, another outrageous outburst, more blows against the empire, but now the image starts to crack, now the solid black facade, the wall of noise just a little frayed and the people showing through. I even laughed, more than once. So will you. Starts of ‘same old stuff/you heard it all before/ Crass being crass/ about the system or is it war....’ (221984?) and then they start to let it all fall apart a system splintering into diversity. Crass play games with Maggie and with “sentiment”. The punk thrash bash warps into a radio played out of tune (Carol Bayer Sager?) and then it is ‘Birth Control ‘ and ‘Reality Whitewash’. Is this Crass ? Sure is and I love it and it’s brilliant if only you can let them try and whisper sweet subversion in your ear. Do you dare? Or are you scared. “Not punk mate, is it?’
Who makes those rules? There are no rules. Remember? Individuality, difference. The Crass crew are human too, not some unreal bunch of anarchist punk super heroes out to save the world. They are still angry, they still care. The passion is unabated but the music is moving, shifting and changing. Not just jumping up and down and then going home to bed, songs don’t all have to remain the same. Or is that what you want?
Don’t worry, there is still lots of noise and speed and excitement and raw power, new and old. Half the double blast is live - 100 Club June 1981, is amazing. It just won’t lie down, keeps crawling around and leaping out of dark places. Like the two pieces of ‘77 stuff - one from a pirate broadcast advertising a Roxy gig (OK?). Real punk cred, huh? Funny too. And don’t miss the bollocks.
They fill up all the spaces with creative chaos, confusing and amusing, charming and alarming. Hey it’s almost COLOURFUL! Still not nice, not safe, no reassurance, the ugly nature of our world is always confronted, no escapism and cleverly crafted pure pop songs. But there is love. Love? Yeah, love. “I Know there is Love’. Crass get almost personal, get emotional.
Read the 30 page booklet you get with it. Especially the bit where Penny comes clean ‘The Last Of The Hippies - An Hysterical Romance’. The true life romance. The day the Crass turned day glo... Hey maybe anarchy could be fun again! The whole idea is become your own Crass. INVENT YOUR OWN EPPING. Shatter a few illusions. The Beatles did it White, Crass do it Black. I’m still coming in colours. Christ the Album. Yeah, and Jesus was a woman too.
AL@
[Review by me from Punk Lives no idea which issue, front cover gone, but 1982. Other reviews of The Dark, Anti-Pasti, Bow Wow Wow, Lords of the New Church, The Fits and Billy Idol]
Boxed in black, the people we all misunderstand.
A double attack, another outrageous outburst, more blows against the empire, but now the image starts to crack, now the solid black facade, the wall of noise just a little frayed and the people showing through. I even laughed, more than once. So will you. Starts of ‘same old stuff/you heard it all before/ Crass being crass/ about the system or is it war....’ (221984?) and then they start to let it all fall apart a system splintering into diversity. Crass play games with Maggie and with “sentiment”. The punk thrash bash warps into a radio played out of tune (Carol Bayer Sager?) and then it is ‘Birth Control ‘ and ‘Reality Whitewash’. Is this Crass ? Sure is and I love it and it’s brilliant if only you can let them try and whisper sweet subversion in your ear. Do you dare? Or are you scared. “Not punk mate, is it?’
Who makes those rules? There are no rules. Remember? Individuality, difference. The Crass crew are human too, not some unreal bunch of anarchist punk super heroes out to save the world. They are still angry, they still care. The passion is unabated but the music is moving, shifting and changing. Not just jumping up and down and then going home to bed, songs don’t all have to remain the same. Or is that what you want?
Don’t worry, there is still lots of noise and speed and excitement and raw power, new and old. Half the double blast is live - 100 Club June 1981, is amazing. It just won’t lie down, keeps crawling around and leaping out of dark places. Like the two pieces of ‘77 stuff - one from a pirate broadcast advertising a Roxy gig (OK?). Real punk cred, huh? Funny too. And don’t miss the bollocks.
They fill up all the spaces with creative chaos, confusing and amusing, charming and alarming. Hey it’s almost COLOURFUL! Still not nice, not safe, no reassurance, the ugly nature of our world is always confronted, no escapism and cleverly crafted pure pop songs. But there is love. Love? Yeah, love. “I Know there is Love’. Crass get almost personal, get emotional.
Read the 30 page booklet you get with it. Especially the bit where Penny comes clean ‘The Last Of The Hippies - An Hysterical Romance’. The true life romance. The day the Crass turned day glo... Hey maybe anarchy could be fun again! The whole idea is become your own Crass. INVENT YOUR OWN EPPING. Shatter a few illusions. The Beatles did it White, Crass do it Black. I’m still coming in colours. Christ the Album. Yeah, and Jesus was a woman too.
AL@
posted by Unknown | 8:37 am
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