Crass "Penis Envy" (1981)

Crass's third record is a loud, bold statement. One that transcends the ideological rebellion from their first two records into art as the groups sound shift gears. Firstly frontman Steve Ignorant is absent as Eve Libertine takes lead vocal and second the instrumentals steer to an artsy form of Post-Punk not far aesthetically from their former sound but with an expansive ear for atmosphere and mood. Its an evolution fit for purpose as the lyrics take a bold feminist stance making mockery of gender inherited values and the marital tradition. The title marks the records intention and its artwork further extends the subjects poked at in its playtime.

"Penis Envy" is a vehicle for thought, its instrumentals don't swoon with melodies or take the forefront of your attention. They mostly balance the atmosphere to contrast the moods in opposing sides of the topics being discussed. Its simply not possible to enjoy without being engaged in the subject matter and no track does it better than "Systematic Death. Its the song that encompasses everything daring about challenging conformity and does it with a spike of audacity. The repetitive "System system system" chants between commenting on the social constructs of gender based expectation. Lines like "Fuck her mind so they can fuck her silly" makes remarkable statements that might be hard to wrap your head around depending on how you perceive how individuals are formed within society.

Through the record there are many resolute statements to question your resolve, especially a mockery of dependency on men in society. Much of which dives deeper into what "Systemic Death" outlines. Musically a couple of memorable melodies extrude from the baselines and there are some great experimental tracks. "Berkertex Bribe" has a stunning break out moment where the intensity on all instruments kicks up a notch as subtle wedding bells ring out in the back drop. The album is seen out with "Our Wedding", an almost eerie track poking fun at post-marital expectations in a subversive way. Its a much artier experience than previous records but in true crass style it is the food for thought that becomes the focal point of a brilliant record and a very bold statement for an 80s society to digest.

Favorite Tracks: Systematic Death, What The Fuck

Rating: 8/10

Crass "The Feeding Of The 5000" (1978)

Here's another record that the miracle of shuffle brought me back to. Reading and exploring the world of Punk music many years back Crass stood out as one of the most interesting bands, pioneers of the Anarcho Punk sound, Crass were artists who met their words with actual activism and action, true anarchists who expressed their anti establishment and authoritarian views through their DIY music. Feminists, animal rights activists and anti-war they stood for a lot of things I agree with while pointing out the hypocritical nature of punk ideology in the mainstream, calling out The Clash directly on one particular song. The bands story is fascinating, their influence on political culture and activism during their short tenure is unique and quite unheard of in the world of music today... or at any time really.

Punk can be unapologetically raw and crass, pun intended, but not quite like Crass are, with spoken word and dissonant guitar distortions, scratchy and dingy in tone, the band border on Art Punk with a continual exploration of feedback noise through their songs where you might of expected simple power chord riffs. When they do resemble more traditional styles they are buried, distant, quiet and second fiddle to the chemistry between bass guitar and drums. The core "melody" comes from the bouncy bass guitar, lining the direction of each track with a chromatic charm. The drums sound narrow but rattle away with a militant industrial vibe, keeping rhythm with snare rolls and marching rhythms between kick and snare. The symbols are quiet and often hit at the same time as a drum, rarely heard in the moments between.

They create quite the gloomy, nihilistic atmosphere, taking on the weight of the urgency they feel for their world views. Vocalist Steve Ignorant as the lead voice has quite the stark and blunt approach to his performance, almost spoken word, or shouted word as his thick London accent dominates the listeners attention. Its again unapologetic and straight to the point, a brilliant union of art and intention, you can feel the passion and fire for their beleifs. The album is also littered with creativity in the form of sampling, artsy spoken word interludes from Eve Libertine and interesting song ideas. The anti nuclear "They've Got A Bomb" sets a grim tone with crackling guitar noise and as Steve says "twenty odd years now waiting for a flash" it goes silent, as if the bomb has gone of. Fantastic. After its opening track the music starts and ends with two renditions of "Do They Owe Us A living", solidifying one of its main themes.

At thirty two minutes its fast, direct and loaded with short tracks, eighteen in total but they play like a singular experience in moments, often rolling from one into the next, sometimes with the shifts in tempo being transitioned through the drums which steadily increase or decrease in speed. The records DIY production doesn't hold it back, its a low fidelity affair and the reality and genuine nature of its construction makes complete sense given the circumstances, its part of its charm. I love this record for its character, conviction and substance, the music is grounded in reality. The people, ideas are real and meaningful, a much more intelligent form of Punk with a strong, harsh, unforgiving aesthetic.

Favorite Tracks: Do They Owe Us A Living, They've Got A Bomb, Punk Is Dead, Banned From The Roxy, Fight Wars Not War, Securior, You Pay, What A Shame

Rating: 8/10