Crass - The Feeding Of The 5000

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OI OI OI OI!
ANARCHY!!!
FIGHT WAR, NOT WARS!!!
THERE IS NOT AUTHORITY BUT YOURSELF!!!

That's the kinda sloganing your going to find on this 18 song, 30 minute debut LP released in 1978 by Crass. Crass was an anarchist punk band that actually wrote some catchy songs. Granted, the copy around nowadays starts with 2 minutes of talking about religion over guitar feedback that ends with "Jesus died for his own sins, not mine". DANG! The next song has a drum beat that goes "dumdumdumdumcrash!" and a guitar that goes "chchchchchchch" with the chorus "Do they owe us a living? Of course they f**king do!". "They've Got a Bomb" is a jam that starts off and turn to silence about a minute in. I've read it was a tribute to Cage and that it was supposed to be "the bomb going off and everybody would stop dancing blah blah blah". Then the bassist sings 3 songs and he sounds like a rugby player (main singer, Steve Ignorant, had a cockney sounding high pitched voice).

Most of the songs are completely interchangeable, but its so enjoyable! I mean, you wouldn't think so, but these guys and gals had a sense a melody and humour. And don't get me started on the lyrics, because their great! I mean, I'm not saying its Kerouac or nothing, but they get the point across. Crass was that kind of band. I can't listen to Crass and not smile. I just can't. Something about it just makes me think "man, they lived in house together, didn't shower often*, wore all black clothes, and were anarchists who listened to Bach and Cage". Its just like living in the dorms. And the album ends with the song it started with, with the same melody and lyrics, just a lot faster.

Regarding the 2 minute intro, the first time it was pressed, the pressing plant refused to press the album because they thought the first track was "blasphemous", so it was replaced with 2 minutes of silence called "The Sound of Free Speech", which some view as another Cage reference.

Anyway, enjoy it! I did when I was 14.

OVERALL RATING - better than bjork's first band KUKL.
KEY TRACKS - banned from the roxy, they've got a bomb, punk is dead.