Blog Roddus

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

Crass - Penis Envy (UK 1981)

Uncle Roddus Classic albums.



Late one night a very young Uncle Roddus was listening to his favourite late night alternative radio show on his tiny transistor radio in his bed when he heard the song "Systematic Death" By Crass. It was certainly a bonus to hear something so totally anti establishment and so full of naughty words on New Zealand Radio back then. I was instantly smitten with the song, it was like nothing I had heard before, which was a regular occurrence on that particular radio show and so was my introduction to Crass and their nihilistic brand of anarcho punk. Crass albums weren't all that easy to get your  hands on back then and I had to wait till I came across their records on Import from my local record emporium of the time. "Penis Envy" was the 3rd album from Crass and the one I most had to have due to the fabulous "Systematic Death", a harsh evaluation of male/female relationships and their role in the western system and how the system crushes them. As perhaps can be divined from the albums title, the albums is a pretty extreme feminist statement as well as a dig at  the male dominance of the SYSTEM. Musically the album goes way beyond standard anarcho punk, although harsh, there is plenty of melody interweaved into these interesting punk experiments and I have heard nothing else like it. It is Crass's best album. The album has stood up very well the test of time and I still connect with it big time. Not a lightweight listen. Rating 5/5.

1 comment:

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