Christ - The Album

Probably one of THE most important "alternative" albums ever released. The epitomy of DIY punk (sic) ethos.

Crass succeeded where others failed and still maintained a sense of humour, the box set here contains a wonderful booklet which is worth the price of the album alone. It contains a history of the Band, their outlook, their politics and their ideals

Sadly missed in todays world of disinformation, consumer and media overload and manufactured bands.

Not known for their musical savvy they managed to attain a legion of fans and are respected from many quarters (except probably MI5 and Thatcher herself)

Buy it whilst you still can

CRASS were the only genuine ANARHO-PUNKS who actually lived the 'punk' ideal, operating completely independently from their EPPING FOREST safe-house.

'CHRIST-the ALBUM' was released in late '82, and following their previous low-priced vinyl releases, this album [on initial release] was a radical departure, a '2-record set', lavish in presentation, housed in a fetching stark black box, costing a relatvely-high cost 5 pounds [expensive by CRASS standards].

the SOUTHERN STUDIOS sessions here yielded glossy, impeccably-produced production values, but still remained very much at heart an anarchic aural document, which I regard as among CRASS' finest works.

Opening with the screeching guitarwork of 'HAVE A NICE DAY', [a typically venimous outburst against sterile political self-seving], the first [studio-only] platter is interspersed with introductorary news/media archive recordings that precede each track, MAGGIE herself utters some usual 'words of wisdom'.
'NINETEEN EIGHTY BORE' has some excellent commentary on the seductive lure of the media [particularly TV], and 'BEG YOUR PARDON' reveals a surprizingly tuneful side to the band......with typically forceful chorus-bellowing from PETE WRIGHT.

STEVE IGNORANT'S vocals overall take on a more sympathetic, less abrasive tone than previous 'all-out attack ' outings, though the overall nihilistic content remains consistent with ANARCHO-IDEALS.

A highlight for me is the splendidly evocative 'BIRTH CONTROL' [with excellent vocal range from JOY de VIVRE] again outling theabsolute futility of WAR. 'REALITY WHITEWASH' is an escalating, incendiary track with effective use of horns [yes, really!] as it approaches it's climax.

'the GREATEST WORKING CLASS RIP-OFF' is a valid, neccessary comment on the lamentably bone-headed 'OI!' music sub-culture that sprang up around this time, and the pounding 'RIVAL TRIBAL REBEL REVELS' is another PETE WRIGHT - enhanced anthem, outling more pointless violence, here on the theme of mondless gang culture.

the album proper rounds off with the epic 'MAJOR GENERAL DESPAIR', yet another caustic put-down of the shallow macho-posturing and rampant insanity of MILITARY 'honour'......this ends with an excellent vocal rendition of 'FIGHT WAR, NOT WARS', seguing into yet more relevant archive sound recording.

PLATTER TWO was originally entitled 'WELL FORKED' and contains some well-recorded live performances [certainly preferable to the harshly-captured 'STATIONS' live cuts]interspersed with some studio experiments, and also some very early [1977] recordings featuring STEVE HERMAN, in the form of crude [quite possibly cassette-recorded] archive material.

----more esoteric than PLATTER ONE, but fine as an overall document of assorted CRASS sweetmeats.

special mention must go to the accompanying booklet: 'A SERIES of SHOCK SLOGANS ' [sadly not included here, save for a brief excerpt] which was a vital, spot-on indicment of the often sloth-like, unthinking nature of the human condition, which gives us all so much mindless, pointless consumerism, and such regrettable war and inequality.

Overall, a fine historical document from CRASS, whose individualty of thought and total disregard for the status quo we call 'normal' is still very much relevant today.

i was part of the anarcho punk movement myself in the 80s and crass i can honestly say have to be the only band that really lived and practised what they preached. this album originally had a full size poster tho sadly not in the cd format which is a shame as it summed up the system and society in a picture....hard hitting and not for those that choose to close theyre eyes and try to ignore whats all around us and holding us all back from what could be a paradise(planet earth) if only we would dare to try something new. the live side is excellent and the nuclear war montage of sounds gets your imagination going as to the fear the nuclear threat would bring to the public without warning. i highly recommend this album tho the music can grate on some ears which was my only critisism of crass as it detracted from the message given....you cannot make out ignorants rants, a shame as crass could play some good tunes. thats my opinion but i leave it with you.