While the Sex Pistols were writing "Anarchy In The UK," Crass was living it. Formed in 1977, with a self-imposed countdown clock set for 1984, the band took anarchist ideals to a new level. They occupied squats, including a former bingo hall that is now The Garage in London, and participated in countless direct actions, such as the Stop The City demonstrations, which effectively paralyzed the capital. 'Penis Envy', a passionate, HMV-banned, 30-minute anarcho-feminist tirade, targeted various aspects of female oppression, featuring exclusively female vocals by Eve Libertine and Joy De Vivre.
The album caused quite a stir in the tabloids when they orchestrated a hoax in which a flexidisc single of the album was offered for free with the teen magazine 'Loving', which garnered them a lot of free publicity. Few bands, punk or otherwise, have ever been as controversial. And yes, they broke up in 1984.
This album is a powerful statement, a musical expression of anarchist and feminist principles, which remains relevant to this day.
