Few punk bands matched Crass for sheer undimmed vitriol -- just ask Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose hard-line conservative government provided irresistible fodder for concept albums like Yes Sir, I Will, which indicted her bid to retake the Falkland Islands. The band shunned any 1977-era... [+] Expand

Few punk bands matched Crass for sheer undimmed vitriol -- just ask Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, whose hard-line conservative government provided irresistible fodder for concept albums like Yes Sir, I Will, which indicted her bid to retake the Falkland Islands. The band shunned any 1977-era notion of accommodating major labels, organizing as an anarchist collective to release its own albums (and related affairs like the Bullshit Detector compilations). Behind the seemingly casual pseudonyms (Joy DeVivre, Phil Free, Steve Ignorant, Eve Libertine) lay an intensity that never shied from painting with a broad brush (as exemplified by slogans like "When You Vote, Government Wins"). Recorded on July 4, 1981, this show in Perth, Scotland, occurred while riots simmered nationwide. Supporters of Britain's neo-Nazi National Front party raised the tension by sneaking into the venue -- which neatly upholds punk's tradition of capturing hostility on a crappy cassettes: Does this sound like Metallic K.O. yet? Well, almost; never the most adept musicians, Crass' breathless velocity often wears thin at times, but there's no denying the power of its conviction -- "Punk Is Dead" surely remains one of the most withering blasts issued against corporate cooptation. "Rival Tribal Rebel Revel" spanks punks for using fisticuffs to settle their differences, which becomes an ironic (if inevitable) running theme here. Yet the band remains resolutely "on message" -- to borrow that oft-maligned political term -- amid the squabbling. The songs hustle at a tetchy, impatient clip: Antiwar polemics like "Nagasaki Nightmare" and "They've Got a Bomb" remain relevant as ever, while "Berkertex Bribe"'s nitty-gritty specifics show how quickly dated most political music becomes. Crass' scattershot staccato thrash may be an acquired taste, but its impact cannot be denied. True believers can replace that worn-out bookend from their tape compilation, while the uninitiated should start with the Best Before 1984 compilation and make this release a bookend to that experience. ~ Ralph Heibutzki, All Music Guide [-] Collapse

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