The brittlest and most hard-line radical of the first wave of British punk bands, Crass issued a blitz of records that were ruthless in both their unrelenting sociopolitical screeds and their amelodic crash of noise. The horrors of war, the arbitrary nature of legal justice, sexism, media imagery, organized religion, the flaws of the punk movement itself -- all were subjected to harsh critique. Like few other rock bands before or since, Crass took rock-as-agent-of-social-and-political-change seriously, and not just in their music. In addition to putting out their own fiercely independent records (though the majors were certainly not knocking at their door), they also formed an anarchist commune that worked with other artists and labels, and on the behalf of various political causes. But they were also afflicted by considerable tension between the medium and its message -- not more than a few thousand people were exposed to Crass' very broad social concerns, and their musical inflexibility guaranteed that the band would be preaching to the converted almost exclusively. In keeping with early punk ethos, Crass assumed obviously fake stage names. The membership changed a bit over the years, but the group's mainstays were vocalists Steve Ignorant, Eve Libertine, and Joy de Vivre. Drummer Penny Rimbaud and G. Sus, who did tape collages and provided the distinctively bleak black and white artwork on the fold-out posters that usually enclosed their LPs, were also important contributors. Their late-'70s recordings may sound like just so much hardcore punk decades later. But at the time they were indeed shocking assaults of noisy guitars and relentless drumming, backed by throaty, angry rants that were made incomprehensible to many ears by the heavy British accents and the sheer speed of delivery. They were the definitive uncompromising punk band, which guaranteed them a cult following of very disaffected youth, and also ensured that they would never come remotely close to mainstream exposure, or even to many new wave playlists. An undiluted lyrical message was far more important to Crass than commercial considerations, and until 1984 they cranked out anarchist-leaning recordings without much variation in their attack. Occasional experimental cuts were promising variations on their format, particularly when they branched into tape collage, or spoken poetry. Those were largely the exception rather than the rule, though Crass weren't without the occasional moment of humor. Crass always intended to disband in 1984, and true to their ideals as always, they did exactly that when that year came around. Even for those with no taste for the band's brand of confrontational punk, they deserve recognition as one of the relatively few acts in the music who attempted to live their values, and not just sing about them.

Studio Albums:

Title	Year	Tracks
Yes Sir, I Will	1983	15
Christ: The Album	1982	22
Penis Envy	1981	13
Stations Of The Crass	1979	36
The Feeding Of The 5000	1978	34

 Live Albums:

Title	Year	Tracks
You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981	1993	17
Christ: The Bootleg	1989	16
Well Forked But Not Dead	1982	24

 Compilation Albums:

Title	Year	Tracks
Best Before 1984	1990	20

 Singles:

Title	Year	Tracks
Normal Never Was II	2020	2
Normal Never Was	2020	2
Normal Never Was III	2020	2
Ten Notes On A Summers Day	1986	2
You're Already Dead	1984	3

 Tracks:

Title	Album
A Rock 'n' Roll Swindle	Yes Sir, I Will
A Rock 'N Roll Swindler (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Anarchy's Just Another Word	Yes Sir, I Will
Anarchy's Just Another Word (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Angela Rippon	Best Before 1984
Angela Rippon (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Angels	The Feeding Of The 5000
Angels (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Anti-Mother (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Arlington 73 (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Asylum	The Feeding Of The 5000
Asylum (Mikado Koko Remix)	Normal Never Was III
Banned	Normal Never Was II
Banned From The Roxy	The Feeding Of The 5000
Banned From The Roxy (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Banned From The Roxy (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Bata Motel	Penis Envy
Bata Motel (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Beg Your Pardon	Christ: The Album
Berkertex Bribe	Penis Envy
Berkertex Bribe (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Berketex Bribe (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Big A Little	Best Before 1984
Big 'A' Little 'A' (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Big A, Little A (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Big A, Little A (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Big Hands (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Big Man, Big M.A.N.	Stations Of The Crass
Big Man, Big M.A.N. (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Big Man, Big M.A.N. (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Bird Of A Notion (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Birth Control ’N Rock ’N Roll	Christ: The Album
Birth Control ’N Rock ’N Roll (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
Blackburn Rovers (Steve Ignorant And Penny Rimbaud In Duo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Bloody Revolutions	Best Before 1984
Bomb (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Bomb (rLr remix)	Normal Never Was
Bomb Plus Tape (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Bumhooler	Christ: The Album
Bumhooler (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Burying Hatchet	Yes Sir, I Will
Buy Now Pay As You Go	Christ: The Album
Buy Now Pay As You Go (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
Chairman Of The Bored	Stations Of The Crass
Come To Southern Studios (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Contaminational Power	Stations Of The Crass
Contaminational Power (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Crutch Of Society	Stations Of The Crass
Darling	Stations Of The Crass
Darling (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Darling (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Deadhead	Christ: The Album
Demolition (Soho)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Demoncrats	Stations Of The Crass
Do They Owe Us A Living?	Best Before 1984
Do They Owe Us A Living?	The Feeding Of The 5000
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Live)	Best Before 1984
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Soho)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Do They Owe Us A Living? (Steve Ignorant And Penny Rimbaud In Duo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Do They? (Glasser Remix)	Normal Never Was
Don't Get Caught	Best Before 1984
Don't Get Caught (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Don't Tell Me You Care	Best Before 1984
Dry Weather	Penis Envy
End Result	The Feeding Of The 5000
End Result (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Fight War Not Wars	The Feeding Of The 5000
Fight War, Not Wars (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
First Woman (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Fold It In Half (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Fun Going On	Stations Of The Crass
G Song	Normal Never Was II
General Bacardi	The Feeding Of The 5000
General Bacardi (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Gotcha	Best Before 1984
Gotcha (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
G's Song	The Feeding Of The 5000
G's Song (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
G's Song (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
G's Song (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Have A Nice Day	Christ: The Album
Have A Nice Day (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
Health Surface	Penis Envy
Health Surface (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Heard Too Much About	Stations Of The Crass
Heard Too Much About (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Heard Too Much About (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Heartbeat Of The Mortuary (Soho)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Hello Hero (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
How Does It Feel	Best Before 1984
Hurry Up Garry	Stations Of The Crass
Hurry Up Garry (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
I Ain’t Thick, It’s Just A Trick (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
I Ain't Thick, It's Just A Trick	Stations Of The Crass
I Can’t Stand It (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
I Don't Like It (Soho)	The Feeding Of The 5000
I Know There Is Love	Christ: The Album
Intro	PunkOiSka Christmas Sampler
Intro	PunkOiSka Christmas Sampler
Kind Of Who (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Major General Despair	Christ: The Album
Major General Despair	Best Before 1984
Major General Despair (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Major General Despair (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Mother Earth	Stations Of The Crass
Mother Earth (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Mother Love	Christ: The Album
Mother Love (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Mother Love (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Mother Love (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
Mouthing The Words (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Nagasaki Is Yesterday's Dogend	Best Before 1984
Nagasaki Nightmare	Best Before 1984
Nagasaki Nightmare (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Nagasaki Nightmare (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Nineteen Eighty Bore	Christ: The Album
Nineteen Eighty Bore (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Not Apart (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
One Hand… (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Our Wedding	Penis Envy
Pissedorf (Soho)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Poison In A Pretty Pill	Penis Envy
Poison In A Pretty Pill (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Poison In A Pretty Pill (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Punk Is Dead	Free Punk For The Punx Volume 4
Punk Is Dead	The Feeding Of The 5000
Punk Is Dead (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Punk Is Dead (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Punk Is Dead (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Punk Is Dead (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Reality Asylum	Best Before 1984
Reality Whitewash	Christ: The Album
Reality Whitewash (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Reality Whitewash (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
Reject Of Society	The Feeding Of The 5000
Rival Tribal (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Rival Tribal Rebel Revel	Best Before 1984
Rival Tribal Revel Rebel (Part 2)	Christ: The Album
Rocky Eyes (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Roxy (Unfuck The World Remix)	Normal Never Was III
Salt ’N Pepper (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Securicor	The Feeding Of The 5000
Securicor (Demo)	The Feeding Of The 5000
Securicor (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Sentiment (White Feathers)	Christ: The Album
Shaved Women	Best Before 1984
Shaved Women (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Shaved Women (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Sheep Farming In The Falklands	Best Before 1984
Sheep Farming In The Falklands (Flexi)	Best Before 1984
Smash The Mac	Best Before 1984
Smash The Mac (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Smother Love	Penis Envy
So What (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
So What?	The Feeding Of The 5000
So What? (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Speed Or Greed?	Yes Sir, I Will
Step Outside (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Step Outside/Rocky Eyes	Yes Sir, I Will
Sucks	The Feeding Of The 5000
System	Stations Of The Crass
System (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
System (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Systematic Death	Penis Envy
Take It As Entertainment (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Taking Sides	Yes Sir, I Will
Taking Sides (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
Ten Notes On A Summers Day (Instrumental Mix)	Ten Notes On A Summers Day
Ten Notes On A Summers Day (Vocal Mix)	Ten Notes On A Summers Day
The Falklands (Introduction) (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
The Five Knuckle Shuffle	Yes Sir, I Will
The Five Knuckle Shuffle (Remix)	Yes Sir, I Will
The Gasman Copmeth	Stations Of The Crass
The Greatest Working Class Rip-Off	Christ: The Album
The Greatest Working Class Rip-off (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
The Immortal Death	Best Before 1984
The Unelected President (Major General Despair Remix)	Penis Envy
They've Got A Bomb	The Feeding Of The 5000
They've Got A Bomb (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Time Out	Stations Of The Crass
Time Out (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Tired	Stations Of The Crass
Tired (Live)	You'll Ruin It For Everyone: Live In Scotland 1981
Tony’s Big Hands (Live)	Well Forked But Not Dead
Upright Citizen	Stations Of The Crass
Walls (Fun In The Oven)	Stations Of The Crass
Well, Do They?	The Feeding Of The 5000
What A Shame	The Feeding Of The 5000
What A Shame (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
What Do You Want	Anarcho Punk Compilation Volume 4: Anti Capitalism
What The Fuck?	Penis Envy
Where Next Columbus?	Penis Envy
White Punks On Hope	Stations Of The Crass
Women	The Feeding Of The 5000
Women (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
Yes Sir, I Will (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Yes Sir, I Will (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
Yes, Folks	Penis Envy
Yorkie Talk	Penis Envy
You Can Be Who?	Christ: The Album
You Can Be Who? (Out-Take)	Christ: The Album
You Pay	The Feeding Of The 5000
You Pay (Live)	Stations Of The Crass
You're Already Dead	Best Before 1984
You're Already Dead (Live)	Christ: The Bootleg
You've Got Big Hands	Stations Of The Crass