Finally, A New ATW

This week’s album began its headache driven excitement nearly 10 years ago. I was wrongfully living inside a low-income complex and infrequently attending classes at MATC during the time I purchased this album. That was the first time I’d coughed up some hard earned cash to buy this collection of amazing tracks. I’ve since purchased it 2 additional times.

Stations of the Crass by, well Crass. I feel a need to be honest with all of our lovely readers here and humbly admit that yes, it was the NOFX Live album that introduced me to the likes of the great Crass. But to my defense, I listen to Crass more now a days than I do NOFX, so that should count for something, if only stupidity. Anyway, this 1979 album of anarchy punk from London takes a proper shit on such social icons as the Queen, sexism, capitalism, and even The Clash. From what I’ve read on the commune known as Crass, they were one of the first “groups” to actually practice what they preach. It is my understanding that all members lived in hostiles or some similar sort of environment and lived as a whole instead of individuals and attempted to education their opinion on the virgin ears of society.

None of this gives reason to why I listen to Crass, nor does it support my justification for purchasing the same album 3 times. It is my opinion that the music is just fucking amazing! It’s very simple, very opinionated, very raw and very catchy. Not catchy like The Neptunes, but catchy in the way anti-war protest chants are catchy. It is by no means a musical revolution, and the band even comments that the system won’t and can’t be changed by their effort alone. Anarchy through honesty, thanks Crass.

For those of you who appreciate the history that surrounds music, who dig a little deeper when selecting an album or band, who understand and respect where all the top 40 music of today originated, who look at music as more than just a void to fill your everyday travels, and who can stomach the hate and anger that spills forth from every beat in these 25 tracks, might I humbly suggest giving Stations of the Crass by Crass a proper spin in your stereo. Chances are you’ll hate it to the point of being disgusted. Then you’ll start to think, and that’s where they’ve already got you. Enjoy the album, it’s fun.