With songs that raged against 'The Man' in all his guises and an unrelenting disregard for tunes, Eighties anarchist punk collective Crass were never going to attract a mainstream audience. Now, though, they just might thanks to New York's Jeffrey Lewis, whose lo-fi folk reworkings of 12 of their tracks possess a charm absent from the band's own catalogue. It helps, naturally, that you can hear the words, especially when, as on 'I Ain't Thick, It's Just a Trick', the ingenuous, alluring melody belies the ferocity of the sentiment.
CD: Jeffrey Lewis, 12 Crass Songs
Paul Mardles
Folkie grants apoplectic punks a new lease of life
Contributor
Paul Mardles
Paul Mardles is a subeditor on the Observer New Review
Paul Mardles
The GuardianTramp
