I was having a discussion with someone about anarcho-punk recently, and we were trying to work out a) the best band and b) the best A-punk album ever. This was quite a lengthy, thirst-inducing process, and included a number of highly controversial expulsions, which I'll relate here so you don't have to think about it. Crass were dismissed for their pacifism; the Apostles for being too individual to fit into the A-punk bracket ; the Subhumans for being a musically dire, sub-heavy metal bunch of yokels with Ben Elton on vocals (and for the dickhead singer's ongoing, sneering contempt for urban working class people) ; Flux of Pink Indians for being too laidback ; all the American bands for being over-emotonal ; Poison Girls for just being boring ; and The Mob and Rudimentary Peni cos neither of us had heard them
So, we (well mostly me, but I'm just not accepting Crass) came to the conclusion that Conflict are the best A-punk band ever, and that 'Increase the Pressure' is the most copper-bashing, nazi-smacking, abbatoir-bombing, rock n roll A-punk LP of all time. OK, maybe Side 2's (live) a bit ropey sound quality-wise, but the 7 tracks on the first side are fucking astounding in a blow it up burn it down kick it til it breaks style. It still sounds seething, violent and passionate, whereas their later stuff saw them becoming obsessed with their own mythology and releasing tonnes of inferior 'last album, we're definitely off after this one' platters with maudlin end tracks. Just out of interest, what's your take on this? What is the best Conflict album? Am I right or what?
So, we (well mostly me, but I'm just not accepting Crass) came to the conclusion that Conflict are the best A-punk band ever, and that 'Increase the Pressure' is the most copper-bashing, nazi-smacking, abbatoir-bombing, rock n roll A-punk LP of all time. OK, maybe Side 2's (live) a bit ropey sound quality-wise, but the 7 tracks on the first side are fucking astounding in a blow it up burn it down kick it til it breaks style. It still sounds seething, violent and passionate, whereas their later stuff saw them becoming obsessed with their own mythology and releasing tonnes of inferior 'last album, we're definitely off after this one' platters with maudlin end tracks. Just out of interest, what's your take on this? What is the best Conflict album? Am I right or what?