CRASS - Penis Envy LP

Penis Envy, released in 1981, was the third LP by Crass. This album marked a departure from the "macho, hardcore" sounds heard on previous Crass albums, featuring more complex musical arrangements, and exclusively female vocals of Joy De Vivre and Eve Libertine. A powerful and challenging record, Penis Envy uses the brutal, cruel description of sexism and rape on the opening track, Bata Motel, as a launching point for a comprehensive rip through societal control and repression throughout. Smart enough to target everything from the mechanics and business of selling romance (Smother Love) to gender stereotyping (Systematic Death) and back again, lyrically the sharpest cut is toward those who choose to accept such a system rather than reacting back against it. Both the vinyl and CD feature fold-out poster sleeves and are exact replicas of the original pressing.The album was banned by the retailer HMV, and The Greater Manchester Police seized copies of it, along with other Crass albums and