Bullshit Detector

BULLSHIT DETECTOR

A snapshot of the budding Anarcho Punk scene was given on the next release of Crass Records, a 12" compilation record featuring various demo tracks of bands and individuals from around the country. Entitled Bullshit Detector, it was basically a fanzine in vinyl format sold for a mere £1.35. Almost every one of the 25 tracks on the record were rough and rudimentary, including a practice version of Do They Owe Us A Living? featuring just drums and vocals. By including this version, which by anyone's standards was absolutely basic, it served to suggest that from such humble beginnings something as good as Crass could potentially emerge.

Punk was meant to have been the great leveller, creating an arena that anyone could step into and have their say. "We've got to destroy the entire superstar band system," as John Rotten had put it. No more heroes any more. Anyone can be a Sex Pistol. The truth of the matter, however, was that Punk had simply thrown up a new elite of bands that commanded all the attention and were lauded over by the music press. Bullshit Detector went some way in challenging this by presenting a whole bunch of unknown and unsigned bands who were every bit as valid as any of Punk's main players. They may not have been very competent musically but this was more than made up for by their enthusiasm in attempting to communicate. Some, as might be expected, failed miserably but others - like Crass before them - would go on to greater things and inspire others to actions of all kinds.

Andy T, Counter Attack, The Alternative, Amebix, The Sinyx, Icon, APF Brigade, Eratics, The Snipers, Disrupters, etc, etc. All important bands and individuals not only in their own right but in the sense of the true spirit of Punk Rock.

Penny Rimbaud would later state in an interview that he "hoped that Crass would be the last of the big Punk bands," and in the context of Punk's earlier potential and intent to be a leaderless free-for-all that was betrayed by those seduced by fame and fortune, this statement made perfect sense.

Without any help from the mainstream media Crass were successfully reaching out to thousands of people of all ages and classes, and introducing them to radical thought, politics and ideas.

Reaction from the media to this phenomenon, particularly from the music press was somewhat muddled. In most quarters Crass were ignored completely, some reported on them but in a somewhat confused manner, while others (and in the majority) heaped scorn and ridicule upon them remorselessly. It's a truism, however, that all publicity is good publicity and when a band is hated as much as Crass were by some music journalists then it's an obvious sign that there must be something interesting if not peculiar going on. For this reason in itself a good many people would have been drawn to Crass who before would probably not have been very interested in Punk, let alone anarchist Punk. It could be concluded, even, that all the best bands are hated. Viewed this way it's amusing to think that Bullshit Detector might well be one of the greatest records ever. Maybe?

Punk had promised so much at the start. It had opened a generation's eyes to the world and given that generation ideas of endless possibilities but by the end of 1979 most of the original Punk bands who had inspired so much passion were failing to deliver anything of worth. Punk was deemed to be a spent force. Everyone was turning either Post-Punk or New Wave, all happily promoted by the music press who having wrung all they could from Punk had merrily moved on in search of The Next Big Thing.

Punk was a dying star though still with a huge swathe of people left orbiting around it. As a fashion it was indeed dead but as a style of music and as a vision of creativity, potential and force, Punk was still pulsating. So never mind the music press and never mind the fashion followers, the music business and the hype. Never mind the bollocks. Punk was still too special to have it slip away so easily. Too many promises had been made and not fulfilled. Too many ideas still not fully explored. Too much potential created to simply abandon. Too many things still left unsaid and too many people still not given their chance to have their say.

And having their say was really all that Crass had initially set out to do. Releasing records by other bands and artists was simply their way of giving those bands and artists a chance, in exactly the same way that Punk had given Crass their chance.

Crass were Punk and Punk was Crass, which was something that so many critics just could not understand, sadly always asking why Crass stuck to and wrapped their 'important message' in impenetrable Punk noise?

Their was little doubt that for many the message that Crass were delivering was indeed 'important' but it was also true that Crass had happened to have come along just at the right time, saying something that all those people still orbiting around the dying star of Punk were actually waiting to hear. The restlessness and the dissatisfaction was already there and what with Crass injecting their ideas, thoughts and anger into the mix, those people were soon re-energised and chomping at the bit, as it were. All that was then required was a direction for that energy and dissatisfaction to be channelled and sure enough one was soon proffered by Crass though with the considerable influence and considerable stimulus it must be said, of one Margaret Hilda Thatcher...