Penis Envy

Crass | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 1995)
• Original Release Date: 1981
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Crass
• ASIN: B000001U0B
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,707 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered, expanded and repackaged edition of this legendary 1981 album from the Anarcho Punks including rare and unreleased bonus tracks. Included in this package is a 64 pg. booklet featuring extensive liner notes from band members Penny Rimbaud and Eve Libertine which sheds light on the making of the record, plus a recreation of the original poster sleeve. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars System! System! System!, June 2, 2004

By 

Chet Fakir (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penis Envy (Audio CD)

The only Crass album to exclusively feature the Crass women on vocals (mostly Eve Libertine with some Joy deVivre) Thats a great benefit to the listener as the lyrics are for the first time completely intelligible (Steve Ignorant often sang as though his mouth was filled with cotton) This is an extremely angry, intelligent, thought provoking album and lyrically is everything anarchist rock should be (antimaterialist, feminist, and scathing in its assement of society, its power structure and norms) The music however is not typical punk rock but is much more self-conscious and artistically mature, mixing elements of krautrock, free improv, punk, spoken word, etc. Its rythmically unswinging yet dense and complex: the guitars are used more for texture and rythym than melody, tape and vocal effects abound and the songs have a greater dynamic range than on previous albums. Crass obviously really tried to hone and expand on their original (and noisy) sound. Some of these songs: "What the F...?" and "Where Next Columbus" still give me chills down my spine. Odd, angry and original. Their best work.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing lyrics and energy, November 13, 2001

By 

PSM/Bokor (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penis Envy (Audio CD)

It had been well over 16 years, since I had listened to this album. Recently, I bought the cd. "Penis Envy" remains as powerful and relevant today as when it was first released. The lyrics are exceeding intelligent and challenge the listener to THINK. I appreciate CRASS more as an adult living within the "System" than I did as a teenage punk with the bad haircut and a continual desire to piss in the wind.

Most likely, only a true connoisseur of punk music will enjoy this cd. However, I highly recommend "Penis Envy" to anyone who doesn't need snappy little choruses in their music and doesn't mind a little discord.

If you like Flipper's "Generic Album," I believe you'll love this cd.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An cohesive art, August 30, 2000

By 

ENOLA GAYE (Los Gatos. Ca USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Penis Envy (Audio CD)

I think that one of the things easily overlooked in this album is the many facinating ways the music is woven together. It's easy to let the ranting and the compelling anger overwhelm the ear and emotions. But listen a little more closely and you can hear some very complex sound collage going on. Further, every line and riff tend to intensify the feeling of rage. That anyone could sustain the liberating catharsis of sarcastic anger for nearly 40 minutes is a rare accomplishment. Not even Rage Against the Machine can come close. This album stands as a major artistic accomplishment within the punk ethos. Not only that, It ROCKS to it's own eccentric marching-through-Hell beat. Penis Envy is also the perfect teenage antidote to the incessant media barrage of bulemic, anorexia-inducing imagery that girls amd young women are subjected to. To say that this album is a true rock classic is almost inadequate. It's a stirring social and artistic document, full of rage, passion and angry wisdom.