A little more punk, perhaps, from the Bluesbunny Vinyl Vault. Well, this is actually a lot more punk. Anarcho-punk was (and probably still is) the genre that Conflict fit in to and there's many a political statement on show here. That's not really a surprise when you know that this, their first, EP was released on Crass Records.
To tell the truth, the songs here are more about the words than a demonstration of musical dexterity. Play the songs - any of them - loud and they will get your heart going but the interesting part of this release is the sleeve. I would be hard pressed to name a record label, major or independent, who would issue such a sleeve. Folding it out, you can read the lyrics and also a number of controversial (very controversial at the time of this EP's original release) statements on Northern Ireland, our so called democratic system of government and the record industry. There's also one of the best quotes of all time - "Guy Fawkes: - The only person to enter the House of Commons with worthwhile, honest intentions"
When you think about it - and this is something of a paradox given the nihilistic approach of bands like Conflict and Crass - there is no way that something like the punk movement would ever happen today. In order to get upset about the inequalities of life, you actually need an education. You need to be able to read and write to a decent standard before you can understand Marx, Mao or Keynes. Only an education system that can enforce discipline can make children learn. If children are just "expressing themselves" - as happens in school today - then they never grasp those basic skills and can therefore never understand economics or politics and will therefore end up making decisions based on what they like rather than on what is right and what is wrong. Then, there is little else for them to do than drift of into recreational drug taking, mindless violence and spiritual emptiness with every excuse under the sun for doing nothing at all about anything. The Man wins again.
The preceding paragraph illustrates quite nicely why music like this works. The presentation might be nothing fancy but it gets the message across. You can feel the intelligence and commitment of the people who created it and that is what affects you. Conflict, the band, is still alive and kicking and the punk movement itself still has air in its lungs. That's more than I can say for freedom of speech. It died through lack of use.