Personnel: Jeffrey Lewis (vocals, guitar, strings, piano, organ, keyboards, percussion); Nan E. Turner (vocals, background vocals); Jack Lewis (vocals); John Kessel (guitar); Matt Mason (percussion, drum programming).
Authors: Frederick Douglass; Cesar Chavez; Emiliano Zapata; Joe Louis Hill; Emma Goldman; Jeffrey Lewis.
More than most albums, the title of 12 CRASS SONGS tells you everything you need to know about what's inside: 12 songs originally written and recorded by classic British anarcho-punk/DIY group Crass, reinterpreted by Lewis, known as much for his underground comic books and association with New York anti-folk group the Moldy Peaches as for his music. While it's easy to quibble with Lewis's sing-speak delivery, the words are the main point here. Recontextualized and given a warm, stripped-down accompaniment, the disarming power of Crass's lyrics shines through.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (p.56) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Jeffrey Lewis has taken a bunch of great Crass songs and given them fresh, funny new musical settings. His voice is full of mild-mannered wit..."
Spin (p.95) - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Recalling the Violent Femmes' stripped-down intensity, Lewis and singing partner/girlfriend Helen Schreiner assail consumer culture..."
Alternative Press (p.137) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Lewis' best covers smuggle dire content into pleasant, jangly frames....It's poison in a pretty pill."
Blender (Magazine) (p.99) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "[H]is endearing reverence permeates the record..."
