Zounds - Can't Cheat Karma / Subvert / War

Zounds - Can't Cheat Karma / Subvert / War

Punk pioneers Crass continue their vinyl reissue series, re-pressing
their limited releases by adjacent artists through Crass Records, in
association with One Little Independent. The series, including over
twenty bands and solo artists recorded at the legendary Southern
Studios and produced by Penny Rimbaud, continues with two more
historic pieces from the Crass Records catalogue; ‘Farce’ by
Rudimentary Peni and ‘Can’t Cheat Karma’ by Zounds, out
September 29th.

Zounds are an English post-punk band from Reading, Berkshire, formed in
1977. Originally they were part of the cassette culture movement,
releasing material on the Fuck Off Records label, and were also involved
in the squatting and free festival scene. The name of the band is derived
from the old English "zounds", a contraction of "God's wounds", referring
to the crucifixion wounds of Jesus Christ, formerly used as a mildly
blasphemous oath. The band met up with fellow anarchists Crass when,
legend has it, their van broke down on the road. They made their way to
nearby Dial House, where Crass were based, who helped them with
repairs. The two bands became friends, and although musically very
divergent, they shared many common political views. Zounds shortly
afterwards released their first EP, ‘Can't Cheat Karma’, on the Crass
Records label in 1980. The EP featured possibly their most well-known
track ‘Subvert’, a call to arms against the grind of daily life. The release of
this EP and association with Crass led to an increase in the band's profile
in the embryonic anarcho-punk scene, touring with both Crass and Poison
Girls. They split in 1982 but reformed in 2007, and remain active today.

Penny continues; “Zounds could have made a fine pop group, but they
were far too socially sassy to fall for that one. No, their committment to
radical political change, so abundantly clear in their lyrics, set them apart
from the commercialism that had so blighted the likes of The Clash and
other punkish pretenders. Having been drawn from the ranks of hippy
bands like Here and Now, Zounds encouraged dissent and personal
change, and, at their own cost, to pursue and promote them as ideologies.
Can't cheat karma? No, nor ever beat it. Zounds were hip to this fine point.
Want a better life? Then make it for yourself. Ain't no one gonna help you
out on that one. Find your own way, it's the only way there is”.

Track listing

War

Subvert

Can’t Cheat Karma

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