Yes Sir, I Will
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| Yes Sir, I Will | ||
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| Studio album by Crass | ||
| Released | 1983 | |
| Recorded | 1983 | |
| Genre | Punk rock/Anarcho Punk | |
| Length | 43:53 | |
| Label | Crass | |
| Producer(s) | Crass | |
| Professional reviews | ||
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| Crass chronology | ||
| Christ The Album (1982) |
Yes Sir, I Will (1983) |
Best Before 1984 (1986) |
Yes Sir, I Will, released by Crass in 1983 (see 1983 in music), was the band's penultimate 'official' album. The record consists of one continuous piece of music spread over the two sides of the original vinyl release, although this is intercut with brief interludes including a section of self-parody ("And What if I Told You to Fuck Off?") and a ballad-style piano section sung by drummer Penny Rimbaud. The album was essentially a bitter and virulent attack on then prime minister Margaret Thatcher and her government in the aftermath of the Falklands War, set nearly wholly over a raging and an almost free-form improvised backing provided by the groups' instrumentalists. Many of the 'lyrics' of this piece, which can be read at [1], are extracted from Rimbaud's extended poem Rocky Eyed. Sleeve notes for the album include parts of Rimbaud's article The Pig's Head Controversy [2] that originally appeared in the Crass produced magazine International Anthem.
The title of the record is ironic, taken from a news cutting reporting a conversation said to have taken place between Charles, Prince of Wales and a badly burned soldier (Simon Weston) who had returned from the Falklands;
"Get well soon," the Prince said. And the heroic soldier replied "Yes sir, I will".
Penny Rimbaud, commenting on this, has said ""That was the hook. That was such an audacious thing to do at the time. Especially given that one had to feel compassion for Simon Weston." [3]
A film made by Crass member Gee Vaucher to accompany Yes Sir, I Will was shown at the UK National Film Theatre's Stuff the Jubilee festival of punk films in 2002, and the track has been recently remixed by Penny Rimbaud to incorporate additional jazz instrumentation provided by Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone) and Julien Seigal (double bass) to augment the original performance.
[edit] Personnel
- Steve Ignorant - Vocals
- Joy DeVivre - Vocals
- Phil Free - Guitar
- Gee Vaucher - Voices, Artwork
- Eve Libertine - Vocals
- N.A. Palmer - Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals, Voices
- Penny Rimbaud - Drums, Vocals
- Pete Wright - Bass
- Paul Ellis - Piano, Strings
- Crass - Producer
- John Loder - Engineer
- Judy - Typing
[edit] Quotes
- "The listener experiences and shares the performer's exhaustion as voices crack, the beat wanders, energy flags and returns" - George McKay describing the album in Senseless Acts of Beauty (Verso, 1996)
| Crass | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Period of activity: Formed 1977, disbanded 1984 Band members: Penny Rimbaud (drums), Gee Vaucher (artwork), Steve Ignorant (voice), N.A.Palmer (Guitar), Phil Free (Guitar), Pete Wright (Bass), Eve Libertine (Voice), Joy De Vivre (Voice), Mick Duffield (films), John Loder (engineer) Major album releases: The Feeding of the 5000, Stations of the Crass, Penis Envy, Christ – The Album, Yes Sir, I Will, Acts of Love, Best Before 1984 See also: Crass Records, Corpus Christi Records, EXIT, Crass Agenda, Last Amendment, Dial House, Anarcho-punk |
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