CRASS - Best Before 1984 2CD

Best Before 1984 is a compilation of Crass' singles amongst other tracks and was released in 1986, two years after the band's break up. This release includes a booklet of lyrics and a history of the band in their own words ("...In Which Crass Voluntarily 'Blow Their Own'") The album was named in reference to the notion that 1984 was the band's "sell by date," the year that they had often publicly stated that they would split up. Indeed, the band ceased gigging and recording in that year.

The compilation features such tracks as "Reality Asylum", "Sheep Farming In The Falklands" and, as a nice touch, opens with their debut single "Do They Owe Us A Living?" and closes with the last ever performance of said track.

The album has been remastered by Alex Gordon and Penny Rimbaud at Abbey Road Studios as close as possible to the sound of the original release “as it was in the beginning.”

Tracks 1-3 are from an early recording session on February 27, 1978.
Tracks 4 and 5 are from the "Reality Asylum" single, released in 1979.
Track 6 is from the "Bloody Revolutions / Persons Unknown" split single with Poison Girls, released in 1980.
Tracks 7 and 8 are from the "Nagasaki Nightmare" single, released 1980.
Track 9 is from the "Rival Tribal Rebel Revel" flexi-single, released in 1980 (later released on 7" vinyl).
Track 10 is from an anti-war flexi-single released anonymously in 1982.
Tracks 11-13 are from the "How Does It Feel (To Be The Mother of a Thousand Dead)?" single, released in 1982.
Tracks 14 and 15 are from the "Sheep Farming in The Falklands" single, released in 1983.
Tracks 16-18 are from the band's final single, "You're Already Dead", released in 1984.
Track 19 is previously unreleased.
Track 20 was recorded live at the band's final gig at Aberdare in 1984.