Can’t Cheat Karma/War/Subvert

7" vinyl - 1980 - Crass Records

Crass made us use a session drummer. It made us feel like the Beatles. It also made us feel like frauds.

We didn’t mind too much though because at least they were bringing out a Zounds record. I (Steve Lake) wrote Can’t Cheat Karma in my head walking down the Cowley Road in Oxford. But it was Steve Burch, Zounds original guitarist and co-founder of the band, who came up with that way of playing the killer riff. No one could ever play it as well as Steve, but Lawrence gave it a go and it was a brave attempt.

I wrote War after spending a weekend in Shepherds Bush listening to Bob Marley‘s great song of the same name.