The International P.E.A.C.E. Benefit Compilation,[nb 1] shortly referred to as the P.E.A.C.E. compilation,[3] retitled in 1997 as P.E.A.C.E./War, by combining the legends on its front and back cover, for its reissue on CD,[nb 2] is a compilationdouble album first released in 1984 by R Radical Records,[nb 3][4][5] the label run by MDCfrontmanDave Dictor,[1] in association with San Francisco Bay Area punk fanzine Maximumrocknroll. The "P.E.A.C.E." in the album title is a backronym for "Peace, Energy, Action, Cooperation, Evolution".[3]
Overview
P.E.A.C.E. features 55 hardcore punk acts from around the world, including such stalwarts as Dead Kennedys, Crass, Subhumans, Butthole Surfers, and MDC themselves.[1][6] 30 of the acts were from outside the United States, and all of the acts featured frequently wrote and recorded left-leaning topical music (with the lone exception of the Butthole Surfers, who came from a similar political position but did not normally deal with political issues in their music). Eight of the acts originated from Italy, which had been sprouting anarchist punk bands such as Cheetah Chrome and the Motherfuckers, Contrazione and RAF Punk (all represented on the album) for quite some time. The cover art was designed by San Francisco artist Dana F. Smith.
Maximumrocknroll's main contribution to the project, other than assisting in recruiting acts to participate on the double album, was in the assemblage of a 72-page magazine-sized insert featuring several pages on the topics of nuclear disarmament, imperialism, radiation, pollution, and political demonstrations.[1]
All of the profits from the album, according to a primitive obi strip-style insert shrunkwrapped to the original double vinyl release, were slated for various anti-nuclear groups and activities worldwide.[3]
The CD reissue
In 1997, the indie labelNew Red Archives re-released the album as a double CD set under the title P.E.A.C.E./War,[nb 2][1][7] adding five tracks from artists on their roster to the end of disc two.[1] The reissue does not include a reproduction of the first release's booklet, and, since its early name was changed, it is not known if the benefit aspect of the original album still holds.
Track listings
In keeping with the original album's insert, the band's country of origin is given in parentheses.
^The song is about the then Danish prime minister Poul Schlüter.
^On the booklet insert provided with the original release, the track is incorrectly titled as "Mai arrendersi" (Never Surrender), which is the name of another song by Wretched.
^On the booklet insert provided with the original release, the track is incorrectly titled as "Bomb".
^Written about the Stop the City demonstrations being held around the world at the time.
^These are actually two poems recited by a South African expatriate. "Moment by Moment" is about the Soweto riots, while "Exiled Shadows" is about "the struggle for the liberation of our land in chains", according to the artist.
