Cut

I read several positive reviews for this album because I was trying to understand it. Nearly all of them mentioned its influence and apologized for the sub-par musicianship. I'm sure they inspired a lot of people, but if the music isn't good, I'm not sure I need to hear it before I die. I can't imagine getting hit by a bus and my last thought being, "But I never got to that album from The Slits!" Best track: Adventures Close To Home

I'd like to believe they went with "The Slits" as their band's name because "Gash Wound" would have been too on the nose. For review purposes, one has to include the incredible cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", which is officially listed as a Bonus Track and was the B-Side to "Typical Girls" (Both songs are classic 5's). It puts the album over the top for me. Make that your Side 1, Track 1 and you've got a classic album. One could add one point for the audacious album cover photo, only to learn the girl on the far left was all of 17-years old in said photo so let's call that a wash. What else? Their original drummer's name was Palmolive, who felt that posing topless for the album's cover was a bridge too far and got thrown out of the band. Apparently none other than the great Nenah Cherry provides backup vocals on this album. According to my math, Nenah would have been 15 or 16 years young at the time, which is just insane. This album is a blast.

I found that I was relieved when my phone unexpectedly lost connection and the music was paused, I preferred the sweet sweet silence to this.

Oh good, more late 70s English punk. Again. After all the rest of it. But it's ok, I'm sure THIS one will be a masterpiece and not amateur garbage like everything else from that time. And they're called the SLITS! I'm sure that's not a reference to anything. About as subtle and sophisticated as everything else about this genre I guess. But I'm prepared to be blown away. ha ha no, it fucking sucked. 1/5.

Now, here is a real classic. I love this record a lot, and their cover of "I heard it through the grapevine" is a regular feature of my DJ sets. This record genuinely sounds like nothing else. heavily influences by punk (although really presages post-punk) and reggae, it isn't really either of those things. It is its own unique and wonderful thing, with its own logic. It's angry and weird and fun. In Viv Albertine's fantastic autobiography "Clothes Clothes Clothes, Music Music Music, Boys Boys Boys" (highly recommend, worth a read) she describes the way she approached guitar, which was largely self-taught and completely fresh. She talks about how she was attracted to the treble tones of the guitar, and you can really hear it in the way that she plays. There is a an unapologetic "this is the way we choose to play" sense of what they do. Although I think there was some backlash for doing so. And this record is a wonderful and unique thing. the songs are.... different, but they always sound fresh and surprisingly and strong and relevant and beautiful within their own aesthetic framework. Punk always claimed that it was people who "couldn't play", but many bands (Pistols, Clash, etc) were in fact working within a pretty well-trodden back-to-basic rock and roll style and technique. The Slits were really something new and revolutionary. It doesn't surprise me that it took women to really break out and do something this different and extraordinary. Five stars.

Not my favorite. I know that The Slits were a ground-breaking, genre-defying band and, for that alone, they deserve a place on this list. That said, this album is a total mess. There's really one good track here ("Typical Girls") and the rest is kinda noise for the sake of noise. It's okay. But it's not good punk. It's just punk.

What a fun pop punk album full of reggae & ska flavours! Loved it!

How have I never heard this??

I can't help but think of Ludwig Wittgenstain's quote that "the limits of my language means the limits of my world", when I hear an album like this. It's an amazing thing, when something entirely new enters into the world, because before it there were just some unstructured inklings waiting to be connected. Then after it, there is a blueprint and a new path for anyone that wants to follow and build on it. This album is elegantly simple and spectacularly raw. The fusion of reggae/dub and punk, with an Avant Garde and art-house affect is sublime. I'd point to 'Newtown', with its punchy guitars, high-hat and tom laden drums, matchbox and dropped silverware utility percussion, and the moaning and vibrato vocals, as a perfect example of what I'm talking about. While it is uncomfortable for me to point out the importance of this also being an all-female band, because I wish we lived in a world where that wasn't something extraordinary at all, I am glad that these women were who they were, had the environments they had, and gave this music to the world. In turn, they gave the language for many in the world to move past the limits they didn't fully comprehend a way past yet.

Well that was painful. I assume they are included in the 1001 albums as some sort of politically correct quota - "we have to have a really bad all girl punk band". I can think of no other reason for the inclusion of this drivel

I love this album. It's so interesting and the vocals are great and the structure is fresh. Love it.

I wouldn't recommend this to someone if I knew they would die at some point in the future

“Cut” by The Slits has made a new category in my memory’s bombed-out music library, albums for which my primary pleasure is thinking about them rather than listening to them, though pleasures are found there too. Retrospectively I’m slotting last week’s “From Elvis in Memphis” into this category. Listening to this, the thought that “Cut” is a multimedia experience condensed onto disc emerged and stuck. There’s so much going on here - dub, punk, scathing irony and Dadaist manifesto disguised as nursery rhyme - that it extends beyond the sound, exists as a conceptual work as well as a record, a gallery of ideas I am strolling through now while I wonder what to write next. How about Ari Up’s sublimation of her paternal schlager roots? Her accent immediately did something funny to my brain; I’ve spent enough nights listening to freak music with nerds in Berlin to recognise that deep tendency to both mock and embrace the hard sentimental romanticism of schlager, the commitment to an awkward tune carried by pure feeling, language irrespective. Nico had it, so did Ariane Forster. Are The Slits the only band to apply the Beefheartian approach of throwing different songs into one to dub? The piano spree on “Love Und Romance” is maniacal. The guitar work is spidery and has that wobbly, UFO-like motion of weirdo surf rock. I need to hear more by Dennis Bovell; the effects and echo he puts around the band accentuates rather than overwhelms; he gets what they’re doing and enhances it. Riot grrl didn’t take enough from this record; those bands honoured the sound as a duty rather than a signal to absorb whatever excited them the most. This is serious and fun - I’d never listened to this assuming it wouldn’t carry catchy timbres or tunes, but both are abundant; this is a surprisingly polished work.

I know this album. Love this album. Get bothered by this album. Love this album again - and this time I realised why. It's lyrically seminal - avante garde even for 2022 - it's unique, it's powerful - rhythmically sophisticated and musically interesting. Every song has it's place in the album - but this is not an album that you listen to in the background while doing something else, this is one of those that demand your full attention. I listened to it three times in a row this time round - first while doing something else - and that kept me wondering why the hell I used to like this album - then I wore headphones, and gave it it's due attention, and there I was rewarded and realised what's so great about it. Loved it.

Firstly, I wouldn't call this punk, it's a reggae album to my ears. Secondly, this is a masterpiece in uncanny irrelevance. It's just so FUN to listen to. I love the layered vocals They can't really sing, at least not in the traditional sense. But it doesn't matter. They make it work. And I love the way the bass, guitar and percussion make such a tight groove. The music is quite exotic sounding. A wonderful discovery!

Short, sweet and perfect British punk.

After my first listen I wasn't sure what I liked about this one, but there was something. On second listen I realized it sounds like the kids from the movie Oliver! (1968) got together to put out a reggae album. Great vocals.

Classic og punk reggae. Nothing to do with the four to the floor, chugging guitar-style of punk but then again they almost make the Ramones sound reactionary. I get the impression their performances were ecstatic. From the second you see their name and the album cover you know that these guys are very weird. It always caught my eye as a tween at the record store - breasts! - but it's sort of a trap because you look closer and there is nothing sexy about the photo and actually it's sort of menacing and you wonder WTF they are up to. Are they in a cult? Is this a still from a never-completed o.g. Star Trek episode where they get beamed down to an Amazon planet? Am I going to get hurt? The visuals are very much of a piece with the scratchy guitar, randomish piano, heavy dub drums n bass and pitch optional Teutonic vocals that maybe could be described as Niconic and Ono-informed and within which the entirety of Bjork's career can fit into an insignificant corner. Often I don't really know what's she's singing literally but I feel like I know exactly what she means and I'm like fuck yeah! While at first you're struck by how it sounds so loose and live and quasi competent as to maybe have been improvised by amateurs, this album actually rewards close repeated listening. The creative energy and youthful gumption is fantastic. I think singer Ari Up was 17 or 18 and others were even younger. We really need someone to make an Ari Up biopic. Go read her Wikipedia entry if you aren't familiar with her story. She was Johnny Rotten's misbehaving step daughter, for G-d's sake! No one writing or reading my review here lived a life 1/100th as interesting and uncompromising as Ari Up. Very much consistent with this music. Finally, we have to discuss how part time Slit Neneh Cherry is the step daughter of legendary free jazz pioneer and frequent Ornette Coleman collaborator Don Cherry. You are surely familiar with her massive global hit maybe ten years later, "Buffalo Stance" (based on a sample of "Buffalo Gals" - the unlikely club hit from Malcolm McLaren, the one-time manager of Ari's stepdad Johnny Rotten's Sex Pistols. Weird how everything here is so closely connected! And what's with all the musical step dads?). Neneh was like 15-16 on this record. Anyway, I always related to free jazz and punk rock in similar ways and so these threads coming together seems fitting if not inevitable.

Love this album. It does take a bit of a dive in the last little bit though. Overall, I can listen to 80% of this album on repeat. 4.5/5

The grooves are all reggae-influenced. I suppose this might be pre-horns ska? It's actually a fun listen because of the grooves. I can't say I loved this album enough to give it 4 stars outright, but it was definitely the most listenable of the punk albums we've had so far. I could go 3.5 stars and round up to 4 for the site.

I *love* Viv Albertine, her books and "The Vermillion Border" so I'm naturally a huge fan of this. A totally different approach to punk; fresh DIY-dub without any Chuck Berry. Some great pop tunes on here ("Newtown". "Typical Girls", "..Grapevine.."), all quite unique sounds. Good to see this on here

The Slits is a name I've known forever, but never listened to until today. But I listened to this album twice, it was really good. They are super effective at blending Jamaican/reggae influences into their style, better than I think I've heard most other punk bands pull off. New household favorite, for sure.

I’m really running out of things to say, aren’t I? But this is pretty good stuff, I can see why it resonates. B

Everyone is raving about how The Clash brought reggae to punk but I think the Slits did it better. Somehow they managed to be more serious about their dub influences without losing any of their punk ethos.

HL: "So Tough", "Newtown", "Typical Girls" The manic piano running thru several tracks, the uneasy rhythm in "Typical Girls", the embracing of reggae/ska (that would be more prevalent and lazier sounding in 90's pop)- weird lil record that definitely deserves a spot on this list. January 31, 2023

This reminded me of playing music as a teenager, just learning to sing. The fact that they put this out is crazy impressive!

I started playing this record again about five years ago after reading Viv's terrific first memoir. It's is the result of sheer talent, idiosyncratic band members and some great punk DIY energy. I love Ari's singing, she in effect invented a whole singing style and I think old mate Bjork spent a lot of time listening to this record. Viv's guitar playing is brilliant and ditto Budgie jumping in after Palmolive split. Another interesting aspect to this record is the vocals. I'm not sure how much is Tessa and Viv, or if it is all Neneh Cherry. They are not backing vocals but a whole other vocal line that pushes up against Ari's lines, being both discordant and complementary. This record gets played in our house.

I thought L7 was the original merry prankster all girl band but credit to the Slits! Loved "shoplifting". They sound like a less manufactured version of the Clash.

No. 83/1001 Instant Hit 3/5 So Though 3/5 Spend, Spend, Spend 2/5 Shoplifting 2/5 FM 2/5 Newtown 2/5 Ping Pong Affair 2/5 Love Und Romance 2/5 Typical Girls 3/5 Adventures Close To Home 2/5 Average: 2,3 Didn't like their style at all.

Hier, nous avons été victimes d'un énorme soucis technique au bureau, qui m'a empêché de pouvoir écouter mes albums générés comme à mon habitude. En effet, un electricien devait venir s'assurer que le système d'alimentation de l'étage était en bon état, et effectuer quelques réglages si necessaires. Seulement, après quelques minutes passées à examiner les differents circuits électriques, la lumière de l'étage commença à crépiter, pour ensuite clignoter. Après quelques minutes, nous étions plongés dans la pénombre. Pas d'inquiètude cependant, puisqu'un professionnel était déjà sur place, il devait sûrement tester la robustesse du système. Après plusieurs dizaines de minutes sans lumière, je me rendis à la cuisine pour chercher un verre d'eau. Quelle ne fut pas ma surprise: la cuisine était absolument inondée. Soudain, je fut pris d'un flash mental très puissant. Je me rendis au bureau de mon directeur, et lui demandais des informations sur la société de maintenance des locaux de notre étage. Un brin surpris, il me dit que la société en question était intitulée "Die Türe AG". Commençant à comprendre, je me rendis dans la salle électrique, et y découvrit une carte de visite laissée par l'electricien: Joachim Mörrisone, Elektriker. Je partis alors dans un franc rire, m'exclaffant: "Ahahahah, sacré Jim".

This was almost unlistenable. There’s noisy bands, and then there’s bands that just make noise. I didn’t care for these ladies at all. Seemed like a sort of Talking Heads knock off, but without the creativity, charm, or talent. I only listened to half. Perhaps the second half was better, but I don’t know. I don’t want to know. Quite frankly it’s a half an album I could do without.

Really not my vibe. Also, terrible 'I Heard It Through the Grapevine' cover.

Was hat dieser Schrott auf der 1001 Albenliste verloren?

Cool girls. Although I’m not allowed to look at the cover of this record.

1979 remains undefeated. Nothing on this list has sounded like this. It's more like indie or alt rock than punk, at least compared to the contemporay punk artists around the same year. At times it's really unpolished, which I can see upsetting many people. But I think the general creativity and mixing of sounds is worth the experiment. Funk, ska, raggae, rock, there's plenty of all of this around. Instant Hit, New Town, and I Heard It Through the Grapevine are all great, but Typical Girls is the clear best song here. Kind of has a piano similar to the Neu! album, but then it changes into something that sounds a lot like Fiona Apple. Pretty neat, and I enjoyed this a lot.

Absolute classic! While punk/reggae/ska fusion wasn't exactly new at the time of its release, this album brought something truly unique beyond just the female vocals. The energy, that British accent, and the seamless blending of styles is great.

It's a great album. Typical Girls is my favorite track on here, but there's a lot of great stuff. I loved the reggae/dub sounds on this album. I wish the production was a *touch* better than it is, it's pretty bad, but hey, it's punk (or post-punk if you want.) You can see how other bands I love, like Sleater-Kinney, were directly influenced by them. Very worthy of being on this list.

I cannot believe they were TEENAGERS and in the late 70s no less when they recorded this…….so incredible, and inventively produced!

Excellent

Just so insanely talented, those changes in key and rhythm are crazy. And not quite post-punk, something more interesting that's jazz and reggae-influenced. Their cover of "Heard it on the Grapevine" is amazing as well.

Love this album, it's a classic and fresh at the same time.

Pioneers and feminist punk rock that lead the way for a lot pf other wonan in rock and punk music history. Still sounds fresh and diferent. Must listen everyone

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH

Right up there with Gang of Four and PIL Flowers of Romance. The instrumentation is complex and aggressive I just am not as Enthralled with the vocals even though the lyrics are great.

Man, that was fun! That raw, distinctive sound morphed into something completely different on many occasions - I got a whiff of early B52s, early Elvis Costello and some ska, it's full of surprises, a great album. The Slits were were fearless and one of the first, if not the first all girl punk band. And Neneh Cherry is a back up vocalist on this record! I'll definitely be listening again.

I really needed this one to cleanse my palate. The combination of wood blocks, cymbals, and her whimsically frenetic voice was incredibly refreshing. It's playful, it's powerful, and, hands down, the best version of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" I've ever heard

This is the kind of thing I want to see here. Super unique and inventive, but also has a unique place in music history. I love how forward thinking the feminism of this album is. The mix of reggae and punk is also super cool.

I fucking love this. So odd, out of place, yet completely enthralling and even catchy at points. The singer has a unique voice, kind of like Björk's voice. I think the drumming is the biggest highlight for me, so fun

They are just typical girls

I loved this. Radical women being radical. More please.

So cool

This has to be the best music ever made by a white person who grew dreads. (are there even any other contenders...?) Clear vision, inventive, invigorating. What more can you ask for? They sound a fair bit like the Raincoats tilted more aggressive, upbeat & silly, and I think I will mostly continue to go listen to the Raincoats instead. but like the Raincoats this is as cool as it gets. There's plenty of art of all kinds that takes itself too seriously, plenty that's irreverent & not much else. Every once in a while there's something that takes both itself and its audience the exact right amount of seriously to be fun, a little challenging, moving. music: rules. (⌐■_■)

I like it. Kinda bouncy sometimes. Kind crazy other times. Good listen. Looked for more and was disappointed by how little I found.

I loved this from the opening track, “Instant Hit.” It was so not what I was expecting, but so fun, distinctive, bizarre, and imaginative. Their sound is a unique amalgamation of Talking Heads, The Cranberries, The Sugarcubes, and The Police. Or like The Shaggs if they were actually good. I feel like half the people in the reviews didn’t actually listen to this album. They talk like all punk music sounds the same. That’s bullshit. Punk has got to be one of the most varied subgenres of rock. I guess I can see not liking this, but it’s unfair to say they “lacked musicianship” or were just making noise—that is clearly not true. But as T-Swift once said, the haters gonna hate. I loved this album, and their cover of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” is better than the CCR version (and I love CCR).

pre listening notes: just listened to the new cmbc on Carrie Brownstein/Sleater Kinney and i’m excited to listen to a female punk rock band! even if it’s like 20 years before Sleater Kinney. also i always joke to my sisters that if they see i’m listening to british punk it means i’m not doing well. Let’s gooooo. Instant Hit - woah this is.. reggae? what are they doing here. i haven’t heard anything like this before So Tough - i wonder if this song is about the same guy from before? interesting to me that they’re singing about men. very experimental sounding, the lead singers voice sounds very raw, almost like she didn’t warm up Spend, Spend, Spend - good to know that in the late seventies, consumerism was still destroying our lives as much as now Shoplifting - a great song to follow up spend lol. this is so fun actually. this is my fav one so far, the energy is palpable FM - who is going to tell the slits that fm doesn’t stand for frequent mutilation.. i honestly think this song relates to the present day in a way that is kind of insane? this song is over 40 years old but i still can’t help but wonder what is feeding my screen & waiting for todays transmission to give me the solution. i sound like a stoner. Newtown - back to reggae! i don’t care for the lyrics so much but i LOVE the way this song sounds, particularly in the second half. we need another fix! catchy. would listen again! Ping Pong Affair - i feel like this song in particular has had an influence on the girl punk scene (which like, i get referring to it with “girl” in the front is reductive but hear me out). i also like the message of this song tbh, fuck a man and his comics. this song follows a girl post breakup and i have personally related to so much of it Love Und Romance - they talk about Babylon a lot. what was going on back then. it’s also funny to have a song like this following a breakup tune. it kind of reads like a joke in the context of the rest of the album. again, Up’s vocals are so wild. Typical Girls - the message of this one is revolutionary for the time! i can see the influence on lager music here as well. i love the question “who invented typical girl?” and calling the idea of being a typical girl a marketing scheme because it is! god, sometimes i need to listen to stuff like this to realize that the capitalist critique i feel daily is not new. it’s a system that feels unnatural to live in. there’s a binchtopia ep where they talk about how the “teenage girl” was literally created to be marketed to. so much of what society considers a woman to be is a consumer. anyway, the song itself is also a bop. second fav on the album after Newtown (did i mention i like newtown more than shoplifting?) might be tied!! Adventures Close To Home - sometimes girls should be allowed to be crazy and selfish. idk! I Heard It Through The Grapevine - this song seems to be from the perspective of a man whose girlfriend is planning on leaving him for another man. and it’s a fucking BOP, feels of it’s time. this is their most streamed song on spotify and i understand, it is definitely the most easily digestible, i’m very used to hearing men moan about women. and as i said before it’s a bop. def a fav! Liebe and Romanze (Slow Version) - musical noise. i wonder what the not slow version sounds like. i will use this time to review the album overall! I feel like i wrote a lot more for this one than others but it just came to me at a good time and is a breath of fresh air after Kings of Leon.. sorry not sorry. this album was unique and inventive and not always my personal taste but had some certifiable bangers and it’s influence on other bands i like and respect is palpable. especially knowing the background of the band and that the people in it (thinking about Up in particular) we’re young and inexperienced musicians who just got out there and did the thing. like Abbey Road, I’m glad to have listened to it!! feels like music history. 5/5

Man so much fun I love early punk stuff. I also (due to alphabetical seating) sat behind someone with a The Slits patch on her jacket for every exam I did in high school and it's very satisfying to finally give a proper listen and enjoy it. Finding out they didn't really know how to play the instruments makes sense lol but they made so much with so little at their disposal and I think that's the absolute pinnacle of what music can, and is supposed to be. I may not come back to this album too much but it easily gets 5 stars for being a representation of why I love music so much.

This is so good I can't believe this was recording in 1979 especially when thinking of how different this is to the 1980 Steve Winwood album. I certainly have come across these gals before and I'm a fan. So hard to pick a fave from this album but maye Instant Hit, So Tough, Fm, Newtown, Ping Pong Affair.

Punk was meant to be the nail in the coffin of what came before. When it proved itself to be bastardized into becoming more of the same, a newer more radical world opened up. Which was where The Slits operated. Presenting themselves as unabashedly experimental, free-form, chaotic and innovative as their largely male brethren, The Slits provided a cut (hehe) of what they were capable of. The carefree environment is wonderfully represented throughout and it doesn't feel neither pastiche or forced. It honestly comes as no surprise that Cut made it's influence apparent in the years and decades after its release, most notably far away in the Pacific Northwest. And for good reason, for this is the sound of those who come to the power of their potential and decide to wield it for maximum good.

It’s a banger, boys. Like Gwen Stefani singing David Byrne lyrics over a Frank Zappa punk record.

Quirky and silly, it's a fun listen all throughout. A fusion of the absurdity of post-punk with dub and tribal instruments to give it a mystical sound. As a fan of reggae and New Wave, this was an instant like for me. Very accessible but also artsy, it's an inviting listen for anyone to very quickly enjoy this on the first listen. The female vocalists are so fun, making all sorts of noises that work in the context of the album. They compliment each other well, whether as harmonious back vocals or to conflict and cause chaos. I enjoy how everyone plays. Whether that's the New Wave guitar, the sporadic drumming, or the groovy bassline. All 10 tracks are unique and memorable. It's only a half hour long, so with all the crazy ideas, it really flies by. The bonus tracks are great too! "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is a strong and creative cover. As a lover of reggae, "Liebe and Romanze" was nice to listen to. And the Brink style dub version of "Typical Girls" was also fun, but could be a bit difficult for some.

Loved the hits for decades but never listened to the full record. Randomly got to see Ari Up perform at a party in Brooklyn, back in the 00s. She was tall and elegant, with no makeup and dreds to the floor. Cooler than cool could ever hope to be. This record is better than expected. Apparently, Bjork’s been channeling Ari Up, all along. The influence of The Slits is far broader than I’d realized. There’s something about Heard It Through the Grapevine that makes it one of the best covers of all time. And the original is immaculate. This version surpasses the typical karaoke style to make it feel fresh and reverential. Another one of those albums that improves with age. Hard to remember this was just a few teenage girls in 1979. Very clever work.

10/10 holy shit, I already have a HUGE bias for post-punk, it’s one of my favorite genres, but this album really surpassed my expectations it’s really insane just how creative and diverse this project is I love it so much

I pissed in my knickers.

You hate to see a banger album with such a low rating on here, I get it though, the weird post-punk stuff isn't for everyone. I love it though. The way the songs just flow from part to part, the wild vocals all over the place, sick basslines, it's so much fun to listen to. 'Shoplifting' and 'Typical Girls' are just straight up bangers, along with the amazing 'Heard it Through the Grapevine' cover. I hope nobody turned off the album before that one comes on at the end.

An amazing find. Awesome debut. Seems this album is very polarizing. I can see why it’s influential, and while most people seem to dislike this album, I love it. Greta example of early punks.

Was not expecting to fuck with this so hard. Björk but punk pop and… reggae??

Unique and interesting sound! I've long been curious about this band. Really enjoyed their take on I Heard It Through the Grapevine (bonus track).

That cover and the description of this album had me feeling like this might not be for me. WRONG! Definitely for me. Perfectly unique! Terrific!

Amazing

good weird. instant hit fm newtown ping pong affair love und romance typical girls adventures close to home

I’d heard of The Slits, thought they would be a challenge, wasn’t expecting this at all. It’s loads of fun, incredibly catchy post-punk/ska.

I really enjoyed this entire album and although I had heard of the Slits, I had never heard any of their music. This is the kind of stuff I was hoping to hear when I started doing this.

Really Good, from start to finish. Instant hit is an instant hit!

Was so happy to see this come up, this is an album I have loved for years. Seen the slits condescended with such accusations as not being proper musicians but this is a truly groundbreaking album, and sounds better than anything the sex pistols put out

Hoe krijgt dit album gemiddeld een 2,7?!

Wonderful oddball punk. Short and snappy. Some great songs, best being Typical Girls. And some magnificent shouting. Wonder if they'd be thought of on a par with the Clash and Sex Pistols if they were men?

When I think of post-punk I think of this. Such a unique sound. Like The Shaggs raised on punk and reggae.

Fantastic listen for the whole album. A ska soaked masterpiece. I had no idea that The Slits had influenced so many outfits that followed. Grrrl power in proto form. I'll be suggesting this record to some folks.

I absolutely loved every single moment of this, I can't believe I'd never listened to the Slits before because they're definitely a new favourite! I love how rough around the edges everything is and how genuine each moment seems. Top tracks: So Tough, Shoplifting, Ping Pong Affair, and Typical Girls

Legendary band and album but is it any good? Well it's FUN but not Punk but more New Wave Reggae/Ska which is really sketchy but enjoyable. Musically tight with interesting lyrics. It's amazing that records like this got made and infuenced others. It deserves a place on the 1001.

This was awesome. Raw, frantic energy that kept me drawn in the entire way thru. This is the first album out of 60 where I was completely unaware of the artist and scored a 5. It made me think of Entertainment by Gang of Four so I was curious and looked up the release dates, Wild to see Cut came out Sept. 7 1979 only a few weeks before Entertainment Sept. 25 1979. This had an almost primal feeling to it, I peeked up from the first song and was in for the ride all the way thru. Albums like these re-energize me for this 1001 journey. 5 stars

Brazen and brace. I am a massive Clash and Sex Pistols fan but wish the legacy of the Slits was as revered. Punky, reggae ska and pop thrown in a blender. From what I've read they copped a lot of abused and threats which to me makes the righteously dangerous

Known about this album for years, never listened. Love the “dubbiness“ of these songs.

absolutely loved this album. Had never even heard of this band before but you can here the influence on Blondie it had

Reminded me of Dresden Dolls, energetic “post punk”. Apparently Kurt Cobaon really like track “Typical Girls”.

eu gostei muito e não conhecia <3

fierce, female, fabulous, five stars

I have never been aware of the band THE SLITS before, although I am a fan of the Punk and Post-Punk era of music. I believe part of the reason is that the band is known for me is that they are from the UK and are probably unknown in the US. Also, being an all-girl group also probably contributed to the lack of awareness with the male punk groups grabbing the headlines and making the reviews. After listening to CUT, I must say it is excellent. The use of dub music reminds me of Public Image Limited which formed later and being an all-girl group really impresses me now. They should be as well known as the boys were. Their music is fun, catchy and probably groundbreaking with the use of dub. This is one is the reason why I am going to enjoy joining the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is to listen to music that I am barely aware of and give me a deeper appreciation. THE SLITS are no longer falling through the cracks in my book. In 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, this was the only album issued in the book. Rate Artist: THE SLITS (5) Rate Album (Year): CUT (1979 Original) (4.5) Rate Album (Year): CUT (2000 UK CD Reissue with Bonus tracks) (4.5) Rate Album (Year): CUT (2009 UK 2CD Deluxe Edition) (5)

Super fun. It’s giving Siouxsie, it’s giving Bjork, it’s giving punk, it’s giving weird. Would relisten. Easily 3.5, maybe a 4. I’ll round up for the album cover.

This album is weird and it is so good. I had to listen to it back to back it was so unique. 1 or 2 songs I'm not crazy about but overall a great experience. 8/10

You know, I didn't really know what this was going in and I'm still not sure after finishing it. This was weird as shit and it was cool. It was a bit iffy in the first half but the second half is great. It gets some points off for the White person reggae but I did genuinely feel like I gained something from this. 8/10

Everyone who heard the velvet underground started a band, but in the UK I guess it was everyone who heard a first wave ska band. There are clearly germinal aspects of punk here, and when the sound veers away from ska/reggae/dub, it gets interesting. Like all good punk, it is best when it is barely holding on for control, highlighted by the frankly inexpert musicianship and amateur vocals. Sometimes the amateurs come up with something new, and sometimes that sticks. As usual, I thought about a lot of bands that came after that borrowed some of the sounds here, but didn't have that "oh i could be spending my time listening to that" feeling I sometimes get. Hasn't aged super well because it's frankly a bit of a response to what was going on at the time, and really it's still just pissed off young women, but it's original, it's different, and it has a solid identity its own. A time capsule in a good way and winner, I think. For everyone complaining about the 'rough' sound, go listen to steely dan or some other well produced soporific shit.

so fun

It’s raw but excellent

The Wet Leg of their time, perhaps, and nice to see quirky regain standing after hipster appropriation. Their cover of "Heard It Through the Grapevine" is brilliant and needs to be in a soundtrack somewhere.

Love this album and all those weirdo all female bands it inspired. Typical Girls is a hit and I just love their spirit.

Kinda love this. The 'tude, the German accent, and the raggae influened punk come together in way that agrees just fine with my tastes.

Sometimes the vibe of a record and aura of its performers elevate the material; this is one of those times.

Nice example of an early punk band turning to new wave music and nailing it.

I love me some classic punk rock