Cut

Such a unique and wacky album. It resembles punk and reggae, yet it sounds like nothing else from either of those genres. These chicks turned dropping utensils into an instrument. Next level stuff. Favorite track: Newtown

say hello to the slits, an early punk group mostly composed of women. blending artsy punk sounds with reggae, mostly thanks to reggae musician dennis bovell, the debut of these gals really stuck out compared to other punk artists. the concept of a female group was novel in itself, a lot of publications focused on that when reporting about their music. while the album performed decently well in some charts, the band went their own separate ways and new members came and left shortly after this record came out. i think probably my most favorite thing about this album is the vocals, specifically how the singers warble, layer and overlap each other. all the tracks generally had something to say, and the bonus tracks too... i think this is another diamond in the rough, at least when it comes to the world of post-punk music. i was rather impressed. it's this very loud, very call-and-response level of music that certainly sets itself apart from the other blokes.

Really creative and fun. Impressive songwriting, musicianship and lyrics for what was basically a teen band at the time!

I was really hoping for for some aggressive girl punk. Not todat sadly, tis another 1 star

One great cover song.

This group didn't do it for me. I respect what it means for a band like this to perform in the 70s among the boys club, but the music didn't grab me.

That was fun, even if the sound was a little flat. Still, I won't be listening to this album again anytime soon. 3/5

I understand that its historically important and influential, but I didn't like the style.

Kan ikke huske om jeg noensinne fikk dratt meg rundt til å høre på denne, men det var uansett på tide med et (gjen)lytt! Weird, groovy, dansbar post punk med flust av attitude. Anbefaler å få med seg Heard It Through the Grapevine som bonusspor eller B-siden til Typical Girls, for det er en certified banger. Fatkisk bedre enn A-siden! Og muligens den låta James Murphy har brukt som mal flest ganger når han har skrevet et nytt LCD Soundsystem spor.

Ganske gøy plate, og soundet er helt konge, men syns det er litt for langt mellom høydepunktene låtmessig. "Typical Girls" er classic. Valgte å ta med bonussporet "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" også. Gromt!

True punk DIY ethos, great in small quantities, sparse, satirical, but ultimately more attuned to one hit wonder status

lordy... I support them but ...

Cool and interesting, a little punk and a little reggae influence. Not bad.

Horrible

awful

I liked this album, I liked the lead singers voice and the basic punk beats its nothing outstanding but I like this type of punk very reminiscent of the clash, so much prefer this than some of the hardcore punk I will listen to this one again

Less goth, more New Wave Siouxse Sioux. Interesting and fun, opted to listen to the addition cover of Heard it Through The Grapevine and that was great.

Sorry mate, I didn’t need this.

84

It's always some British people playing ska 😭😭. I don't think I needed to hear this before I die

Actually pretty cool. The Grapevine cover was pretty good.

Just because something is unique doesn’t mean it’s good. Looking at the cover for this record, I was expecting some female punk band with fast, heavy riffs, and lots of screaming about liberation, independence, and equal rights. Now, there is a slight punk element present here, but I was surprised at the very heavy reggae feel. There’s nothing wrong with reggae, but I just don’t think it works here. The vocals are unappealing to say the least. There’s a lot of “warbling” I’ll call it, and overall it sounds pitchy and weird. Musically it’s certainly different, but the sound just doesn’t grab me. I’m sure people like this, but it’s not my jam.

I like the point of view, I like what they say, and I like some songs like Typical Girls for example. I don't believe everything is gold musically, but it's important and it is also not as bad as some people say.

Punkslop

Kind of ska sound with vocals that were difficult at points to determine the language. Not really my thing, so didn't get into it much

nope. Not for me

I don't get it. This is one of those albums whose reputation seems to stem more from the ground it broke than the actual quality of the music. Another British ska influenced band, but with weaker tunes and musicianship. "Typical Girls" is great and there are a few others, but this is mostly pretty forgettable.

This was better than most of the women punk bands I’ve had to listen to. It wasn’t as loud and they didn’t scream all the time. That being said, I still didn’t like this.

No

What a unique record. The gumption behind each song is hard to irgnore, this album takes up a lot of space. It is full of personality and experimentation, some of it feeling a bit too much for me at times. Although it felt a little hodge podge as it veered through what felt like several different genres, it was enjoyable to listen to. I liked the novelty of it. Favorite Tracks: So Tough Typical Girls

Who Invented The Typical Girl? 1001 Albums Generator 327 (8/13/2026) Super fun and weird art punk. It jumps from proto-math rock to reggae rock to hardcore punk, and the vocal delivery is consistently crazy. Some of the experiments don't work for me, notably the hardcore screaming on Shoplifting and the nearly pure reggae of Newtown. But there are some really great songs here. I love the back and forth vocals on Instant Hit and the incredible drumming on So Tough. The bassline and subtle, dissonant piano on Love Und Romance is great. Meanwhile, the piano on Typical Girls is surprisingly life-affirming. Cut is a mixed bag, but I'm glad I heard it; I probably never would have found it outside of this list. 3.5/5, rounded down to 3. Favs: Instant Hit So Tough Typical Girls Least Fav: Shoplifting

What is this genre? Punk? Bjork? College girls dancing by jumping straight up and down. Experimental... or just mental.

Sadly this girl punk band didn’t cut it

The Slits never claimed great musicianship but in a way that was the idea. A groundbreaking band whose lineage is evident today. The dub reggae influence infuses the album, epitomised by Typical Girls, the standout track.

I have a namesake who I’m sure will love this. Sadly, I just don’t think I’m ever going to get through my punk bias.

I've heard better school bands. And no, the cover doesn't help either. 1*

"Typical girls - buy maaaaagazines!” This album made me smile when I saw it was what I had for today. “Cut” is one of those albums that absolutely belongs in the "1001" book, for its blending of punk and reggae, its wild subversive energy, and Ari Up's unrestrained German-accented vocals. It rewards multiple listens because the lyrics have many amusing surprises in them that are hard to catch the first time around. Their cover of “Heard it Thru the Grapevine” wasn't on the original album, but that’s ok. It gets more airplay these days than most of the rest of these songs, so I've heard it quite a lot. It’s a fun cover, but I prefer other tracks on here like “Newtown” or “Typical Girls,” with the band’s own quirky lyrics and instrumentation. I'll always prefer something imaginative where the performers "can't play their instruments" over something done by "professional musicians" that sounds like a thousand other records out there.

Not what I was expecting but I actually really enjoyed this. This sort of new wave reminds just tickles my brain. I don’t think this is a reallly fleshed out album per say but it does something I like

Pretty sure I didn’t need to listen to this one.

Yes. Absolutely. More of this please.

There's a part of this that sounds like a group of young women just messing around, in the sense there are no great instrumentals, and the vocals are often nonsense with silly voices and put-on accents. But then they're really committing to the bit. They're getting their boobs out on the cover. Baiting the censors by swearing. Typical Girls is a whole thing. 6 / 10

I can see how it's influenced many later musicians. A few songs that I really liked here.

Funky off beat sound on this one. It’s not quite my jam but it’s certainly unique

You’d have thought this would be right up my alley being post-punk and all that. You would have been wrong. Thankfully the album is just over 30 minutes long, so it’s not a bad one to throw on to try out. I certainly did not hate this, but I didn’t really like it either. It feels mean to only give it a 2, but I’m aware I’ve given scores of 3 to other albums I’ve actually liked better, so 2 it is.

Not quite what I was expecting

Almost more reggae thank punk - which put me off. But ai warmed to it and the cover of I heard on the grapevine pushed this from a three to a four for me

The Slits are so fucking mega. I love them and what they did for women in punk music, and this is a cool working of punk and reggae/dub together. The ska aspects, I don't enjoy as much, the vocal styling is of its time, lyrics are great. Solid 4. Favourite tracks: Spend, Spend, Spend, Love und romance, Typical Girls (of course), Heard it through the grapevine

I love a group of women willing to just be as weird as hell. This album is so much fun and unlike anything else. The way they incorporate reagge beats is so reminiscent of ‘90s alt but this is ‘79! It’s a wild album.

Most of these songs just suck. I know the loose, awkward playing and off-key vocals are supposed to be part of the charm, but it mostly sounded like nobody could agree on what song they were playing. Punk can be messy and still have some bite to it. This was just messy. “Typical Girls” was pretty catchy and easily the best thing here. There’s an actual hook, some personality, and enough rhythm to make it fun. Then there’s their cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” where the warbling vocals were awful. They took a song I already know is great and made it feel twice as long.

This was different but not unpleasant. I thought it would be tough at first but it grows on you really quick. An interesting sound and I could hear a lot of influences in it.

Fun, fractious, energetic post punk. Not quite the Sugar Cubes, but on the way.

Better than expected.

This sucked lol

Just trying to pinpoint what this is. Post punk? Dub? Riot Girl? Art pop? I know infamously they couldn’t play their instruments..idk, sexist..maybe.. but they sound like a HS cover band (cause they literally were 16/17).

Wild, bombastic, heavy, piercing, instant hit.

Really good listen. I wish I could comment more, but I was lulled to a relaxing sleep while laying in a hammock underneath the hot summer sun. When I awoke, the album was over and my energy was restored.

Interesting

This album just rules. All women post-punk dubby reggae. Shrieky warbling vocals. Cool bassd. Catchy at times. It’s just fresh, it grooves, and just scratches the right itch for me. I’m sure many disagree, and I can get why, but this one connect. For those claiming they’re bad musicians - being amateurs and not a prog/thrash wizard doesn’t make the music bad…they just have a lot of natural talent to write these songs with some cool musical parts

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background I enjoy it for what it is.

This to me is the reason why I do this project. Introduced to a band I never heard of, with an interring sound and even more interesting story.

Very funky vibes. Liked it a lot more than i was expecting to :)

You know that really weird girl who has purple hair and is in punk band and is super edgy, but does it naturally without trying? Like she would pose topless on an album cover just to piss off the establishment and not think twice about it?

I can see this was probably quite edged when it came out but it is very much of its time and to be honest, a bit shit!

This record feels like someone had a good idea, but not the skill to execute it well. It’s pretty hard to listen to, although I guess I at least appreciate that it seems like they were trying to do their own thing. It also feels like its presence in 1001 albums was meant to fulfill an inclusion policy or something. Like, I imagine the dialogue between the editors going something like this: “We need to shoehorn in an all-girl punk group for the riot grrl set.” “Does it have to be good?” “No, it just has to be British. We haven’t represented the British enough yet.” “How about The Slits?” “Good enough. Someone will find them revolutionary…” This record kinda sucks. But it does get a bonus point for the cover art. Not specifically because of the titties (although that's always appreciated), but because it's 3 white chicks cosplaying aboriginal women in front of...<looks at cover art again>...what looks like a suburban California home and garden. They almost get away with the illusion of being in a jungle were it not for the gutter and the window frame in the shot. Just a little bit of cropping would have fixed this...this actually feels like a pretty good metaphor for the entire record. Of course, I suppose this could all be intentional, as if they're showcasing that the Slits are fierce women warriors breaking out of the confines of middle-class Suburbia, but I kinda of doubt that. Or at least, I'm choosing to believe this was a mistake that made it through the editing process. Anyway, the cover art is thing I took the most enjoyment from with this record. 5/10

This started off really great. A band truly ahead of their time. As the 40 minutes went on, it started get get a bit more exhausting. I was going to give it a 2, but it has boobs on the cover... so, 3 it is.

I love a punk rock girl group. They have a great sound that pulls from other styles too. A little bit of ska a little bit of disco and some unpolished chaos. Lastly, their version of “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” kicked ass.

What did I just listen to?

I've always heard about The Slits but had never listened to them. Unfortunately I wish it had stayed that way.

okay, first of all... the SLITS?? gross. secondly, they were teenagers topless on that album cover. I want to vote this out of my life. I will never listen to this again. BUT, I can hear music that could have been influenced by this band. mostly Bjork. I can't give this a 1 because that would be giving in to misogyny.

An assault on the ears

Interesting.

Would've liked to have heard this at the time. Occasionally veers into cringe first round battle of the bands/amateur art school concert territory. Jusssst makes a 3 because it's interesting.

Boring white people reggae. I was hoping for better because the description said the Slits were a punk band, but it's more like post-punk with the obvious reggae influence. The music doesn't really bother me - it sounds fine. Just not super appealing to me. "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" is probably the best song. Not the worst thing I've ever listened to, of course, but I'm not really digging it.

𝘊𝘶𝘵 is one of the strangest albums I’ve heard from the post-punk era. The Slits blend reggae rhythms with post-punk energy in a way that shouldn’t really work — yet somehow it often does. What I admire most is the band’s willingness to experiment. The fusion of the two styles gives the album a sound all its own, even if it occasionally feels a little odd. I like the idea behind it more than I enjoy every moment of the execution. 𝘊𝘶𝘵 may never become one of my favourite post-punk albums, but I can easily appreciate why it has earned such an influential reputation. Sometimes being different is its greatest strength.

5/10

put the cheddar in the pocket

Just a bit too high-pitched and all the same tempo without too much deviation for my liking.

Was I the problem or would the album be so much better with a clearer mix? It felt not really clear and the vocals seemed to silent at times...

70s british ska punk. Not my thing.

The idea of an all-female self-contained group doing postpunk tunes in 1979 is pretty heady, so full credit for being pioneers. Musically this is a mixed bag. I feel like rhythmically it is pretty good, and the angular guitar lines work. What holds it back for me is the singspeak-y tuneless DIY vocals of Ari Upp, which are an acquired taste at best. So 3.5 stars for influence, 2.5 stars for listenability, averages out to three stars.

No me gustó. Las voces me desesperaron y la música me pareció demasiado ruido sin sentido.

I did not expect this! I am going out to add this to my collection.

Their Marvin Gaye cover was neat. I admire the attempt, and the music has a certain chime to it. However, I wasn't a huge fan. It was groovy, but not one that I'd put on my top list. It was late 70s pop rock. I suppose we wouldn't have modern music if we didn't have stuff like this.

Last song was the only one I enjoyed but maybe it was because I was glad it was over

This is kinda fun but a bit of a mess. Seems like it was influential but it hasn’t worn particularly well. 2.5

A punk record that is completely devoid of talented musicians. The author's thought process probably went something like "Oi, I need to put some kind of lady punk band on here, that's for bloody true. The Slits were doing it in '79 AND they're fellow Brits! Job done, time for tea." This band may have been early in the female-fronted punk game, but they suck. Extremely simple songs, bad vocals, and bad instrument work. How about anything from Bikini Kill? What about The Distillers? 7 Year Bitch kicks ass, what about them? Hell, I'd settle for Joan Jett or Lita Ford at this point! This author is so fucking lazy, I wish I could kick him in the bollocks. The Slits will be my 19th 1/5, but this is much more an indictment on the author not having any music knowledge outside the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

Love the distinctive musical style and vocals. Didn't absolutely love the songwriting but the second half got pretty groovy.

This is much better than I expected. It has a fun, experimental punk sound that feels raw without being a mess, and I can hear its influence of a handful of artists that came later. The album has plenty of personality, and while not every idea lands, it's never boring. There's an energy and confidence to it that makes it an enjoyable listen from start to finish. I'd definitely listen to this again. It probably lands around a 3.5/5 for me, better than I anticipated and an album that's easy to appreciate for both its sound and its influence.

Hmmm wanted this to be better than it is, just a bit unorganized and there is never any need for that screaming, crikey

Loved it. Might have to pick up a copy. It's a shame they didn't get top record more during their heyday.

How does one not love The Slits! I even listened to the expanded Deluxe Edition ... can not get enough of this one!

This grew on me. Get it, girls!

Liked this less than I hoped.

Not my favorite thing, but I'm giving it a 4 for originality, influence, and because Ari Up is cool as fuck. 4

Not that I would have enjoyed it that much more, but I was really expecting some perfectly fine punk music from this. Not experimental post-punkish type... whatever this is. This is a bit in line with stuff like The Idiot by Iggy Pop and Fear of Music by Talking Heads. I know this is a bit hypocritical coming from someone who likes extreme metal, but just in general this era of post-punk is just incredibly unpleasant music. Its got this sour, spoiled feel to it that I legitimately struggle to understand how anyone can enjoy listening to it. Bands like The Cure and New Order really did save this genre from itself and turn it into something good. I legitimately enjoy a lot of post-punk, but its gotta be 80s and later. Without exception, 70's post-punk always comes off as a bunch of music nerds trying to break the rules of music because they think they're smart, without understanding what the rules are in the first place. The 70's equivalent of 2000's hipsters trying to convince everyone their shitty folk music is good (and the hypocrite I am, I do like that shitty folk music, but I don't begrudge anyone who says Neutral Milk Hotel is garbage, lol). I want to go back in time and stuff them all in lockers. Maybe the embarrassment will convince them to write a decent hook for once in their life. But joking (kinda) aside, there are some tracks on this that aren't completely awful. FM and Newtown are kinda decent with a sorta reggae vibe, but again, that 70s post-punk is doing it no favors. Also Typical Girls is pretty solid. Probably the best track on the album. But yeah, not really much good here.

Subtle, weird and absolutely essential. Great mix of punk and reggae, with satirical lyrics and dissonant harmonies. It does get too abstract at times, but songs like 'Instant Hit' showcase the band's style at its peak.

I don't understand why this album exists.

Strangely catchy. Kind of grows on you with each listen.

5/10

Fun! It’s like Blondie with a more punk attitude.

2.5 rounded up I guess? I heard it through the grapevine is the one iconic one I guess. Nice to have some female representation in this genre

I enjoyed the idea and vibe of this more than the music. The bass was by far my favourite bit and it was very groovy, and whilst I did like the vocals too, I found the overall song structures too boring and repetitive, with most of the songs being rather indistinct.

The first half of the album was decent. The second half was less decent.

There's a venue in SLC in the back of a sandwich shop... This is the kind of music that I think plays there. Not my jam... But I am sure people who love this sound.... really love this sound.

Reminds me of Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses, pretty unique, but also didn't take my attention too much.

Well… album cover caught my attention. The songs were simple and amateur … but not in a great ramones way. Eh.. 2.5

Found this surprisingly charming. Atonal and messy, but charming. And catchier than I expected. 7/10 Quite Likeable

Pfft. There’s better albums by similar bands who can actually play instruments.

How do they make 2:30 songs feel so long?

Mélange étonnant de punk et de dub, je suis assez difficile en dub mais j'aime beaucoup le punk alors je trouve cet album assez sympa mais pas sur que j'y retourne

more interesting/less grating than I expected. I new from the first note this would be some sort of art punk but I was generally into it.

This is such a quirky and different album but I’m not sure it’s brilliant. There’s no doubt that they led the way for other female bands, so credit for that

Really suprised . Very cool sound. Close to a 5/5

Great Album Cover. Music is just okay. Groundbreaking female group.

I didn't really enjoy it but I'm glad it's on here because it's at least unique and interesting.

Far far far too weird for me

Well I’ll be darned, I guess there IS a punk band I like. That cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine is pure fire.

Not horrible, not good. :)

3/10 Did not enjoy that much

Not for me.

фигня.

I get the influence but dont like it as much as I should lol

It's a groundbreaking album post-punk reggae, which has been done, but different. Really this is it's own thing and you can hear even in todays "white boy" reggae their influence. I loved the rhythm, bass and drums were cool sounding and I think her falsetto singing style fits this music wonderfully. It is not polished very raw, has the punk feel but an island vibe. I can dig it.

It's ok.

Always see this album in the window my local record shop so was interested to give it a listen. Well it's safe to say I won't be picking it up any time soon! Just painful bar a couple of songs ("Typical Girls", "Instant Hit").

kind of suprised i liked this! it feels like an album/group daria morgandorfer would listen to, which i can certainly appreciate. i went in fully prepared to hate it given the intensity of some of the 1-3 star reviews. i give it a 3.5

Naast dat ik blij word van de hoes is dit best een geinig album. Ik werd aanvankelijk een beetje op het verkeerde been gezet door de omschrijving 'punk', want ik zat de eerste 3 nummers in afwachting van snelle gitaren die nooit bleken te komen. Recalcitrante meiden reggae. De zangeres klinkt een beetje als Kees Flodder Junior (van die matige Flodder reboot). Ik merk dat ik dit op een slechte dag echt een schijtirritant album zou kunnen vinden en het een éénsterrenrating (met rant) zou kunnen opleveren, maar ik vind het vandaag eigenlijk wel lekker om aan te hebben staan. Het stoort me niet echt en het is wel leuk. Ik snap iedereen die dit een onvoldoende geeft, maar ik ga Snee van De Gleuven een prima voldoende geven voor ik ze wegschuif in het grote archief en er nooit meer naar zal omkijken. Want we moeten eerlijk blijven: Dit ga ik nooit meer aanzetten en ik neem aan dat dat voor bijna iedereen zal gelden. Het slaat nergens op, met m'n twee handen verontschuldigend in de lucht 4 sterren.

Weird, interesting, B-52s feel at times. Sounds like people playing in their garage

🎧Sorry, why is this album considered great?

Æ hadde kanskje sett for mæ nokka sintere, mer riot grrl-aktig, men det der va fornøyelig, på en ikke avskrekkanes måte. Ikke at riot grrl e avskrekkanes når man e en gretten feminist i førtiåran, men noen ganger vil man ikke høre på sinte greier, og om man gjør det vil man i det minste at de sinte greiern har en god beat, og det hadde det her. Tommel opp.

#159/1001 🇬🇧 Don't underestimate the power of this record. An all female group in the male dominated punk scene. It certainly broke many barriers at the time. It grows and grows, side 2 being the stronger. Best tracks: Typical Girls, FM, Ping Pong Affair,

favs: instant hit, fm, i heard it through the grapevine

140626 10:59 3.5

An odd one for sure, but I enjoyed my time with it. Pretty good mix of reggae and post punk. Highlights-Instant Hit, So Tough, Spend, FM, Newtown, and Typical Girls.

I was late to the party and first heard this in the late 80s. Unique sound, especially for that time. I love the dub and reggae influences and the vocals by Ari Up add that extra frenetic quality to it. A debut and stand alone album that stands the test of time. Pity their ever changing line ups eventually prevented them from adding another release until much too late. But a seminal album that really deserves more credit.

i’m probably gonna listen to this a lot more. i don’t fully get it. but it’s very interesting. i like it.

I think I just don’t like punk that much tbh

Liked the dub/reggae influence, kind of like a female version of the Clash. Album was good and enjoyable to listen to. 3/5 Might listen again

One of those albums I respect more than I like. To be honest, I’m here for the punk and the feminism, but I have a hard time getting into reggae. It’s a me problem.

You, digging the dub step vibe. Didn’t expect that from the album cover. Horner it could use some more oomph. Doesn’t reach ska levels, and when more power was attention the vocals went off tune. Good attempt but unfortunately a miss.

Liked the raw energy, this version of "I heard it through the grapevine" is very cool.

Post-punk dub-reggae, what a fucking trip. This is one of those visually iconic records that I'd never gotten into, I was always expecting it to be something like glam-punk. It turns out to be something I could've easily been playing since my adolescence, it feels like it fits well with certain high energy Bob Marley tracks, also works well with more modern ska like Sublime. They've got a particular style here though, it doesn't quite blend perfectly with anything so it stands out as genuine. Vocals could be a little better, they're a little more on the post-punk side. Honestly, I'm very curious for other Slits albums now. What really made my radar was Dennis Bovell on the production. I'm positive his sight gave the album the depth, I'm unsure whether their sound can be appreciated without him. I mean, none of the main members play percussion, it's not a giveaway just a hint. 3.6/5

Have I listened to this album before? No How familiar am I with this album? I know Typical Girls How do I feel about this artist? I really like Typical Girls Pre-Listen Thoughts: I have this big box set of 70s punk, and Typical Girls is one of my favorite songs on there. Part of the appeal of this project for me was exploring artist beyond single songs that I know from compilations or the radio. Favorite track(s): Typical Girls, So Tough Post-Listen Thoughts: I get that it’s not for everybody, but apparently it’s for me. I really feel like The Slits walked so Sleater-Kinney could run. If the songs were much longer I think they would get grating, but they’re short and sweet which is one of the things I like about punk.

If being bad on purpose and landing it with pizzaz is supposed to be a punk calling card, then this album fits that bill. I’m not sure what to make of their bio making it sound like they slept their way to the top because they were hot and therefore had access to producers who could and would turn dog shit into a marketable product. I don’t like it. Couple that with the rather on-the-nose band name? Still, reggae punk vibes is an under-explored sound, today, let alone back then. That AND Cobain listed this as an influential album. Several other notables said similar things, especially among female musicians. I think those two things paired together come out in the wash.

This sounds like nothing much else, really, that I’ve ever heard – like rock music rebuilt from the ground up, so strange it stands alone even in the eccentric world of late 70s / early 80s post-punk / no wave music. I suppose The Pop Group had a vaguely similar sound, but theirs was wholly avantgarde and ugly with no attempt to be approachable, and these songs here are catchy! No individual tracks really stand out too much, but that’s fine – the sound is so singular it works much better as an overall experience, and isn’t that the point of albums, really? Best track: “Typical Girls”

Listenable but nothing special.

I know this is supposed to be ska/punk. I can see why people wanted it on the list to represent that era of music. It's not good. Nothing about this is good.

Was good but wouldn't listen again

The punk x reggae x fuck it x girl power of it really works when it gels and grates when it doesn't, which means it also worked then. I keep wanting someone to rein in Ari Up's pitch, which places me as part of the problem the Slits were remedying. I'm glad she prevailed, because it would be a dull listen had it been smoothed over.

I love the Slits. On Cut, they take a deconstructive approach to rock, borrowing liberally from dub reggae and its judicious use of negative space but adding ragged spasms of piano, guitar bursts, weird tape effects and Ari Up’s unrestrained, playful and unapologetically feminist speak-sing musings. There’s no shortage of good cover versions of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine,” but this is one of the best, presenting it in an entirely new light. One of the finest examples of the cross-pollination that was then taking place between the punk and reggae scenes.

Foundational but not particularly relevant today.

This was a good album, not exactly what I thought it was gonna be, but still good

Can hear that this CD influenced a lot of later music, but is very raw at this point in 1979

So like.. based on everything leading up to this point, I should absolute hate this.. but I kind of fuck with it heavy? This is 100% gonna take a revisit, but this is a prime example of something that’s just absolute slop chaos on the surface, but is so interesting you just can’t deny it. The blend of reggae and Elvis Costello esque punk shit is super addicting on here. I love the production so much. I have absolutely no idea what the hell kind of instruments I’m listening to, but I feel like I need to be on a beach.

Silly some interesting stuff her not that great but not hated probably will revisit once years from now and be like yeah that was nice

Minus one star for yodeling. Minus one star for the bandname. Plus one star for girl power.

Nothing to dislike here, just an enjoyable 40 mins

I've heard of The Slits, but never listened to them. I didn't hate this. I think some of the reviews on this site are overly harsh. I enjoyed listening to this from the perspective of "I can see where a bunch of other groups have likely been influenced by The Slits." I was between a 3- or 4-star rating, and the "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" cover made it a 4. I'll be adding this to my list of albums to listen to again.

Interesting mix of punk and reggae with a quirky vibe. I love getting to discover unique bands like this but I didn't like enough to want it on regular rotation. I remember seeing the singer Ari Up on an episode of Spicks and Specks and the vibe of this album matches her crazy energy on the show.

*Person who's only ever listened to Yes* Apparently Jon Anderson was the godfather of the lead singer of this group, I'd like to know the story behind that. Doesn't really mean much in the grand scheme of things, it was kind of a fun album but I won't be revisiting it

*pretty sad when an album has to label itself to may be inappropriate to all listeners.

That was utter crap. I almost made it through it, but that last track was just noise and I hit skip with about 20 seconds left and was relieved to find out it was the last one on the album.

Solid

This album is a very dirty album. I visualise it being covered in grime and blood and other off-putting substances. The music reflects this, it's a bit too... loose... a loose slit.... and I'm not a fan of damaged goods.

At times this was loads of fun - full-bodied female-fronted pop-punk (not to mention a real hyphen-fest). At others the production and, bluntly, the amateurishness of the music was quite stressful. The cover of Grapevine, which I've seen praised quite highly, also let's it down a bit.

Nope

Nepo much

Coole cover van Marvin Gaye

britpunk...normally I'm fine with it, but this one was pretty bad

Jolly.

I respect the unique punk style, seems like an inspiration for some modern ska. But it really didn't do much for me, a little too raw and messy

Pretty interesting blend of reggae and dub with punk attitudes and really fascinating vocal styles. I've seen a comparison to Bjork's vocals and I can definitely see it. I think this album is more fascinating in it's overall concept and historical significance in the overall punk-canon than it is in execution, but given I'm in the right mood to listen to this, I can see myself jamming it out on a hot summer day.

I was not previously familiar with the artist or album. This is a punk album with heavy reggae influence. I enjoy the instrumentation but really don't care for the vocals. I can appreciate how important this album was since it influenced many that followed but I doubt I would listen again.

Weird and wonderful! Kan rigtig godt lide forsangeres meget genkendelige stemme. Elsker hvor løssluppen og fri en energi der er på albummet og hvor kaotisk mixen er med mange forskellige lydeffekter og fragmenterede instrumentationer. Rytmerne på dette album er også nice. Dette er måske den introduktion til female punk rock jeg har ventet på.

Not my thing.

Aged surprisingly well.

Легкий ненавязчивый девчачий панк/пост-панк для подростков. Прямо так и представляю как в начале 80-х девочки, в порыве своего подросткового бунтарства, бесились в своей комнате общаги колледжа. Сейчас мне крайне тяжело было это слушать

I appreciate their style but it's not for me. Spend, Spend, Spend and Newtown was good. I didn't like their Grapevine cover which was when I realized The Slits is not for me.

SKAWESOME! Had numerous people ask me who it was while I was playing it on my bike commute both morning and evening.

Yeah this is pretty bad. The singing seems kind of brainless and everything feels so purposefully stupid in a non-Devo way. Overall, I find the mixing the worst part with the left and right panned silverware clanging and machinery whirs. The bass and drumming is pretty great though, so at least I can sometimes lock in on that. That being said, it was dreading to get through this.

Nice but didn’t stick after a few listens. Didn’t blow my mind like the other jazz on here.

Best part of this album is the cover.

Pretty lame. I expected a hardcore punk album based on the cover lol.

Nope.

Weirdo spazzy reggae that I can’t believe exists. Kinda good, though. The cover of Heard it Through the Grape Vine slaps.

Punk light. Lots of yodeling

Can’t say I loved this

Bad!

Actually didn't hate it! Worked well as background music

ughh. not very good.

First listen

It would be the least surprising thing ever if I was to read Bjork was heavily inspired by the Slits. Edit: well would you look at that

Such a great example of how quickly music pivoted in the late 70s. Side 1 ok Side 2 awesome

Not what I expected. More melodic and tuneful and quite palatable to be honest. Not my sort of thing to be honest but ok. 2

Bat shit crazy nonsense. Glad I stayed around for the ludicrous ‘I Heard it Through the Grapevine’ cover. Felt like a fever dream.

How have I managed to miss this? Punk/ Reggae crossover at its finest! That doesn't mean I shall be listening to it reggaeularly any time soon, but it made a refreshing change from straight punk, which can be a boring genre at the best of times and standard Bob Marley, who I can barely tolerate. So a fusion of this kind was like washing my mohecan in Lenor or something refreshingly different like that.

Sharp, punchy short and sweet Good 3

I get that this in influential on a generation of punk bands, but it didn't really do a lot for me. The best song was the cover of '...Grapevine', which seems to be a hard song for people to fuck up. Interesting in a historical sense, but not something I'll be going back to any time soon

Fun punk/reggae songs. The cover of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” is pretty great.

Not bad, except for the “Heard It Through the Grapevine” cover, which was truly awful. Not exactly what I was expecting overall.

Unexpectedly fun album overall

Ho hum

nah dude nah

Sure, I guess.

Maybe im just too stupid to get it, but what the hell was this noise? I heard one friend refer to it as British ska from the 70s. Idk, idc. It can stay where its at. I gave it 4 songs, and that was enough sample for me.

Probably the worst thing I’ve ever heard.

This was mostly pretty fun and only occasionally irritating. I didn’t think it started all that strong but it picked up as it went along. The rough edges in the playing and singing add to the appeal. Everything from FM on was pretty good. The late 70s seems to be a great era for the deconstructed 60s classic. Heard it through the Grapevine is probably my favorite track on the record, and might be my favorite version of the song. The reggae influences aren’t my favorite element, but they don’t bother me here nearly as much as they do in The Clash. I like The Slits best when they’re reminding me of Pylon — a band I’d honestly rather listen to. This is still a strong 3 and I admit I might be underrating it. It’s just that hearing it right after Devo’s debut (which I gave a 4) definitely highlights a gulf in quality between them.

Not for me

Never heard of it, interesting cover...

I knew about them through the "Stay Free" podcast. Never listened to their music on it's own. I cannot say this was amazing, but it has it's special moments: - Newtown - Typical Girls - I Heard it Through the Grapevine The guitars were small and tight which works on some songs, not so much on others. I liked the bass even though it was too mushy at times. The vocals were authentic and fitting. The drums were possibly the highlight of the whole album. Which now as I read the Wiki page it seems was a session drummer...

Yeah this just isn't it

2026.05.06

I know it’s influential etc. etc. but I just didn’t enjoy it.

I’m not entirely sure about this album, the vocals leave a lotttt to be desired but something about the catchyness of the songs kept me listening for 2 full listens. The chants of “do a runner” in shoplifting a personal highlight as I found myself chanting along with my daughter. I’m Glad the album wasn’t any longer than it was but what was here put a smile on my face! Fave song- ‘shoplifting’ Worst song- ‘FM’ 6/10

Slits - Cut This really bounces out the speakers as a unique,hypnotic reggae punk dub mix. Wouldn't object if I single one of these jumped out again in my playlist, and it has made me want to listen to more. Found I have the Peel Sessions in my collection that I've never listened to but will stick it on now. Highs were Instant Hit, Shoplifting & Typical Girls. Will go with Instand Hit as best track. No real lows at all but let's say Love und Romance went by without me noticing it much. Bjork must have been a massive fan as so much of this foreshadows her vocal phrasing! 7.5/10

Favorite songs: Instant Hit, Love und Romance, Typical Girls, I Heard It Through the Grapevine

I listened through the first track and thought to myself "is this shit?" Then I gave it ten more minutes and said "Yes, it's shit."

Yeah, I really could have died without ever listening to this.

Zoo wee mama

I have absolutely no strong feelings about this one way or the other. It exists

I really like these weird girlies. good energy, fun & bouncey. sound seems ahead of their time.

I mean I didn't hate it?

this is music you find in a fallout mod that kinda sucks

interesting! i like the style but most tracks left something to be desired in either songwriting or performance

The first band in the project that I had absolutely never heard of, and, damn, these ladies rock!

Would leave 0 stars if I could

Ok 2/5

Fun!

Pretty good, if inconclusive side quest into how punk could incorporate dub/reggae ideas. It ultimately feels like a dead end or accent as opposed to a genre unto itself, so you can hear bits of this in Fugazi, their friends in The Clash, echoes in trip hop, etc. Albertine’s playing is incredibly creative, almost sui generis and Ari is unavoidable, but Budgie’s drums really jump out (guessing because of Bovell). Kinda wears out its welcome after several songs but I mean, that’s true for most of the earlier punk albums, not at all a Slits problem.

This was not bad, good groove.

70

Just weird. Kinda ska but just not on rhythm or anything

8.5/10

Totally weird

A phenomenal album I slept on for too long. A total vibe and a decade ahead of themselves. Fantastic cover too

Felt surprisingly fresh and enjoyable. Kinda London calling ska vibe

I don't know. Thought thy would have been more "punk" given that they new are an early female punk band, but found the music pretty vanilla. They get 1 point for their name and the cover art.

Too weird

Какие то очень дикие бабенки

banger

So ahead of their time. This is the punk rock so many people forget about. Clever yet raw takes on punk.

While I love reggae and punk, I wasn't sure about this at first but ended up enjoying it.

Almost 800 albums in and this is a fusion of sounds that I don't think I've ever heard before. Basically punk mixed with reggae. The lead singer almost reminds me of Nico though, which gave me some bad flashbacks. I'd rather focus more on the innovation and songcraft here. Each track kind of flows freely as well, not following the typical punk rock standards of the time (or general song structure for that matter). It's an...odd sounding album that I wound up being fascinated by the more it went on. Not the greatest piece of music ever, but interesting for sure.

Funky as HELL

Ari Up can sit beside Neil Young and Jeff Tweedy for having the worst voice that this generator has given me. This is going to be my second one-star album.

Albern

Album #125 The Slits: Cut A lot of the reviews here seem to complain about the poor instrumentation and the supposed lack of talent, but is that not literally the point of punk? Thank god Joy Division didn’t decide to shelf Unknown Pleasures because some Ivy League students said they weren’t playing technical enough. Punk music is meant to be a form of expression for those who are not classically trained but still want to rock, and this album certainly accomplishes that. Part of me thinks that it is because they are women that The Slits weren’t as celebrated as some of their contemporaries; however, I am not huge on the early stages of punk, so I might be missing some of the nuances. This album is certainly fun and undeniably influential; that being said, it is not one that I would throw on on a Sunday afternoon. Best Songs: Typical Girls, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Instant Hit Worst Song: Love Und Romance Score out of 10: 7

Okay, so this is a pretty meh album. It just sounds like a bunch of low-level songs but it's relatively decent having them play in the background while doing other things.

Wasn't my style of rock

Rude reggae.

Decent beats and interesting lyrics. Every song sounds the same. Heavy reggae and sk influence.

I don't care for her sing-chant-sing-scream style very much. And generally speaking, I'm not a big fan of reggae-punk... if that's what you'd call this. It's OK and I appreciate the art (I guess) of it, but it's just not in my wheelhouse. I can understand the influence (particularly to The Clash, who toured with The Slits at this time, on thier next record Sandinista (1980))

This is a tough one to rate. Awesome to hear women doing punk rock. It was difficult to enjoy though, which is partly the point.

Awful. I really can’t find any redeemable qualities in this kind of ska punk. Really not for me and it was a pain to listen to.

Best Song: I Heard It Through The Grapevine. A legitimately interesting and fresh cover of this song. Totally different from the original. Worst Song: Liebe and Romanze - Slow Version. How did this song even make it onto the album? It doesn't seem like it was even interesting to listen to at full speed, and slowed down you can really here the distortion of the slow. Was this just new technology that the producer was playing with? Overall: Wasn't quite for me. A bit too raw, while also trying to be a little to fun and upbeat, in a way that almost felt like ska. I prefer my punk less bouncy.

Weird af, but i’ll be honest several of the grooves had me spastically bobbing my head. They went for it and it definitely has a unique sound but no where near enough melody to impress me. Bounce house music 5.5/10

I'm sure this band was influential or pioneers, however to my modern ears this just doesn't do it for me. The reggae punk blend with the vocals feels very rough.

Nice

I recognise the pioneering aspects of an all female punk band with reggae influences but I don't really like Ari Up's voice very much. The production also isn't great, the B-52s first album came up on shuffle after this and that from around the same time, sounds so much better, with a crisper, less murky sound where you can hear each instrument clearly. I did enjoy Typical Girls, the cover of Heard It Through the Grapevine and the dubby version of Love and Romance though.

Honestly its nice for the first ten minutes, then it just became annoying

i had such a great time with this album! i don't know what i was expecting but it surprised me how modern it sounded.

In this house we love The Slits

I’m coining a new subgenre - blue eyed dub. Much like the white American doing soul music in the 60’s, there seems to have been a lot of white British artists taking raggae/dub influence into their music. The Slots do lots of that on here, especially on songs like “Newtown”. This is still a post-punkish, alt rocker more than anything, but there’s plenty of dub influence. Outside of that, I liked this. Didn’t go crazy over it because towards the back half everything felt like it had already been done earlier in the record. But damn did they smash the hell out of the “Heard It Through The Grapevine” cover. Blew my expectations out of the water. Strong 3/5 could be a 4/5

As much as I find dub utterly fucking boring this was good!

Very okay

If this album generator has taught me anything, it's that punk music really isn't for me

interesting sounds. Cool Band. Would recommend if you like different sounds.

They’ve been cited by some of my favorite bands as a key influence, and I love basically any reggae-punk crossover, so I was already pretty primed to like this. Reading some of the coverage around the band, a lot of it falls back on this idea that they couldn’t really play their instruments. There are claims that they needed the Clash to tune their guitars or only knew three chords, but then you run straight into stuff like Ari Up getting guitar lessons from Joe Strummer, or Bob Marley cutting the Slits from an early version of ‘Punky Reggae Party’ when he found out they were women. At a certain point it starts to feel less like criticism and more like dismissal. Because when I listen to Cut the dub and reggae elements are deep in the bones of it, and the songwriting feels more inventive and rhythmically sophisticated than most of the punk scene around it. It's definitely raw though, and I get why it's not for everyone. Favorite tracks: Instant Hit, Ping Pong Affair, Love Und Romance, Typical Girls, Adventures Close to Home.

Not bad. Good Marvin Gaye cover.

This was incredibly fun to listen to. The vocal delivery of these lines is so unique and striking, and I love the scream on Shoplifting. I also love the punky vibes against instrumentals where you wouldn't really expect them. This has a very unique sound to it, and it definitely caught my attention. Favorites: Instant Hit, Shoplifting, Newtown, Typical Girls, Liebe And Romanze - Slow Version

The reggae/post-punk intersection doesn't always work for me, outside of the Clash, but this is so raw, real, AND accomplished. Sounds like anyone could have made it this, but they didn't. The Slits did. Which, to me, is punk in a nutshell.

An exceptionally weird and fun album. No they can’t really sing, but who cares?

female clash

Not really my thing. But I respect an all women band making this kind of music in the 1970s and calling themselves The Slits.

Fun reggae punk vibes but pretty meh overall

2.5 Nothing really stuck out for me, found it rather uninteresting besides the grape vine cover. I wouldve gone to a show back in the day to see what it was all about, though.

no

I think I could describe this album as a more eccentric and dub influenced Talking Heads mixed with a bit of The B-52's. Maybe a bizarre comparison, but this album is labeled as art punk, a tag that describes very well Talking Heads music, so at least they share that, and The B-52's I think is more clear, due to the female singing style. This album is a compilation of incredibly wild and extravagant performances mixed with the catchy and melodic sounds of art punk and rhythms taken from dub and reggae. All these elements create a very unique experience, but the ones that highlights the most are the voices. The vocals in this album are truly the main attraction. They are incredibly accented, loud (with some occasional high pitched screams) and do effects such as vibratos to make them even weirder. What I don't really like about this album is that the mix is a bit moody. There are moments were the singing is a bit buried, and the guitars and drums sound incredibly rudimentary, in terms of production. Another aspect is that the album may become a bit stale once I started to get used to its sound, specially towards the second half. Some songs feel like they rely more in the impact of the first impression rather than creating memorable lines. But it in the end, this is an incredibly intriguing, fun and one of a kind experience that I truly appreciated, and it is also great to see some recognition for the role of women in music, specially in the underground sphere.

Blind album and artist. Start of the girl punk era? Kinda cool I guess. Sounds interesting but not my niche.

Very cool vibe and unique sound. I prefer the 80s albums - this one is is a bit too shy at times.

Interesting. Worth a second listen slightly rough and ready dub influence traces of Gang of Four and PiL

This is a Feminist Punk album that was progressive for its time. My biggest complaint about it is that almost every song sounds the same(which is a problem I have with many Punk albums anyway). By the way, why the hell would a band named The Slits title one of their albums "Cut"? Favorite Track: "Typical Girls".

se a phoebe de friends tivesse participado de uma banda esse seria o álbum

1 star for their enthusiasm, but otherwise I found it mostly unlistenable.

This one is kind of hard to rate because I think I understood what they're doing with their musical style and they're pretty good musicians. I want to rate them higher because I love a girl group, and a 70s era punk girl group is so dope. But honestly I was just not vibing to the music as much as I wanted to. So they get a 3 for me. I was bopping my head along but sometimes I just didn't really love it.

typical girls is perfect. love the slits for being so out there but I hate the ska-ness. this album isn’t punk which makes me laugh because seeing weird women in a band leads the listener to call this punk because it doesn’t fit elsewhere, but if you don’t like this, it doesn’t mean you hate punk, it means you hate post-punk experimental reggae

if I have to listen to punk, it had better be punk women

What if we did something people should actually listen to before they die?? Like i dunno.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... FUCKING ENYA???????????????????????

Quite primordial sounding. Base, raw, simple, but a weird pre post-punk reggae sound. It was alright

This was probably the most hit or miss album for me so far. The rhythm section is doing incredibly awesome work mixing reggae and punk elements, but the guitar is very underwhelming and the singing is a mixed bag. I would listen to isolated tracks of the drummer and bass player again repeatedly but I would only revisit a few of the songs as a whole.

This was an interesting selection. I liked it more than thought I would. I like the fact it’s an all girl punk/post-punk band. I don’t know if there were any others at that time, but that alone must have made it pretty unique. All the different musical influences keep it interesting and most of the songs were kept fairly short so if one wasn’t your thing it was on to the next. I probably wouldn’t listen to it again, but I’m not mad I did.

It’s bad punk music which means it’s bad, bad regular music. The singing is deliberately offbeat and the shrills are enough to make you want to stop playing the album. So I did.

Quite audacious for a debut album. This is great fun, with a unique sound that spans musical styles - punk, pop, reggae, dub, alt rock with strains of new wave and maybe even some industrial in there. Lots of influence on things to come but it also stands firmly on its own merit. A enjoyable find for me on the list.

I feared the worse, but was pleasantly surprised. My first listen to a female British punk band and I dug it.

It was a tough listen first time through. Almost left it at that. But upon a second listen,,, I think there's something magical there. I haven't quite grabbed it, but from paying deeper attention to some of the lyrics in passing, i think there's something deeper here. Its not an easy listen however 6/10

They drowned so that others could go "Oh ****!" and consider learning to swim. Not tortuous, but not a fun time. Excellent drummer though, they're fantastic.

some albums make you appreciate other music more

I didn't hate it. There's a really interesting jilted nature to the beats. Shoplifting is probably my favorite, but I'm not 100% sure. I wouldn't say that the singing is good from a technical standpoint? But there's a certain charm to it, just how raw it is, especially combined with the really jilted beats. I don't know. Not my favorite, but it was enjoyable.

This was a lot of fun, such a great sound that still sounds fresh.

This is a good pick for this list. Weird, not commonly known, the progenitor to a music movement. I’m glad I listened to it even though I probably wouldn’t put it on for fun