Reviews (page 3 of 8)
The meeting of punk and reggae at the time. This band have been written about, interviewed, critically acclaimed and viewed as seminal in the development of women in music. It still sounds, to me, ramshackle and not inviting of too many other ensuing listens - I don't hear the agitated art pop qualities that drove the music papers wild back in 1979......
It’s alright
This is great! It’s part reggae but punk, very percussive with a strong sense of melody. Loved “Adventures Close to Home” and the cover of “Grapevine”
Loved this album in my 20’s. The slits were unmistakably feminist punk and I was there for it 💥
Reading the Wikipedia article and the reviews, I'm coming across a lot of terminology that ALWAYS equates to "I won't like this music." Art pop, avant garde, post punk, comparisons to Nico... Somehow though, none of those characteristics I normally find disagreeable make this album at all unpalatable to me. I'm really appreciating the rhythm section. Great, funky, powerful bass, fantastic and simple drumming. I keep catching myself tapping my foot unconsciously. Over the last six months or so, I have had a few surprising albums in the way of reggae that I have had on repeat, and I very much enjoy the reggae influence here too ⭐⭐⭐.75
I was hoping this was going to be more punk, but ended up being post-punk. I liked her voice and vibrado alright, but really did not like the meandering songs and garage production. Not for me. 2.3/5 -> 2/5
Respect the hell out of it — punk girls outdoing the boys in ‘79 — but it’s weird. Like… intentionally weird. Dubby, wobbly, a little feral. More “art experiment with attitude” than something you’re throwing on at dinner.
The scream in Shoplifting genuinely scared me. This is not my kind of music. Weird psychedelic I suppose? I don’t know if I’m right on the genre, but it’s a hell no.
Everyone should listen to Typical Girls before they get hit by a bus
Alright
Poppy and fun. Couldn't find my groove in it but I understand the appeal
I enjoyed this one top to bottom in the moment but don't anticipate a return or thinking about it much. No standout tracks but I can respect the novelty for the time.
When to listen: Bopping around and feeling like a girl's girl. I've had their version of I Heard it Through the Grapevine in my Spotify saves for a long time. What a treat to hear the whole album. The sound is an unusual mix of lots of influences and the lead singer's voice is definitely unique, but that's what I loved about it!
Didn't mind this, felt slightly reggae/ska in parts
Best Song: Typical Girls I don't hate this as much as a lot of the reviews I had read about it. The production is odd, that's for sure - it is super drum forward, which I tend to like but the other instruments outside of drums and vocals feel like background for a few of the tracks. This band was created as an experiment and rather unorganized from the start and it showed. I don't foresee myself listening to this again. 2/5.
This album was recorded with two tin cans connected by a piece of string. The master tape of which was one of those micro cassette tapes that went into phone answering machines back in the day. The songs were written over the course of twenty minutes and practiced once before being recorded inside an empty warehouse. Seriously there are way too many albums on this list that are utter trash. I’m nearing the 500 mark and I’m honestly debating giving up Galway through. The author of this list has terrible, terrible taste.
Weird kinda reggae, island, hip hop
Include one of the all-time great covers: I Heard It Through the Grape Vine.
8/10
Def early punk, though with a certain 80’s pop flair - which is weird since this is from ‘79. Sounded good, but would need to give another listen for the actual lyrics.
Authentic, creative punk + great, off-kilter dub production + emancipatory yet nuanced and personal lyrics? On one album?? And it's a blast to listen to as well???
Nicht meine Musik.
Lots of noise.
I haven’t heard of this band before and after listening to the album I don’t think I will actively listen to them again the album wasn’t terrible but not the sort of think that interests me
Have heard worse, but it's not a great punk album. Almost experimental, or just mental I can't be sure. Not sure I needed to hear it and probably won't go back for more. I'm sure it means something to someone though.
++: Instant Hit, Newtown, Love und Romance, Typical Girls, Adventures Close to Home +: So Tough, Shoplifting, FM +-: Ping Pong Affair -: Spend, Spend, Spend 6,7/10
riot grrrl goes to jamaica?? ganz interessant aber wieder nicht sehr versatile
It is immediately clear that this album influenced and inspired some pretty great bands. The Reggae beat that cuts under the whole thing reminds us that it also influenced and inspired some pretty terrible ones. Add a half-star for [redacted comment about the cover art].
I love the sound and the attitude of The Slits. I just wish they wrote better songs. Their cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine shows how good they are with good songwriting behind them.
Good punk
Bäm!
Jag genomled hela plattan pliktskyldigt. I heard it through the grapevine var väl typ ok, men resten var kasst. Jobbig musik. Framförallt sången. Falskt och inte på ett charmigt sätt.
Är underhållen. Svängigt och kul. Andra halvan starkast. Första lyssningen var bättre än andra faktiskt, rätt sällan det har hänt. Tänkte 4a först men landar på stark 3a.
Mer white reggae, men i något punkigare form än tidigare. Måste ha kommit ut typ exakt samtidigt som polisskivan så antar att det var sjukt inne just precis då. Lusterligt album! Inte så sugen på att lyssna på mer dock.
omg jag har lyssnat på det här för typ tio år sedan. gillar Idén mer än Verket
White reggae! Fast bra! Stark !!!
I just can't make myself loving it. I will return to some song but not the whole album
Sin más
the cramps, lene lovich, the cure vibes
I have such mixed feelings on this album. I keep wavering between genius and cringe.
really enjoyable. somewhere in between Talking Heads and the Poilce? I think I prefer this to the latter's work
3.5
This album's a seriously cool, rough mix of punk and reggae, nothing like anything else from back then. It's super obvious that young, experimental musicians made this, and they're not afraid to sound a bit rough around the edges for the sake of real creativity. The guitar and bass work together so well, creating this unique, catchy tension that gets better every time you listen. It's easy to see why it's such a big deal for feminists, it's raw, fearless, and doesn't give a damn about what's "normal" in music. I dug the overall vibe and production, but the singer's voice is definitely an acquired taste. Her style is all over the place, a mix of playground chants and weird avant-garde screams, her delivery and moaning can be a bit much, but it fits the album's whole DIY, kinda crazy vibe. Even with those vocals, tracks like "Typical Girls" and that weird "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" cover are essential, even if it's a bit challenging to get into.
Doesn’t have the power that could really elevate this. Musicianship isn’t good, and the songs themselves are really lackluster. +1 for boobs.
2,5
Well, this album certainly is slity.
1.5/5 Oh no, they're British :/ I really wish they could sing, I'm not sure why all British music so far has ended up just being them talking over weird music. Yeah, it's punk. Sure it's influential to the genre. Yay, women making music and redefining genres. I did not need to listen to this album before I died though. I feel like I should've done a lyrical analysis of this song in a Queer Studies class, yknow? My playlists say no thank you, but I'm probably more cultured right now. Someone give these poor girls a shower.
Insane band name. Music is whatever.
Genuinely thought a few songs in I chose the wrong album and accidentally chose a gag album. Would have been awesome to listen to if I became a human vegetable while doing excessive amounts of psychedelics.
Oh boy where to start? I was thinking late 70s punk, it's gotta be good! No, it wasn't. At least they tried?
was hard for me to listen to fully. skipped a few songs halfway through
Ok, so if you know me, you know that my sense of timelines is really bad. Like, time before the 2000’s doesn’t exist in a linear way in my mind. So I have no clue what the state of punk was in 1979. But I will say that this album really sounds like it influenced a lot of the 90’s punk music I listen to currently. That being said… this was a hard listen. Every song just had me hoping for like, 1 more thing to be added so it didn’t sound so… raw and open. Season: Early Autumn Favorite Song: Adventures Close To Home
OKAY SO - I did not really enjoy it. alot of it felt very samey and hard to discern from the rest of the album. Also, there were many times where I did not feel that the quality of the sound was up to par. Like the sound of the music and the sound of the artist felt to be at awkward levels, making it hard to enjoy either. To be fair, this does feel like something I could put in the background and mindlessly while im doing somehting else. I did enjoy the weirdness of it, but I wish it was executed better. - may be a 1 later ngl
Genuinely interesting in places, a bit similar but much more likeable than e.g. Siouxsie's The Scream (1978). Shades of the unhingedness of Bjork. Like! 3.6
I love it when women...
Like a prehistoric punk band. Dug it.
Couldn’t see it through to the end
Eh this seemed like a fine version of an 80s punky girl group
Sloppy punk
very medium, but I couldn't find this particular album.
This one is a 4 star for sure. Really dig it and it is very interesting.
Apparently, the group started when two of their members approached a 14 year old nepo baby to join their band. Learning that they're connected to the Sex Pistols makes a lot of sense. This is better than the Sex Pistols.
This is pretty rough. It was hard to find a redeeming quality of this album... the only thing I really landed on is that it's rare for music of this calibre to be made by women, so, I guess there's that??
In theory this is cool and impressive (a female punk/reggae band in an ocean of white man music, fuck yeah!), but the abject lack of melodies made it a very challenging and unpleasant listen for me.
Perfectly fine album, but not super surprising. No standouts, somewhat poor lyricism, decent rythyms. I wasn't blown away by any part of it, but certainly an interesting one.
This sounds like posh arts school kids trying to do punk. It lacks energy and the vocals are terrible. I wanted to like this, but i dont
I don’t know what question this album was asking, but the answer to it is “no”.
Well objectively this should be a 1 because it's technically dreadful, both instrumentally and vocally. But on the odd occasion, I actually didn't hate it. I even vaguely enjoyed the Heard It Through The Grapevine cover. So, I can't justify it in any way, but this is getting: 2/5
tampoco hay mucha canción increíble pero inaguraron la posibilidad de tocar MAL para hacerlo muy bien
A relación inversamente proporcional entre saber tocar un instrumento e molalo todo na música. In this essay I will (#26 dos 1.001 discos que escoitar antes de morrer: 3,5/5)
CONO!
Hacía un montón que no me ponía este disco. Típica cosa que debería tener en físico y como no tengo escucho menos. A ver si me lo pillo ya porque es un pepinazo. Un disco súper divertido, de esa época en la que gente joven y talentosa se abrió a todo tipo de músicas con descaro sin que les importase una mierda saber tocar. El gran legado del punk, siempre a reivindicar: haz lo que te salga del coño. Olé por las Slints.
Loose And amateurish in sound. Good reggae/punk album
oh babe this is fun and weird
so i loved that we had a freak vibe right off the bat, howeverrrrr, i wish i liked the music more i liked the kinda ska instrumental vibe, and i did like parts, but i wasn’t fully sold fun listen tho, hadn’t heard of this album/band so this was all new to me! points for the freako heard it thru the grapevine cover (3.5ish)
3.5
I hear this is supposed to be funk-reggae fusion. I'm not sure it does either genre any justice. In short: I don't get it.
I really didn't enjoy this too much. The singing was okay, but the instruments were meh.
Respect for getting out there and doing it at the time, but this is just not great 2*
A real treat to listen to this ahead of International Women’s Day. The Slits are pioneers. I love their attitudes, how they take up space, their inherently punk challenges to all the gatekeepers - what art is, what music is, how women should look and act and what they should do. Yeah, it’s amateur. Yeah, it sounds like it was recorded in a tin can. No, it’s not the best music I’ve ever heard. I still love it and them for existing and doing what they did in their time and place. In 1979, the year this record came out across the pond, I was nine years old in LA and was taken to a punk show with a friend by her mom (see: inappropriate 1970’s parenting.) Though it wasn’t a female band, I fucking loved the energy and felt possibility there, aliveness, expression. Long live such experiences and opportunities for little (and big) girls.
this was fun!
this is funky, i like it!
3
Cut by The Slits takes me by suprise, it's so strong and it's so weird. I expected weird, because I remember looking these girls up before. That they had little musical talent and were forced to be in a band by their nut of a father, then I realise I'm thinking of the Shaggs. The Slits in the other hand are prepossessed and cool, clearly talented, musical and overflowing with DIY inspiration and attitude. The first track Instant Hit, is almost normal and lulls you into a bit of a false sene of security. It doesn't last. So Tough starts with ASMR of a level rarely served in music. The panned vocals make for a really weird listening experience, like you're sat in a chair with the band performing all around you in the centre. I feel extremely exposed, like I'm drinking with a table full of comedians and they're all mining me for material while I struggle to keep up. Spend Spend Spend is when the band starts to wear some Jamaican dancehall or ska influences on it's sleeve and the refrain drenched in that echo/verb on "I've got a new improved remedy" is a production turn and atonal melody that feels so off kilter it completely works. It's very unsettling. Where the records really grabbed my attention though is Ping Pong Affair. It feels absurdly modern, like an early Wet Leg song, or perhaps something avant guard by The Last Dinner Party trying something new. Lyrically it's sharp as a tack, just a weird down to earth, honest, unpretentious, relationship, breakup, dating narrative somehow crafted without cliches. An almost impossible feat, especially since there's been 50ish years since it was written for people to steal from it and turn it into cliches, but no-ones managed it. The same is absolutely true of their most famous performance, the cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. It's idiosyncratic and totally holds up, it's also by far and a way their most played song, you can see why, it's a natural born needle drop. Guaranteed to turn heads all the way round like an owl.
Punk and reggae was not a mix I was expecting, especially from the 70s, but I didn't hate it. In fact, there were many things I really liked about it! The bass line on almost all the tracks was great (but especially on the cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine, which was a banger) and the overall rhythm of every song was interesting and catchy. The vocals were hit or miss for me, but they fit well with the genre. 3.5 stars!
Didn’t know what to expect but I liked this! Energetic and odd but not too odd
I can’t say I understand all music on this list, but this gave me major Bengals vibes. It was no something I would pull out on a smooth summer night so this is definitely going away. I don’t really have much fun with this album.
Punk light—not bad, not great. Adding an extra star for the band's name. ★★★
If there's a fine line between genius and insanity, these ladies have found it and are dancing all around it. Unique, fascinating, hilarious, and borderline unlistenable. I love it.
I retract previous statements. I do not support *all* women.
Nina Hagen auf steriodien. Beim ersten Hören etwas verstörend aber beim zweiten Mal ganz cool :)
Wow that was great! After hearing the Le Tigre debut this definitely feels like an inspiration to that from the backing vocals especially. The mix of reggae and punk worked really well, essentially punk songs with the distorted guitar removed and with a reggae moustache and glasses as a disguise instead. It sounded like a mix of reggae instrumentals and punky baselines. Apparently they were very new to their instruments but they sound very confident here, the vocals are also great and work well with the style. Favourites: all. Overall: 8/10.
1.5
This album seems to be intentionally quite noisy and erratic, but is an overall fun and layered listening experience. The fusion of genres and interesting vocal choices tickled me and absolutely transported me. I understand that it's not for everyone, but I personally got a kick out of Cut.
It did not resonate with me, I found myself skipping the songs mid way cus I was bored but them, I was reading the reviews while listening to them to pass the time cuz I didn’t like the album. I read they where a huge influence on some other bands, but in 2026 it’s just another bad band out there to me.
It’s ok
Really different than what I was expecting. It gets better as it goes along too. Very surprised at how much I vibed with this. Very fun album. It was unique and had very good production. Melody lines and vocal trackings were very interesting, and somehow both pleasant and a little gritty. The panned vocal effects were cool. Not sure if I’ll revisit, but not at all bad. 3.5/5
Truly original
A fine old album with bags of influence
Surely revolutionary feministic and great at the time but nowadays hard to listen to...
i'm guessing that this one it's some kind of proto-punk album that has become of cult. it's quite unique. not sure if that makes it better, but definitely it's not something i would expect from that cover and that time period
Pretty fun! How is it punk though? Maybe I'm not so much into the early punk scene, so I don't know how it sounds, but I was expecting something different than what I got. I REALLYYYYY fuck with the beat on this whole album and I appreciate how it's in every song. I like grooving what can I say. My favorites are "Instant hit", "Ping Pong affair", "love und romance" and "typical girls". My brother did not like it as much as I did. I like the reggae influence
Number 40 here we go! Instant Hit was not as much as an Instant Hit as I would’ve liked it to be. I loved the rhythm section, I thought it drove the piece, but the quiet, repetitive vocals were really not for me. I enjoyed So Tough a lot more than the first track. It was different, but awesome. Spend Spend Spend honestly annoyed me a bit with the vocal choices. Shoplifter was good, but the London accent was painfully obvious in this. I can say that, half my dna comes from there. FM was very enjoyable! Newtown, less so, I didn’t actually hate it as a whole, but the musical choices weren’t my favourite. I loved Ping Pong Affair. The name honestly just made me laugh, but it was also a pretty decent track. Love and Romance was a good short track, even though it was only like 1.5 minutes it worked quite well. I also really liked Typical Girls. Adventure close to home had some really cool musical moments to it. The bass, the guitar, the drums, you could hear them all at points. I also really enjoyed Heard it through the Grapevine. Liebe and Romanze - slow version, was a nice instrumental track to round things out. Overall, 3/5 ⭐️. Liked some of it, disliked other parts of it, I think it falls in the middle. 40/1089
Absolute shit. Ruined my day.
I don’t know what the fuck I just listened to…but I really dig it .
That’s some fun proper punk
Not what I expected but weird and also really fun took multiple listens though so 4/5
I actually enjoyed this more than I expected.
I kind of liked this, actually
Pretty good
I was not digging this album very much until I heard the Slits' rendition of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine". The bass is the best part. Wish I could give it a 2.5, but I'll stick to my guns here since albums I've liked more only got 3's.
I feel like Cut is one of those albums that only gets better the more you listen to it. I really love how "in-your-face" it is and it's a really interesting blend of punk, reggae, ska, etc. Ari Up (awesome name) delivers some insane vocals. I'm pretty sure she was like 14 joined the Slits and maybe a year or two older when Cut came out. She screams so hard on Shoplifting that she literally pissed her pants, you can hear her say as much. I'm not too sure why I've added this anecdote but I think it's cool how hard she went. And then Johnny Rotten married her mom! The rest of the band might not be the most technically proficient, but the way the approached their music felt original and maybe even a bit brave given how male-dominated their industry and scene were. They gained the respect of a lot of the early British punk bands because they just didn't give a fuck. What can I say about the cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine that hasn't already been said? It's incredibly groovy and still aggressive as hell. It rocks, as does this entire album.
Don't really expect this one to be popular because it's abrasive and odd but it's that sort of jagged shrill sound that I can't get enough of. And that all the messiness is tempered with my personal favorite version of noted Alex classic Heard It Through the Grapevine...what a statement. "We can play normal, we just choose not to" Awesome. Favorite Tracks: Spend Spend Spend, FM, Ping Pong Affair, Typical Girls, Heard It Through the Grapevine,
Album #35: Cut - The Slits Genre (W): Post-punk, dub-reggae, art pop No singles. I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: One of the first all female bands. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard anything that particularly stood out aside from the music and how it sounds. Favorite songs: FM, New Static, Love Und Romance
It's good and it's influential, but I never feel like listening to it.
Punk mit ein paar Reggaeklängen
I knew nothing of this band. Very tribal with ska-elements, the album art might be slightly racist haha I enjoy this sound...in the vain of English Beat 💓
bizzarny to byl trip, cut to debiut albumikowy rocznik 1979, grupy the slits powstalej w londynskiej dzungli, swoja muzyka staraja sie blendowac post punkowosc z elementami reggae czy duba, ale to chyba bylby najmniej dziwny opis jaki mozna dac tej plycie, bo the slits to trio girlsbandowe, chociaz nie wiem czy to najlepsze okreslenie przez to jak mocno sa one zwiazane z nurtem feministycznym, ale glowny sklad to 3 kobiety, istnieje duze prawdopodobienstwo, ze prezentuja one rowniez swoje wdzieki w blocie i skapym odzieniu na okladce plyty, glowny wokal jedna, gitara i bas reszta instruemntalnosci to creditowaniu artysci ktorzy wspomagaja drumowaniem i momentami klawiszowymi, czy dziwnymi efektami, bo brzmienie mozna najprosciej okreslic jako orginalnie dziwne, nie ma tu przepychu, ale jest miejsce na zabawe na kanalach czy poziomami glosnosci na niektorych elementach, ale to nadal nie jest najbardziej bizarna strona plyty, bo tutaj wyzsze pozycje zajmuja wokal, pani ari up, ktory przez polowe plyty zdaje sie miec wiecej z jakas eksperesyjna forma recytacji czy inkantacji niz typowym spiewaniem, a jak sie znowu pojawia spiewanie to potrafi brzmiec wrecz komicznie, ale najbardziej na glowe weszla mi liryka tych trakow, ktora jest tak kobieca, ze rownie dobrze moglbym sluchac jej po chinsku i tyle samo bym zrozumial, nie potrafie sie odnalezc w tym co wydaje mi sie byc gaszczem sarkazmu i zartu, zwlaszcza dlatego ze spora czesc albumu, jesli nie calosc odnosi sie do relacji mesko-zenskich z punktu widzenia wlasnie silnych i niezaleznych slitsow, ktore byly pionierkami kultury riot grrrlowej, czyli punkowy feminizm, jak czytalem wiki to sporo koncertowaly przez prawie 3 lata przed wydaniem krazka, wiec musialy miec prawdziwy fanbejs, musze skonfrontowac ten album z zenskim uchem zeby wydal werdykt czy jest on naprawde tak dziwny jak na moje ucho, na plejke dodam openingowego instant hit
expected worse, pretty enjoyable
I was ok until she started shrieking in my damn ear..
I really want to like this but I just don't.
I've been a fan of X-Ray Spex for a while, Essential Logic for a bit, and Maximum Joy even less. I guess I'm adding The Slits to the roster. This group is the least polished out of the three, and has absolutely NO saxophone, but other than that, it reaches the same heights. I just love me some wacky, energetic stuff seemingly recorded via tin cans on a string.
remember this from the day. very enjoyable
me gustó mucho pero la voz como q no tanto, ns como explicar pero pues está muy bueno solo q hay alg que no me cuadra
I can appreciate the feminist empowerment and the socially conscious lyrics but it doesn't save this album from suffering from a severe lack of a competent vocalist.
Fun!! I’m craving for a slurpee from 7-Eleven.
I liked
Classic. Influential as heck. The ladies are mad cool. All that aside, never enjoyed this that much. Prefer the Raincoats.
Nope. I really hope I get to some good music soon or I'm going to start regretting this 1001 albums thing. I've had a couple of good albums and the rest is just kinda grating. I'm down with supposedly "groundbreaking" work that might not be the best quality or most accessible all the time, but this is really trying my patience
A quirky classic
Just too many things happening at once, for this to be an enjoyable experience to listen to
Very good.
For it's time, this is great.
I love their attitude. Very British and fun and I will always support women shouting.
For some reason I've been putting this one off for ages, possibly to do with the weird album cover and equally weird band name. I guess I ended up liking it more than I thought I would but definitely thought that the first half of the album was better than the second half. Part of me thinks that these women were a bit too focused on trying to fight for the female punk band thing and not the actual songs they were producing.
I thought this was going to be another rubbish punk album but was pleasantly surprised by the reggae influence this had. It made it much more palatable. I wouldn't say their voices are the best, but they got the job done. Some parts felt a bit discordant but I think that was probably intentional
Un po’ un casino
First track great, Grapevine cover great. Rest not on the same level but this kind of post-punk is very much my bag.
3.5. Pleasantly surprised how much I liked this. These girls are bad ass. Even Paul got down
First time listening to this album in full. I like their cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine but the rest didn't provide me with any bangers. I appreciate them as an all female band but </3 2/5
Didn’t need to listen to this. It’s too inconsistent
I think if I'd heard this album in my youth, I would've loved it, but today, I wasn't feeling it. Not saying I hated it, I just think today wasn't the right day to listen to The Slits. Typical Girls and I Heard It Through The Grapevine are great.
For now it sounds more like reggae than punk rock to be fair... And I have trouble enjoying reggae 😅
3.5
I don’t care for this
.
Eu ia reclamar que não tiveram coragem de usar a comic sans mas vi que o álbum é anterior
Okay 2 lyt.. Det er ikke så punk, men ihvertfald skabet nok til at det har stukket ud i slut 70erne. Cover billedet ligner lidt statister fra kanibal massakren.
Sjovt album. En af de oplevelser der gør projektet specielt. Punk med reggae vibes.
the female answer to weird British male rock
More important than good I am a big fan of punk rock and even for the DIY scene where "anyone who can pick up a guitar can make an album" this is lacking, mostly lacking in actual music and is just random drum taps and the occasional strum of the guitar
Pretty basic punk album tbh. Nothing blew me away.
No
Sehr punkig. "Typical girls" und "I Heard it through the grapevine" kann man sich anhören. Sonst viel Krach. 2/5
Hä wie geil 4-5
Quirky, frantic and fun dub-punk. A lot of energy and excitement held back by some solid grooves
Birtish '70s punk. One of Cobains favorite groups
Laughably amateurish even for a punk band. Being women might have been significant 50 years ago but does not make it worth listening to now.
It is a quality album with a great cover at the end. Drugs must've been good back then, man.
Experimental, I like. Very ahead of it's time.
I’d give it a zero if I could
SO fun
Demasiadas expectativas
I enjoyed how experimental this was, even if I'll likely never seek it out to listen to again.
I like it. Punky and weird.
An album I've always sort of been on the fence about. On one hand, I absolutely love the messy presentation, be it the skeletal production or the loose yet effective harmonies spread across the album. On the other hand, the dub fusions here just irk me to no end; it's not executed very well at all, nowhere near as good as other punk acts like The Clash, who tried similar things. It's unfortunate because that always held the album back for me; everything else about it is your typical post-punk - funky, groovy, tight, and witty as well. When they're just doing that, they're doing it amazingly. 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' remains one of the absolute greatest post-punk songs ever, just a great encapsulation of everything that defined the genre's sounds in the late '70s. 'Typical Girls' is maybe the wittiest thing here, a cheeky commentary that's also relentlessly catchy. 'FM' is another great track here. I love the introduction of the acoustic guitar; it sticks out in the mix, admittedly, but in a mostly positively jarring way. Given how much I dislike one of the core elements of this album, it could've been much, much worse than it is. I do still enjoy a good chunk of the songs here, which speaks volumes to this group's talent.
Hell. Yes. More of this.
I actually give this a 1.5 I don’t care if I don’t get it bc quite frankly it was pretty shit
Like a combination of Patti Smith and early Clash. Their cover of “Grapevine” was pretty entertaining. Rounding up from 3.5 mainly because they caught me in a good mood.
Proof that German is still in the British blood. The best songs are at the beginning of this feminist punk album, before the above truth starts seeping through.
It's OK.
4.35
One and done.
Quirky and kinda fun
This was more fun than I was expecting.
This was super annoying to listen to.
It's punk, but it's not your cliched Green Day shyte. The Slits announced their arrival with an odd reggae / dub inspired slice of individuality. What the lacked in musical expertise, they made up for in naïve charm, attitude and enthusiasm. This, along with "In the Beginning There Was Rhythm" was their finest hour.
it was okay
I think I respect this more than love it. It's got great attitude but lacks stand out tunes. The cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine is excellent, however.
5,6/10
Great cover, 'shoplifting' when they plug in the guitar is fun. Rest is pretty crap.
Nostalgic early punk with a unique sound. Not my thing but I can appreciate its place in history.
GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: taking down xmas decorations FAMILIARITY: New to me SKIP RATE: Played it straight through REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Warmed up nicely ALBUM ARC: Ended better than it started VERDICT: Better than expected BODY'S VERDICT: Decent head wobble FAVOURITE TRACK: Typical Girls My Rating: 3 Not bad, not great either, but better than I was expecting. If someone else had this playing, I would happily nod along in appreciation.
Ващееее фу
Long time favourite of mine
This was not for me
I actually kinda enjoyed it. Wish I could give .5s
リズム隊が盤石だから、パンク的でありながら気持ちよく乗れる。ボーカルのテンション感も自分好みのもので、このアルバムはかなり気に入った。
Not my style
Don't seem overly talented. Although the cover probably help sell some records.
Amazing! Post-punk reggae mix is perfect especially on a smokey rainy day. Top Track: Instant Hit
This album has a quirky sound - post-punk, plus reggae, plus some catchy pop elements. A couple of the tracks are essentially dub, and others verge on jangle pop. Ari Up's unusual vocal style is maybe the best feature. I think she was 16 or 17 when this was recorded, which makes her presence as frontwoman even more impressive. I don't find it super engaging or memorable compared to my favourite post-punk records. But it really embodies the experimental, "anything goes" aspect of this early post-punk period. The album is pretty consistent, with no bad tracks. 4*
meh.....this was my first reaction after listening to this album, but then because I was tired after a long day of traveling, I decided to listen to this album on the next day. Still, my reaction remained the same....meh....
Meh
Tiddies for Jesus I guess hahaha. The vocals on this thing are pretty painful. She sounds like a bleating goat at times. That said, I can’t tell if I love it or hate it. I think both, so I’ll give it the average.
Wow this was way better than I expected. Went in with exceedingly low expectations, came away surprised. Doubt I’d listen to it again but if I ever came across it again I wouldn’t mind. Their cover of heard it through the grapevine was actually really good.
Didn’t get a chance to listen to it all
Spoke too soon about those Britpop reggae tracks
4.5
Who would have thought that reggae and punk would go together? Certainly not me; turns out I was actually right. Not terribly awful, but run of the mill awful. Two stars.
Outside The Clash, I always thought the best thing about punk was post-punk. This album does nothing to dispell that notion.
Not without its charm, but it does make you wish they were better musicians. It can't sustain the full runtime on attitude alone.
Very meh. Typical Girls is a good song though. 5/10
Talentless nepo baby thinks her life is hard so she and her mates record an album which sounds like 14 year olds during their second jam session, while still learning how to play their instruments. A sad cliche. The music is beyond basic, the lyrics are immature, the vocals are annoying and the production is amateur. This album is utter crap.
Punk,but not harsh
Nelabai kažkaip, vietomis skambėdavo kaip bjork, bet ne iki galo.
Zuhause, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Okay, gerade so.
Well now i know where Bjork grew up. It was with the rebellious teenage daughters of The Shaggs. I like Bjork so for this reason 2 stats.
Occasionally enjoyable, but mostly too minimalistic for my taste. The vocals on song like Typical Girls and Adventures Close to Home were satisfying. The unorthodox instrumentations also had its moments in some places, but ultimately this album felt way too quiet and sparse. Not bad by any means but not my thing.
Maybe somewhat interesting…? I get there’s a punk sensibility here and they’re pioneers of a riot grrrl attitude, but that doesn’t make listening any easier or more enjoyable.
for how wacky & dissonant this is, it feels like it's lacking in the urgency & energy that I'd want from an album of this type. a very interesting listen that's combining a lot of cool elements and sounds that I don't really see myself revisiting
Good album, feels fresh even now
More girl punk.
The more punk I listen to, the less I like punk...
I appreciate it's all women singing. Funny sounding.
Woof Best Song: I Heard it Through the Grapevine Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2
8/10 Favorite: Instant Hit
I don't know why this album has such low rating you would think that this would be unlistenable but it's a good little album. I think that people were making this out to be like they were listening to someone who just recorded finger nails on a chalk board. The version I listened to I guess came out later and had a quite lovely of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". Don't believe the haters on here just give it a go with an open mind.
Think this is unique solid post punk. But I appreciate it more for it's influence rather than the quality itself. It wasn't really for me. 3 Stars.
I hear a lot of the beginnings of second wave ska in here
annoying,
Rudimentary, trashy punk music, that somehow works. The Slits don't know how to play instruments or sing, but they know how to make music. Nothing soothing, but challenging.
I surprisingly liked this album a lot. Very "Clash-centric" in its approach, but it's funny, wry, and just rude and self-assured enough to be compelling. I will return for sure. 6.5/10
Not for me. 1/5
This was a fun reggae/punk thing.
Good punk music, sounds typical of 70s punk, but with a splash of Euro-flavor. Lead singer sounds a bit like Nico.
Very interesting *sound* in this album, touching upon some equally interesting themes with vocals that I really think I loved. This wasn't perfect but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
It's interesting. It's not likely to make it onto regular rotation, but I found enough there, especially for when it came out, to see why this would be included. I can hear threads of what became the riot grrrl scene, but also Bjork's early career. Cool stuff.
Not my thing. Messy mix of punk and reggae influences. Just a bit too esoteric for my tastes. I can certainly see how it influenced so many acts to come later.
I expected worse, especially when I read a couple of reviews and saw the rating. But it's actually pretty good. I love how it feels so raw and it's not a flaw. Nice songs, but mostly of them aren't enough to be added to my playlist. 3/5 —————————————— Liked: — Fm
Infectiously fun to start, but it lost its spark as it went on and never really branched out.
Crap
This post-punk album hits like stumbling into a makeshift jungle shack at midnight—everything rattling, buzzing, and defiantly handmade. Just not for me.
As late-Seventies White Guy Reggae goes (this time with White Girls) I feel like this beats most of the competitors (which isn't all that hard, honestly), but I was left with the feeling that I didn't quite connect with it on as deep a level as I could. Probably worth another listen with a lyric sheet in front of me. I will say "don't take it personal, I choose my own fate" feels like a good motto to take away from the proceedings.
I dont think post-punk is for me, but I enjoyed some of the beats.
Rythmically much more interesting that most of this eras punk albums (credit to Budgie on drums), but i think album would benefit of having few well crafted pop songs here and there. Bit heavy to listen towards the end of the record.
I'm pleased that managed to listen this through. This way I had an opportunity to hear two best tracks of this unpleasant album. I Heard It Through The Grapevine is true classic and Liebe and Romanze - Slow Version is fine track compared to the rest of the tracks because it's instrumental.
I don't care for this, at all. Out of tune, off rhythm and grating screeches, I'm sure it was powerful for the women and girls, but this is not what punk is about for me.
Bit of an odd one this: less energetic versions of barnstorming Punk numbers (eg Shoplifting, original 'dodgy' lyric thankfully changed here) and sheen added by personnel additions for this recording. As an album, it's fine, and Typical Girls / Adventures Close To Home are both classics. But still it always feels there's a 'lost' Slits album out there somewhere, something more akin to their first Peel session. I guess they got older & wiser, but I still don't rate Grapevine as a cover, although maybe I have just heard it too many times?
You can't underestimate how radical Cut is: an all female punk band back in 1979, singing radical lyrics behind Dennis Bovell's bass heavy production. It still sounds fantastic, almost half a Century later. It's rare to hear an album these days where the music is made purely for the artists, and not the audience. This isn't a criticism; it only adds to the drama and intense atmosphere throughout Cut. OUTRAGEOUS comment: The cover of Grapevine is even better than Marv's original. I think the album cover is ironic? If irony was such as thing in 1979.
Not what I expected; I expected angry punk guitars! I loved the heavy, wandering dub-style bass and creative percussion. Apart from that, the songs were quite sparse, but with intensity delivered through the vocal. The songs weren't very memorable on a single listen, but I enjoyed it. Definitely a band I'd always meant to check out, and they weren't scary after all.
Love it
Strange one! Vocals hit first. Wild, expressive, unpredictable. Squeaks, shouts and oddly melodic interplay. Guitars are raw and angular which i like but im definitely not a fan of the reggae / ska rhythyms. A sense of trying to be avant garde for the sake of it. Sometimes feels a but contrived but maybe thats the charm and i just dont get it. For me the cover is the best track which says it all. 6.5/10
all punk all female, good 3/5
No so good.
Nah. Tried twice - just couldn’t get into it
I thought this was very fun. Not my style not my jam but despite that, I enjoyed it.
glad it exists but it's not a very good on it's own
Not for me
Female punk rock heros.
I've always meant to listen to this album but never got around to it. It's pretty decent if not rough around the edges. Reminds me a lot of early Siousxie and the Banshees. Not sure I would really consider it punk, maybe more post-punk. Pretty decent album but didn't blow me away.
Ah, ok. A2, maybe.
Everytime I listen to this, which is probably once every year or so, I'm reminded that it isn't the album I think it is. So raw but so mature in the musical choices. Great record.
I really enjoyed this debut album listen from The Slits! They had a great punk rock sound but I also loved how there was some reggae influence in their songs as well which made for a very unique and fun sound. Overall, I had a great time listening and I would listen to this album and more from The Slits!
Primo Punk, 'ya know?
2 1/2, but I'll round up to 3 for giggles
No conocía el grupo ni siquiera había visto la portada en mi vida. Se deja escuchar y poco más, no me ha interesado ni para mirar su historia en Wikipedia. ... pero al final he mirado y ooooh casualidad de la vida la batería del grupo nació en Melilla. Habrá que escuchar más cosas de ellas.
I'm too far removed to really know how influential Artist x was compared to Band y and a lot of this album is what I would file under "generic" punk. Spiky, angsty and full of rage at the unbelievable shitness of the UK. I can only imagine how much tougher it was as a female so, despite it being very unlikely I'd feel the need to return to this album, my cap is doffed.
There are absolutely more than 1000 albums in the world better than this one!
pretty nice sound but im not loving the songwriting.
YAB(P)A!!! Yet Another British Punk Album Maybe THIS one is special! NOPE, more garbage. 1*
Not into punk, but I'm bumping it up from 1 to 2 stars just because it's women, and we need a lot more of that on this list. Really hated the screaming on Shoplifting, though. Fav Track: Instant Hit
I finally get a hot take - I have zero idea why this is in the punk canon lmao
I definitely appreciate this one more than I like it. Guitar work is great.
1.5
Boobs?! I am too tired for this. Three naked women covered in mud don this album cover, and it makes me think we’re in for a raucous record. Are these three the band? Or am I to be swindled again by some boring 80’s post-punk? My guess is that it could be both! Optimism is always punished here, but maybe this time it’ll be different. Pathetic. Instant Hit - It’s sounding like it could be a girl band. Hell yeah. This is not boring so far either! Minutemen with pan flutes and mud covered girls. I mean, it’s weird, but it’s still pretty cool. So Tough - I’m getting slight reggae influence which is sending me into a tailspin. White people, please stop aping black music so blatantly. It’s embarrassing and also extremely painful. I like that this is all over the place and odd, but the reggae is killing me. Spend, Spend, Spend - Consumption anthem. More bizarre, jerky, punky erratic music tinged with reggae. Mostly a pass. Shoplifting - Oh wait, we were buying, now we’re… stealing??? These girls are crazy! Yeah this is much better despite her saying “Babylon.” Give it a rest. FM - Have I said “off the wall” in this review? Well this is more “on the wall.” Like throwing all the shit at the proverbial wall and seeing what sticks. Newtown - Something about this is too happy. The dropped fork sample is cool. I don’t know. This is fine. Ping Pong Affair - Oh man. They covered it. The forbidden yet fascinating love affair between rival ping pong players 文吴 and 富张. Truly beautiful, yet tragic as they were removed form the Chinese Olympic team. They moved to the more tolerant Jamaica, and learned to play the steel drums with ping pong balls. They inspired this horrible reggae fusion song. Love und Romance - UGH. You are a white lady from Germany. Stop saying “Babylon” in that accent. Excellent discordant piano though. Typical Girls - Yeah these are anything but. We’ve still got bad music going on here. If somebody assassinated this guitarist, we might have a killer record on our hands. Asking the questions of our time. Who invented the typical girl. Adventures Close to Home - More of the same! I believe this record sounds how mania feels. There are vocal inflections and ideas here that have me loving this record, but overall the reggae is its death knell. I like this more than your garden variety record we get access to daily, but there isn’t much here for me. That’s ok, records don’t have to be for me. If you go and do your little white girl reggae album and you gain acceptance from the progenitors of the genre, cool. I still think it’s insulting. Even if I think all reggae sucks, cultural vampirism sucks worse. The punk energy of this was great, some of the samples and ideas were fantastic, the vocals were dynamic and vibrant, I just don’t like reggae. 2 HIGHLIGHTS: Shoplifting, Love und Romance
A jangly, nervous album that has always intrigued me with its drive. They take no prisoners with their beats, lyrics, or feel. Iconic version of Heard It Throgh The Grapevine, but everything here is cool and jagged in a way that makes you want to get in somebody’s face and dance.
Just how bad can music be? This will take you there.
You can hear the blueprint for a lot of future sounds in here — post-punk, alt, even riot grrrl — but the record itself is more fascinating than it is enjoyable. The rhythm section has real drive and imagination, but the vocals and overall execution feel raw in a way that sometimes undercuts the songs instead of elevating them. It’s one of those albums that’s easier to admire than to love, more important than essential for repeat listening. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't mind punk being combative and crude, that's kind of the point, this just felt like it took it a little past the point where it was still enjoyable.
Terrible album Very repetitive of just bad vocals and instrumentals
Not my stuff
A bit to early punk for me Through the grapevine was the highlight but could have been better
This album sounds like a primal scream of horny ol' ladies from the 70's when they wanted to have coitus.
M'eh, pink just isn't my jam I guess.
Shit start to finish
if kidz bop had the nerve to put it all on the line and challenge the listener
Litt svakere låter enn det jeg husket.
That was bad.
I guess it just was not to my taste but I did like the lyrics to several songs
Хуже, чем минимал. Недопанк
Day667 - i can now say i’ve listened to the slits
Marvin Gaye cover pushes it into 4 stars
I mean, I don’t know. Wasn’t a terrible listen. Anything from a 2 to 4 might seem accurate.
Interesting… Never imagined myself jamming to an all female post punk reggae band, but here we are. Can’t say I’ve heard anything like it before.
Just okay not really for me. 4.2/10
I did not like it.
Pretty good
it's good and doesn't care if it’s good.
not what I expected at all. i like what they are about more than their song writing, but its good for a 3/5
feministisk performance kunst. Kan man også se på covered. De laver art punk jeg synes ikke det lyder mega punket faktisk, men det må være det politiske i teksterne. De har deres egen lyd, sådan lidt reggae agtigt. Ikke ligesom the clash f.eks. de er også lidt over i postpunk genren. Åben struktur, eksperimenterende rytmer, rå produktion. Kaotisk, Legesyg, rå, uimponeret, spirituelt. Har også meget med krop at gøre. Forsangeren var legit 17 også, det er fandme ikke gammelt. Nogengange har jeg for some reason svært ved at tro en 17 årig ville kunne lave god musik, men selvfølgelig kan de jo det. Det er jo bare endnu en del af udtrykket.
I liked bits and pieces here and there but most of this just sucked. Poor musicianship (which I guess is pretty punk?) and grating to listen to. The cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine is really solid but the rest of the album is mostly misses
Britain discovered syncopation in 1976 and didn't look back for 10 solid years.
I fucking love this album. I had never heard it before but it combination of science fiction, punk 70s had me hooked all day. Awesome album! Love the band name!!
Great band name and the cover is such a vibe! This one was super interesting and while in some ways it was awful, in other ways incredible - this kind of music just makes me want to be in a band. I feel like I could play/sing as well/poorly as this, and be all full of rage/quirkiness and just weird people out, so good. Listening to this I appreciated that The Slits were clearly and intentionally pushing all the boundaries and breaking them too. (Even if it sounded a bit bad)
Scratching the itch of weird, experimental, low-fi, high-concept, garage execution of post-punk. A lot of jangly but druggy, ska/skank influence in the arrangements. B52s/Ono-like squealing sometimes. Production is quite muddy. Sounds like the bass is turned up. Reminds me of the dub production on the first Bad Brains album, which wouldn't come out for three or four years after this. I wonder if I could get a better copy on vinyl. I don't know why I like this album so much. Lots of post-punk creativity packed into short attention span, rough but poppy songs, much like the Ramones did. In the 90s, punk covers of old songs were a trend, and the slits contribute here with an awesome dubby version of "I Heard it from the Grapevine" that's not just a novelty. Unique, belongs in the rotation. Four stars.
Pretty raw, but good
Love their voices and cover of I heard it through the grapevine
Reminds me of the Clash. They have a fun sound. Not sure what the lyrics are about. Not bad.
Not that keen on this one