Reviews (page 5 of 7)
One of the first and best post-punk punk-funk punk-dub albums. Dennis Bovell's production is great, the lyrics are witty and subversive and in Typical Girls there's an irresistible single. Absolutely of its time, very listenable.
Interesting more than good. The non-album Heard It Through The Grapevine cover is definitely where this band's sound best comes together, although that could just be down to my familiarity with the track. I think I need to live with this one for longer, but right now it's a 3.
I expected this to be a dude punk band. I was wrong. I loved this record (not just for the record cover, either!). Cool vocals, rhythms, chink-chink-sqwink guitars, and that piccolo snare! It's really just groove music with a lighter hand. I know nothing about this band but I'll revisit this record, for sure. Sounds like something you'd be tapping your foot to in a head shop while buying tapestries and incense.
Quand meme original avec de bonne reprise 3.25
Interesting...had seen many references to this album but never heard the sound before. Enjoy that it is very unique within the scheme of other post-punk albums. 3/5
nothing special, until I got to heard it through the grapevine. one of the craziest covers I've ever heard...loved it.
A new one on me. As punk goes not bad
Quite liked this, would like to listen to more of their albums and see where they go with this
The best of this album IMO: - So Tough - Newtown - Liebe And Romanze (Slow Version) Unique album. Very weird. I enjoyed it. I wonder if Björk knows this band, if she does I can hear the influence. 3.2/5
Wow - that is the sound of the Cellar Bar, B'ham Uni, 1979/80. Makes me feel there's something going on, but I'm not part of it.
cool early punk album similar to siouxie and the banshees, the female driven punk really has a different style
Björk got inspired form them!
not bad I don't love it as much as I hoped
Weird vocal; a bit ploddy. Liked the dub element, but overall pretty average!
On the line. Do Iike it?
Man, there's a whole lot going on here. First impression is like a mix of Talking Heads (vocal delivery), The Police (rhythm section), Gang of Four (jarring electric guitar lines) and pre-dating Bjork's general sense of nuttiness by DECADES. A very unique sound. Album cover rules too!
This was alright. More weird than good. My favorite song on this album was definitely 'I heard It Through The Grape Vine', however, I knew that before listening. That song was the reason I was excited for this album, and it was not that.
Noisy
nice and funny at times, cringe at others... good listen
Great name, interesting album. Have to check out some more from the Slits!
I got this album from Ed, a guy at work, and pulled one song off after listening once - Typical Girls. The Slits. Perfect name for a punk girl band and that cover art is perfectly outrageous. Ed and I worked in an open space, most of us were pretty artsy but I still felt funny about having six boobs covered in mud on my desk for everyone to see. After listening to this again, I've fallen pretty much just about where I was in 2002 on this album. Despite the reggae guitar, there's some interesting repetitive patterns that deserve another listen... but then only one more. To quote Billy Waldman "I hate reggae music. I hate it." Two tracks that stood out on this recent listen. The first, Instant Hit makes me feel like I'm passing time with a smile. The second was absolutely wretched, the cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine, made me feel like I need to clean my ears with a wire brush. Musically, this is probably a dos-star album, but these three girls made their mark on the punk scene in the late 70's and I'm pretty sure they didn't get a group hug welcoming them. It must've been a difficult go even with the help of Johnny Rotten. So, they score massive punk points for pushing thru and releasing more music after this.
Meh.
Good British Punk
Love the closing track, just this distorted, distopian jam. Weird album overall but really dug it.
al principio se me hizo extraño but know i most def fuck with it weird vibes but i respect them its bold and different ahead of its time
Boobs
Excellent stuff, really enjoyed it found it interesting and fun to listen to!
enjoyed some of it
not bad, not amazing either. good use of dub, not sure i'm fully on board with the main singer.
Phwoar! I'd love to cut their slits...ideally if at least one of them was underage.
really trying to keep my dislike of german accents from influencing me here. i found it pretty annoying at first but honestly it kinda grooves. lyrics are dumb but in the way that i tend to expect from punk music. pretty weird but honestly a fairly fun listen. 3-
Ehh not really a fan, it was a bit overwhelming and harsh. I did like their cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine, could be fun in some contexts? 2.5-3 stars
some nice tunes, needed to be more poppy or rocky though
Son graciosas, pero no me ha gustado mucho ... Les daré un 3. Es como punk.
Good. Interesting.
it's listenable, but confusing.
It... Is... Oh... Kay... I... Guess....
This is a well fun album, BUT I didn't love every track. Some of them were a little irritating to me. I wish I could give a 3.5.
Very different, not one of my favorite albums but I could totally see how they formed a style for other bands. Heard it through the grapevine was a great cover.
I loved this album... The first time 'round....
Weird singer, some songs okay
Actually not that bad
Better than expected. Dubby and post punk. Didn’t know it was an all girl group. Still, not what I’d listen to by choice though
pretty cool.
Boobs
I can hear Bjork in this a lot actually - especially in Shoplifting.
Not my style but I see why it is so influential
Pretty avant garde and difficult, but surprisngly catchy.
Hmmm wanted this to be better than it is, just a bit unorganized and there is never any need for that screaming, crikey
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.
5/10
Pfft. There’s better albums by similar bands who can actually play instruments.
How do they make 2:30 songs feel so long?
Great Album Cover. Music is just okay. Groundbreaking female group.
Not horrible, not good. :)
3/10 Did not enjoy that much
Not for me.
фигня.
Weird, interesting, B-52s feel at times. Sounds like people playing in their garage
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.
Can hear that this CD influenced a lot of later music, but is very raw at this point in 1979
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.
Nepo much
britpunk...normally I'm fine with it, but this one was pretty bad
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
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.
Not my thing.
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.
Nice but didn’t stick after a few listens. Didn’t blow my mind like the other jazz on here.
Pretty lame. I expected a hardcore punk album based on the cover lol.
Nope.
Can’t say I loved this
ughh. not very good.
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
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
Not bad, except for the “Heard It Through the Grapevine” cover, which was truly awful. Not exactly what I was expecting overall.
nah dude nah
Sure, I guess.
Yeah this just isn't it
2026.05.06
I know it’s influential etc. etc. but I just didn’t enjoy it.
Favorite songs: Instant Hit, Love und Romance, Typical Girls, I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Zoo wee mama
I mean I didn't hate it?
this is music you find in a fallout mod that kinda sucks
Ok 2/5
Too weird
Какие то очень дикие бабенки
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.
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.
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.
Very okay
Fun reggae punk vibes but pretty meh overall
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.
What if we did something people should actually listen to before they die?? Like i dunno.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... FUCKING ENYA???????????????????????
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
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
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
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.
Nicht meine Musik.
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.
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.
Sin más
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
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.
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
Eh this seemed like a fine version of an 80s punky girl group
Sloppy punk
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.
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
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*
1.5
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.
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
Punk mit ein paar Reggaeklängen
I really want to like this but I just don't.
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.
Un po’ un casino
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
For now it sounds more like reggae than punk rock to be fair... And I have trouble enjoying reggae 😅
I don’t care for this
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.
Sehr punkig. "Typical girls" und "I Heard it through the grapevine" kann man sich anhören. Sonst viel Krach. 2/5
I enjoyed how experimental this was, even if I'll likely never seek it out to listen to again.
I actually give this a 1.5 I don’t care if I don’t get it bc quite frankly it was pretty shit
4.35
One and done.
This was super annoying to listen to.
5,6/10
Nostalgic early punk with a unique sound. Not my thing but I can appreciate its place in history.
This was not for me
I actually kinda enjoyed it. Wish I could give .5s
Don't seem overly talented. Although the cover probably help sell some records.
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....
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.
Very meh. Typical Girls is a good song though. 5/10
Nelabai kažkaip, vietomis skambėdavo kaip bjork, bet ne iki galo.
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.
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.
Woof Best Song: I Heard it Through the Grapevine Rating: 3/10 Stars: 2
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.
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.
Infectiously fun to start, but it lost its spark as it went on and never really branched out.
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.
No so good.
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
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
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
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.
Not my stuff
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.
Litt svakere låter enn det jeg husket.
Just okay not really for me. 4.2/10
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
Not that keen on this one
2.5
p437. 1979. 2 stars. Late 70s white girl reggae/punk fusion. Adequate but not outstanding in any way. I guess this is a token entry for being female AND reggae.
I kinda find this group annoying. The 'I heard it through the grapevine' cover slaps tho
Not a fan. Redeemed slightly by heard it though the grapevine
Not really my bag. Not sure I’d go out my way to listen again.
Punk/Reggae not really my thing… liked some of the music not so much the vocals on some. “Liebe and Romanze” which is on as a “bonus track” is anything but a bonus… pure torture and a waste of 4 minutes and 41 seconds. 2 stars
This is one of those albums where I completely understand why it's on the list, I just didn't like it. It wasn't terrible or unlistenable by any means, and I can actually hear how it influenced other artists, but something about it didn't quite gel with me. I also really dislike the album cover too. One of the few ones where I have a visceral negative reaction (In The Court of the Crimson King being another one). It's hard for me to rate this because I appreciate that it's a bit different and the influence it had, but nothing about it quite worked for me. I'd rate this a 2.5 if I could, but I have to round down in this instance, though I'm open to subsequent listens potentially changing my rating upwards.
I love when women in music don’t have pretty voices, but the Slits’ music wasn’t too appealing with the vocals. I respect them anyway. The Slits had a mostly punk sound, but whenever reggae would pop up, they got way more interesting. That alone qualifies Cut on this list.
I always appreciate an obscure all-female band popping up on this project! I wasn't overly into all the music on this album, but I could definitely find appreciation for The Slits' fusion of punk and reggae. I did find some additional appreciation for their funky cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". Probably about a 2.5 for this...wish I could rate it higher than a 2, but it wasn't a 3 for me.
Instant Hit - 4/10 So Tough - 5/10 Spend, Spend, Spend - 4/10 Shoplifting - 5/10 Fm - 4/10 Newtown - 3/10 Ping Pong Affair - 2/10 Love Und Romance - 5/10 Typical Girls - 4/10 Adventures Close to Home - 4/10 I heard it through the grapevine - 7/10 Liebe and Romanze - 1/10
I liked two more songs on this album than I thought I would (2 total). Rate 1.5 if I could, but will give it a 2
A bit jarring and a bit repetitive to listen to. I appreciate it's influence but not something I'd be too interested in listening to often.
It's interesting, to say the least... I liked their cover of "I heard it from the grapevine", but outside of that the rest is just okay.
I feel bad for all the bands that were influenced by this.
bleh
2/5
The album itself is rather middling and meh, but their influence was formative to the Riot Grrl punk rock movement that would come later. Like a fair number of their male punk contemporaries, I'm not CUT belongs on all time lists. "Typical Girls" was cheeky rebellious fun. I was surprised to learn that Budgie (from Siouxsie and the Banshees) played drums on this album and additional background vocals were added by a very young Neneh Cherry about a decade before she would have her own breakout hit with "Buffalo Stance".
Didn't really do much for me. It's alright?
I personally don't like this style at all but I do think that it's good if you do like it? I used to have this version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine from Limewire in the early 2000s. It was incorrectly titled 'I Heard It Through The Bassline' but I actually think that fits better, such an excellent cover.
01) Instant Hit - 6,5 02) So Tough - 6,0 03) Spend, Spend, Spend - 6,0 04) Shoplifting - 5,5 05) FM - 5,5 06) Newtown - 5,5 07) Ping Pong Affair - 6,0 08) Love und Romance - 5,5 09) Typical Girls - 6,5 10) Adventures Close to Home - 5,5 TOTAL: 5,85 (59/100) Current ranking: 554/674
If a broadway musical were produced by Yoko Ono; where Bjork was the lead singer of The Clash, this would be the soundtrack.
2.0 - Weak
I didn't know what to expect when I got this album. I just want some of whatever they were on when they were making it. Some of the weirdest ska/reggae/punk I've ever heard. Just not in the best way. The cover of "I heard it Through the Grapevine" is cool
Early punk aint my thing bruv
Probably a 2.5
Would have enjoyed it a lot more if they weren’t sing/talking over each other constantly. Felt like I was in an insane asylum. 4/10
Raw punk sounds, was fine for me, not usually the type of music i enjoy listening to, but it was fun to listen.
sise. iako mogu cijeniti ambiciju, i obrada "i heard it through the grapewine" pokazuje da ima tu talenta, ali ovo je često neslušljivo...
'Typical Girls' is the best thing on the album. I understand it is an important album, but I just don't find it listenable.
This is not my genre. Listened before? N Saved to library? N Favorite track(s): N/A My ratings are kind of based on general vibes and how many tracks I save to my Deezer profile -- ⭐⭐: Didn't like it, didn't hate it. Saved no tracks.
Couldn't listen to the whole thing. Just kind of odd
White lady reggae punk. It wasn't my fave.
I can appreciate the creativity, but this is just too raw, too garage for my tastes.
It's not for me. I don't like almost any punk. While I love the energy of a lot of punks, I respond better to quality musicianship. Bands should sound like they work at it, that they want to get better. This is better than a lot of 'em I've heard though. When they lean more reggae, it's better. The production seems minimal and if it was a little better, I think I'd appreciate the musicians more. There some interesting musical bits, but the singing takes it all down a peg. Ari Up has had quite a life and I'm sure she's super interesting, but I can't give her high marks for singing. Giving it a 2 instead of a 1 because while it's not for me, I can understand why someone would like it and there are some interesting twists along the way. Don't imagine I'd ever listen to this again.
I wanted to love this based on their one super hit on the album but the rest of it was just kinda meh. I didn't dislike most of it but it didn't really do much for me. 2.5 rounding down.
Meh 2.4
Another bad post-punk album to add to the dismal collection
It’s fine I guess. Not really my thing. Lot of punk influence in how they eschew “normal” sounds for vocals, both in melody and harmony. No songs that really stood out as good, with the possible exception of “I heard it through the Grapevine”, that one was decent. Probably a 4/10 for me. Update two minutes later: checked the artist profile on Spotify and “Grapevine” has 3x the plays of the song in second place.
Just about tolerable
All girl ska punk with limited musical ability and a tits out cover. Pass.
Interesting but not my jam
This was stressful to listen to while driving downtown. I’ll give it another chance eventually
2 - No, sorry
I thought this was naff. The grapevine cover just stood out and showed how pointless all the other tracks had been. 2.1/5
Avantgarde… weirf
It may be quirky, but it sure ain't cool.
I struggled to get into this one. Felt a bit all over the place. Appreciated the drummer and bassist holding things together. Instant hit and Typical girls were the highlights. Heard it through the grapevine was a decent cover too
what was that
Not a lot I would go back to but interesting to hear hints of Talking Head and new wave punk
I can see why this is important and groundbreaking but musically I don’t think this stands the test of time. The Marvin Gaye cover was nice but I don’t think I will be coming back to this.
I like post-punk (a lot) but this not very listenable.
They seem to be skilled musicians, but as an album one listens through from beginning to end, it doesn't work for me. However, the tracks are individually... intriguing. It feels like these are akin to little diddies used in a movie soundtrack or score—just filler or atmosphere for quick transitions or 10 second scenes.
I was told this would be a punk album. In this case I think "punk" is just code for "messy." Punk doesn't *have* to be bad, but this kinda is. I'm guessing Sleater-Kinney would cite this band as an influence, but they actually made good music. Positive points for a fun band name and interesting percussion, but negative points for pretty much everything else. 1.8
Quite annoying sound. I managed to listen to it though, which means it's better than 1/5...
Did not enjoy the vocals. Standout song: Typical Girls
I’m pretty sure that was edgy ska, not punk rock but you do you
The vocals ruin it. It's like listening to Bjork murder a decent song. The instrumentation and production is actually ok. I quit elike the dub/reggae understones. Just too weird for me vocally.
This was like a spot on the end of your nose. Starts off as annoying and aggravating and you wonder why it’s there. And then you find that you can’t stop touching it and become mildly obsessed. I can see why this was important and I’m all for a political female band but like the spot, it’s a relief when it’s finally gone.
I was expecting something nasty and raucous and edgy, based on the band's name alone. In the end, the music was just fine, I'm not here to diss, but it couldn't have made less of an impact on me. It failed to make any impression.
Felt a little bit light weight punk/ska that did not really connect with me. I was going to give it a 3 - but just gave Alice Cooper a 3 and enjoyed that a a lot more than this - so I guess its a high 2. Which may be harsh.
Not for me.
This one was fine, nothing special for me. Interesting vibe and sound, different and sounds like it was pretty influential to a lot of alternative and punk bands after. Not my cup of tea but get why it’s here, I’d say 2 stars
I think the point to be made with the inclusion of this album is how 3 women made an album whilst only learning how to play instruments for 2 years. Given that, it's pretty astonishing this was released. The songs aren't particularly memorable, though I did enjoy the cover of "Heard It Through The Grapevine". Also, boobs adds a star.
Definitely a crazy experiment of sound and rhythm. Grapevine is a great version. I’ll definitely be able to pick put the groups sound in a crowd.
I love punk, especially a lot of the stuff that came out of the UK during this era, but man, some of this music did not age well one bit. This was probably good for its time and meant for a specific audience, like 13-year-old girls who are angry at the world and still need to figure their shit out. I could go on forever about why this was a tough record to listen to until the end, but overall, it didn't age well, and I think it's something better off staying in the grave.
Revolutionary and/or influential music isn't always necessarily good, and that's this album in a nutshell. The reggae (almost ska-like??) elements were cool but not really done well. The vocals on the first song got me slightly hopeful that that could be the best part of the album, either with interesting or full harmonies or some complex melody stuff, but they never actually did anything interesting, which is the most disappointing part of the album for me. I just didn't really have a good time listening to this album. I know this list has to include albums that changed the way other bands thought about making music, and that's probably primarily why this album is here. But that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. Favorite Song(s): Typical Girls
Sexually charged punky liberation 2.2 out of 5
Na trenutke zanimljivo, većinom dosadnjikavo - u svakom slučaju ne bih ovo nazvala punkom. 2/5, 3/10
It's hardly a good sign for your album when my most recurrent thought about it is simply, "That's it?" Like, I can't tell you exactly what I wanted or expected out of this album, but at the very least, there should be... Something interesting happening. This whole album, I swear, feels like they're vamping on the same punk-ish reggae riff, over and over and over again. There's some variations from song to song, but believe me, none of them are terribly worth remembering. I know it's stock to bring up Bob Marley when talking about a reggae album, but seriously, you listen to any of his and The Wailers' albums after this and you'll really appreciate the variety it has. Like, honestly, if this didn't make me wanna just go listen to EXODUS... But, OK, OK, the instrumentals aren't very complicated. Most reggae isn't that hard, and I'm sure The Slits themselves will tell you they're not even great musicians. I'm not a fan of it, but whatever. The focus must be on the lyrics, right? If those are good enough, I might be able to overlook the instrumentals, even being the "melody first" kind of gal I am. And, y'know, I'm not gonna front here either and act like most reggae I've heard is Bob Marley. They're straight-forward, to the point... A little metaphor every now and then, but they're not dense and hard to understand. But I'unno, there's something about the lyrics on this that just feel... Barebones. Y'know? Like there should be more going on, but at some point early in the writing process they shrugged and decided the couple of phrases they'd put down were fine. I mean, it's reggae! **And** it's punk! **AND** post-punk n' no wave! You don't needa try **that hard** when you're a post-punk no wave punk-style reggae band! Like, OK, I'm being harsh, but seriously, there's direct and to the point, there's being simple, and then there's being just barely not basic. Even "Typical Girl", the song where I got the most message out of it, is like, "Yeah. OK. And? I mean, 'Typical girl is this and that,' I get the point and the commentary. Is there anything more you wanna say?" And that's **still** the best song here. So, what's left then? The vibe? The way I see it, even the worst reggae can probably scrape by if the vibes are alright. But, y'know, it's too **PUNK** for "vibes." That's where you get the dull British accent attitude and the occasional screeeeeeamiiiiing. 'Coz it's in your face, maaaaaan, and it's just wiiiiild. Or, whatever. Like, hey, I'm not saying this should be music to smoke weed to, as some people so often simplify reggae down to, but whatever this thing's going for here, I just can't gel with it. It's, like, punk rawness in all the wrong ways. In fact, there's only one song I heard that really works for me, and it's not even a proper album track. It's their cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", which was included as a bonus track on a 90's reissue, and, goodness, I might actually listen to it again. They pick up the pace and some real punk energy on here, so their reggae doesn't end up as much of a blocky nothing as it does on the main tracks, **and** the attitude and screaming actually **work**. Why couldn't the whole thing have been like this? Why did **this** hafta be the one-off? Like, y'know, I'll level: I've probably been a bit too harsh on and sassy towards this thing. I wasn't actively hating it while it was on and begging for the end, like how I was with HYPOCRISY IS THE GREATEST LUXURY. I'm sure if I got the stick outta my ass I'd've liked it better... But probably not that much?? Like I said, the problem here is that I was just kind of "That's it?" the whole time. I kept waiting for the point where it got good and justified to me why people thought it was worth listening to before I died... But it just never came. And it sort of feels like the band used the fact that punk and reggae aren't terribly complicated genres (musically, anyway) and used it as an excuse to just not do more. I don't wanna say they didn't try... But you could have tried **harder**, y'know? I've heard better reggae — and not just from Jamaicans, but from **other British punks**. "We're punk n' post-punk" can only go so far as an excuse. Jus', bhff, I'unno. It's far from the worst thing I've heard from this list, but it's also just not much of anything, and left me in a weird place where I got sassier and meaner towards it and the band than I thought I'd be. I'm sure when they played this stuff live opening for The Clash it was fine. But I can't give it the benefit, or any quarter. You ask me, the album's title sounds like what happened to it in later editions of the book.
disco, give another listen.
heard it through the grapevine cover goes hard...
It has some interesting sound in places and some unconventional arrangements but overall just a bit too unrefined and lacking interest for me.
This is a tough one. There were times where I gritted my way through a song because the vocals were that cringey. But there were also times where I really vibed with the punk essence of this album.
Kinda boring and samey. No stand outs, but it wasn't a punishment listening to this. High 2.
Pretty interesting punk with some reggae vibes here. Alright it was cool for like one or two songs now I'm realizing it's a whole album. Actually really into the Heard It Through The Grapevine cover. I think I'd like a lot of these songs separate but as an album it doesn't work for me. High 2.
Fun punk vibes mixed with some reggae flavor and general artsiness. That being said, nothing stood out, vocals were a little grating at times and the guitar tone was really tinny.
nada que chame a atenção
Meh. This can call itself groundbreaking and seminal all it wants. It's still plodding, absent of groove, poorly performed, and structurally awkward proto post punk. Not sure I needed to listen to this before I die. Not the worst thing I've heard on this list, but far from the best or even most mediocre. That said, I dig their cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". It's kinda fun. 2/5
I can’t get past the name. Sorry. Fine women-centered band but not one of the best. Average.
#103 - It feels like the whole album is off key. I get what they were trying to do but no need to listen to this again.
This made me want to slit my wrists
Weird shit
Solid punk rock album and killer band name
This is much more reggae influenced than I had been expecting. Their take on "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" was an interesting take on the classic CCR/Marvin Gaye song. This was a bonus track on the extended edition of the album and the interestingness of this song was offset by the last track which appears to be banging on instruments for almost five minutes. I don't know much about musicality but it certainly does not sound like they knew how to play their instruments well, but then again, neither did the Ramones. So that's not disqualifying. I can feel the bands they influenced on this album and I would argue some of those bands did what The Slits did and did it better. I did like So Tough and a few others on here like Instant Hit, Newtown, I Heard It Through the Grapevine and Typical Girls. I am not sure I would listen to this again. I find albums that are influential, but I do not enjoy to be very difficult to award a grade to. I understand the importance of the music but I also didn't really like the music. I have to go with what I think about the music.
Ouf lala, non, irritant, pls next
I mean, the band name suits the album cover, that’s for sure. Other than that, I can’t think of much to commend on this one. It’s what I would consider female punk. Almost bordering on ska. This lacks anything else of substance though. I’ve made it 6 songs in. That’s noteworthy. I have nothing to recommend with this album.
John Lydon's step-daughter fronted this group so I have read a lot more about them than I have heard from them. This album sounds kind of crude, almost like demos, but it has some interesting rhythms. Definitely hear the reggae influence, a lot more reggae-ish than punk-sounding to me. Some of it would probably be called appropriation today. At any rate, this album seems to have more historical significance than musical appeal, IMO. The Marvin Gaye cover is a novelty but Jack Black did it better.
Historically maybe an interesting album due to its female power (backed by talented men by the way) and the blend of punk and reggae that certainly sounds more interesting that lots of half-arsed ska-punk we all got tortured with. It's not a very interesting album overall with all the songs sounding very similar and feel like they are mashed up outtakes of a giant jam session.
Much less punk and more ska than I was expecting. I know the genres are related, but even so. I find the vocalist's style annoying, most so in Ping Pong Affair, where the backing music sounds deliberately arrhythmic, even a bit like The Shaggs. I note that even their Spotify biography says that they began with "little, if any, musical ability". Hmm. Maybe we could have picked a later album from their discography to enjoy? But maybe this debut was the more significant. As ever, editing this list is an impossible and thankless task. I had heard their cover of I Heard It Through the Grapevine before, and I didn't really like it, the original is so good. But on a re-listen, it's actually the vocals I dislike, the opening arrangement with a 80's / 90's dance-sounding drum line, and some very nice deep humming replacing the brass backing. But again, the irritating vocals get to me.
Weird and not good, but at least it wasn't all just off-key yelling, so it's an upgrade from most punk music
2.8
I am immature, so the album cover is 5 stars. Alas I could not get into their music.
2 Stars (5/15)
I'm gonna take a wild guess, and say that The Slits were probably exponentially better as a live band than an album band.
Wat moet dit nu weer voorstellen? De vrouwelijke tegenhanger van de Sex Pistols? Een soort voorloper van the Bangles ofzo (waarvan het gerucht gaat dat ze naakt Eternal Flame in hebben gezongen)? Of worden de snobs gewoon heel blij van blote tetten op een albumhoes? De muziek is niet helemaal wat ik vooraf verwacht had moet ik zeggen. Het is vrij rustig. Een skapunk-achtige gitaar en bas en wat tropische drums. Het is niet bijster boeiend, maar ook niet per se irritant of enorme kutherrie. Als ik dit moet waarderen met sterren, kom ik ergens tussen de 2 en 3 uit. Ik twijfel nog of ik bonuspt moet uitdelen aan de albumhoes :-P
I don't enjoy punk that much. It was fine I guess, but not for me.
First half was weird in unentertaining way, second half picked up a bit and had a couple stand out tracks. As an album it felt weak, would not want to listen to the whole thing again. Favorite songs were: Typical Girls I Heard It Through the Grapevine 4/10
I didn't really need to hear this one. 2 stars because while I didn't care for it, I didn't actively hate it.
2.5 - a bit too discordant in a way that doesn't quite work for me
Not very tuneful.
2.5
I wish we would have put a 1000% tariff on this to prevent me from hearing it. I kept expecting to hear a song I knew, which never came until that annoying version of Heard It Through the Grapevine. Dislike.
Interesting at first but this got old real fast. This is essentially show tunes right? Like all I could think is the Lost Boys singing this in a performance of Peter Pan. Oh or in Matilda! This sounded very much like a tune from Matilda with all the kids running down the school hall. It’s the singers voice and all the other vocals, shouting and sounds. I’m sure you love this if that’s your cup of tea. Not really for me.
10/10 band name and album cover, 4/10 album. 2.25/5
I have no idea what's being said or anything, I'm sure its influence is great but the music just didn't gel
Just couldn’t get in to it…I gave it a few listens but just wasn’t for me
"wow, look at them!" "yeah, but, listen to them..."
Sorry girls it’s not for me
Important, ok. But is it good? 2/5
Disjointed singing style is off putting. I appreciate the subject matter they're singing about but it feels too erratic for my taste.
That was a disappointment.
This isn't really punk is it? It's more like a stripped-back, reggae-infused kind of thing. I'll be generous, and say some of the tracks are quite interesting in the setup (like Newtown) but it's mostly just boring and slow and weird. The groove on 'I Heard it Through the Grapevine' is really good, but then that's not officially on the album anyway.
Bouncy pop with lots of rhythm changes
British punk from the late 70s
Muy influyente, al parecer, pero cuando tu mejor canción es un cover, pues no sé si deberías estar aquí.
It might be because I grew up south of Seattle during the riot grrrl era, so I've been listening to punk girl bands for a very long time, but I wasn't particularly impressed by anything on this album.
Landed this on a ROUGH day. Not into it physically, not into it mentally, and certainly feeling an emotional vice. I really needed SOMETHING other than this abomination. Messy, raw, and all over the place. It's punk, but like, barely holding itself together. Feels like someone found a lost B-52s demo, spilled beer on it, then recorded over it with a busted mic. It’s also kind of exhausting. Like watching a drunk friend try to tell a story that keeps going in circles. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions: - Heard It Through The Grapevine
Very peculiar punk, not my pair of shoes.
i’ve always loved their cover of “i heard it from the grapevine” but this album wasn’t that great but i definitely liked some parts :D and i think the album art fits well w/ the music
“Oh, I know this one!” I said to myself as I looked at this album cover. “These are those sisters that can’t play their instruments!” Then I started listing to it and was all, “ok, the drummer and bass player are keeping time. The guitar is in tune. Vocals are weird, but in an artistic way. And this whole thing has been recorded and produced really well. No wait… I was thinking of the Shaggs” So I had to go down the rabbit hole on this one. Turns out the singer is John Lydon’s stepdaughter which partially explains HOW this album got made. I also learned that music critics love this album. I also learned that Kurt Cobain loved this album. Personally, I can’t imagine a scenario in which I would want to give this another listen.
I want to support women but this was very annoying!
It’s kind of shit. It’s early punk, which I generally don’t like anyway. Why is this on the list? It’s all women, which is a change of pace, but it’s still early punk, so the ceiling is pretty limited. I will say that it seems to lean more into the bouncy ska-type punk than the angry aggressive noise-pop punk. Whatever. It stinks.
First? 2,5/5 Again? 1,5/5
I understand this is cult and i can see why. Smash the patriachy, punk for women, ska for punks! Problem is, its not really very good.
K. I read that this band had a lot of cultural impact for female punk. I didn't like annnnnny of it.
It's great to hear people being creative with sound. It illuminates how much unimaginitive imitation we spend our lives listening to. The problem here is that, ironically, like pop music, there's no substance - it's all about the sound. I appreciate that the woman at the center is committed to avoiding conventions, but she doesn't seem to be interesting, clever, or musical enough to replace those conventions with anything worth listening to.