Reviews (page 6 of 7)
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.
Wanted to like it, but it was a little raw for my tastes....Not garbage, just very unpolished.
I appreciate what they were doing and all, but this was a chore. The thing that really puts me over the edge is that weird feathering in her voice. I hate that. Great cover, though
Very much not my cup of tea. Instrumentals that were all over, and vocal work that was even more all over. There was a moment where I felt it was a bit of a decent listen, but overall just not worth the experience.
Backyardigans vibe
Interesting first album
I wanted to like it, but did not
Not as bad as I was expecting
I knew I had listened to this album before, but couldn't remember anything about it for the life of me. Imagine my surprise when it's a reggae album (or reggae-tinged punk a la the Clash?). I tended to enjoy the dub-inspired songs more, but the songs tend to be simple to the point of being quaint. I generally enjoy the vibe, even if it is a little same-y, but I don't think this is all that essential of a listen.
Oof, I really tried - but I just couldn't get into this. Halfway I just wanted to be done with this album. 'Heard Through the Grapevine' is the sole hit on this album that I thought was above average, but the rest is just slop that only redeems itself through the lyrics. I can definitely see how it is influential, though.
Punk
Always liked the Grapevine cover, but the rest of the album isn't much.
More like Cut by The Sluts.
I didn’t like this one
I'm guessing they are pioneering in the field of punk, but I couldn't take to it. I couldn't call any of the songs memorable, some of the musicianship was above the average punk band, the vocals were a bit harsh on the ears. 2/5
Hmm ekki alveg minn bolli af te. Mér fannst söngkonan beita röddinni sinni soldið skringilega, sérstaklega í fyrri helmingnum af plötunni en seinni parturinn var alveg skemmtilegur. Held ég muni ekki hlusta aftur en ég skil að þessi plata hafi verið áhrifarík í þessari tónlistarstefnu.
I had no connection to or with this music
Not that great overall, but I really started to dig the vocalist. The cover was my favorite track.
I’m really not a huge fan of this early artsy post punk. Good effort and creativity, just not for me.
Punk and reggae, what's not to love? I'll tell you what's not to love: that God awful sound that masquerades as singing.
The band name reminds me of a band called the Slants that caused controversy for their band name because it was considered a slur. This album was ok though, kind of boring.
4/10 - The cover art is interesting to say the least. Sadly the music was good. It was just annoying.
Þessi plata var eins of hópur af krökkum hefðu komist í hljóðfæri eldri systkina og svo óvart tekið upp plötu. Mér fannst hún ekkert spes en það var gaman að heyra I heard it through the grapevine í þeirra útgáfu. Það togar hana upp í 2 stjörnur
Nah. Not my thing really.
not my favorite, it just felt like a lot of noise. some songs were better than others.
tem umas muito boas, mas nem a influência gritante do skazinho da galera me pegou nesse. adventures close from home é bem boa, assim como i heard it through the gravepine, mas na minha perspectiva, só elas salvam. bem chato no geral.
I heard it through the grapvine er flott cover, restin rennur svolítið saman í pönksúpu sem mér finnst ekkert spes.
just an ok punk album
Decent
Heard it through the grapevine is a really decent cover but the rest of this is very shit. Generous 2.
I randomly listened to one song from this band in 2016. It's raw I suppose, not particularly my thing. I love punk, but I dislike reggae enough for this to be ruined haha. Currently at #3500 on my all time last.fm artists with 3 lifetime plays
What an annoying album.
This wasn't terrible, but it was not good
That's not my taste in musik
2 some good fun songs , but wouldn’t listen to the whole album again
Alla i bandet måste ha gått sängvägen med författaren för att få tillhöra den här listan.
A bit of fun and very early female punk
Maso
All Female talking heads. Meh.
I added a star because they clearly influenced Le Tigre. The unpolished songs are a bit grating, tho
First two songs were really good but fell off after that
Think I’ve gotta go high 2. Somewhat interesting but kind of tough to listen to after a while.
The best part about this for me was the weird cover of “heard it through the grapevine”, otherwise not too much for me here. Just not my cup of tea.
One the one hand, you can hear that it is different. Ambitious, the reggae style and influence is commendable. On the other hand, at times irritating and unfinished. Not for me. 2.5
I'm not really sure how this makes the list... Don't think I would call it punk either really. It has dub/ska sounding bass lines in parts which I like, but I find whatever they are on top not great at all mostly. The vocalists voice gets quite jarring too. Feel like it's trying to be a bit edgy. The cover of heard it through the grapevine wasn't bad, but no points for a cover. Got a feeling I've heard "typical girls" before but unsure where. Can't give it more than a 2
Welp another “punk” British band that’s supposed to be glorious that is a total flop. The only reason this isn’t a 1 is cause the lyrics aren’t too bad although tbh I did fall asleep for about half the album cause it was that uninteresting and not entertaining at all. I don’t get what’s supposed to make them so special. Totally bleh and could’ve been just fine dying without ever having heard them.
WHY are they on here??? why? vocals-very weak, guess they can play instruments but that's about it
Sounds like something is missing. Like they forgot to add the salt. Unsalted music. There's better 70s girl punk out there, like X-Ray Spex or Siouxsie and the Banshees. Appreciate the boobs though.
This was a good listen. I appreciated a few tracks such as Instant Hit, So Tough, FM, and a great cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine. Punk music is a medium for those that don't have highly technical abilities but have a lot to express. As such the Slits used this perfect medium to layout some good music. Although I wouldn't buy this album in vinyl I'm glad I took time to listen to it.
Eh.
Punk? Det tycker jag inte. Ska kanske reggae eller experimentell någonting. Det var iallfall inte så bra. Gutturala läten och skrik gör det inte för mig. Men tufft med bara bröst som omslag. En solid 2a för det.
Jaha, nej det här var ju inte så bra. Kan man inte sjunga får man visa pattarna I guess.
I'm not sure what I'm listening
Weird stuff on the first two tracks. the vocal lines are not directly anchored to the reggae beat. So there is this weird like floating feeling. Dude this was so weird. The cover of I Heard It Through The Grapevine was a real treat but its not an original release.
Influential, yes. One of the greatest albums....no.
I had a difficult time finishing this album.
Listened Before? N This record gives new meaning to Lo-Fi. The mastering is so quiet on the version on Spotify that you can barely hear it. I read some reviews that refer to this claiming that it was intentional. Either way, it's not good. I'll give it an extra star for titties on the cover but that's about it. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Instant Hit
Extra star for the cover
En ymmärtäny tän viehätystä. Jotenki tyypillistä punksekoilua. Kuulemma Cobainin kaikkien aikojen top50-listalle mahtunut levy. No olihan sekin erikoinen kaveri…
This album started off with a lot of potential and quickly went downhill. I thought the sound was new and fresh and then it turned into a lot of noise (summed up perfectly with the last song which is just banging of instruments). Almost Yoko Ono levels of screetching in places. Unique and I don't hate that it's on this list but it wasn't an enjoyable listen. 4/10 (2/5)
Clash wannabes
Idc
Idc
Annoying, didnt like it
Levada do ska com vocal feminino e sotaque britânico pediam melhores melodias.
Was kind of fun, not really my thing though and not much stood out to me
This was alright but I feel could use some context to it or I feel like there is something more to this album than naked chicks and some ok punk songs.
read abt this albums influence, not a big enough fan of the genre to know if that holds true or not. it’s cool, but not my personal cup of tea. few good songs tho
I could get why people like it if that was their preferred genre but I didn’t care for it.
Not for me.
I’m honestly not sure what to think. At first I just couldn’t wrap my head around what I was hearing and it felt like people playing instruments and singing completely different songs from different locations and mashing it together. I liked the punk/reggae fusion but just still felt like a lot of it was disjointed. Some of the lyrics which much better than others. Just overall couldn’t get into it as much as I tried.
Not horrible but not good either. Perhaps the worst ever cover of “I Heard it Through the Grapevine”
Interesting to listen to. Quite a lot more Ska style than I was expecting. Nothing stood out to me though apart from the Grapevine cover.
Okee Dokee... The Slits... ... Yup. Gotta' nope out on this one... For my tastes it is too... weird maybe? It isn't like I wasted my time or was not entertained or it has no value musically in my opinion, it is more to do with finding no place to settle... the singer outright screams sometimes, the music is... kinda jarring often... lyrically it is sometimes funny and sometimes saying something but often kind of garbled and jumbled and I suppose meant to be social critical fun... But yeah, sorry... just too weird.
Love the energy, love the band name, the music leaves me cold.
Surprising that a Girl Band imitating the Clash in 1979 never took off. 2.75 for trying.
Off-key and offbeat by design, I couldn't really get into it though. Favorite track was typical girl
Not much to say about this one. I didn't really like anything. I read that it had Jamaican influences - I wish I had heard some because I may have enjoyed it more. The bonus track of I Heard It Through the Grapevine was mildly interesting.
First time through I didn't vibe with this one too much. Second time through I enjoyed it a bit more, but still didn't make it out of a 2 star range. It was just a bit too weird for me with not enough to pull me back in.
Bland
Interesting but not for me
2024-03-24...
So I love punk, and especially a lot of the stuff that came out of the UK during this era, but man some of this music did not age good one bit. This was something that was probably good for its time, but meant for a specific audience, like 13 year old girls who are angry at the the world who still needs to figure their shit out. Anyways I can go on forever on why this was a tough record to listen to through the end, but like I said, over all it didn’t age well, and I think it’s something that’s better off keeping in the grave.
Kind of a meh album. Not a big fan of any of the tracks. Witty lyrics, but not my thing. 2/5.
Kind of weird, but I don't hate it.
This was a little too same same for me. This string of british punk rock may also not have helped. I'd take X-Ray Spex over this. The punk rock rendition of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" was interesting...though I'd probably listen to the original over this.
Guess I just learned about post female punk.
I liked 6 things about this album. All the songs sounded the same and were way quiet.
I love that this band exists and I'm so grateful for all they inspired...but this album was not for me. I like riot grrrl, but I really don't like reggae. That cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine was 🔥🔥🔥 One star for early riot grrrl, one star for that cover
Creative but mostly not that good. I liked the first song
For punk, it's distinctly average. Out-of-tune vocals and instruments, fairly unskilled playing, and repetitive motifs that are very much hit-or-miss. When they hit, they hit reasonably well, with stronger tracks like Instant Hit, Typical Girls, and I Heard It Through The Grapevine (which, let's be honest, is hard to do a bad cover of). Most of the other tracks were a slog and a relief to get through, which is typically a bad sign. I will give a shoutout to the sheer boldness of an all-female punk band in a musical scene which (at the time of release) was heavily dominated by similarly hit-or-miss all-male punk bands. From what I've read, this album was also incredibly influential on the post-punk and wider music scene - possibly for that reason. This doesn't justify the music's messiness and the fact that punk, with few exceptions, is a difficult genre to enjoy through a modern lens.
Quite strange instruments used. I don't like her voice
Kind of some fun early punk.
Bit odd.
Not for me, but can recognize it seems well made for that genre. I'm probably missing something. Cover of Heard It Through The Grapevine was decent.
Vika bonus träkki todella hyvä... Ri löydy alkuprräisestä albumista... Albumi aika taiteellinen tits ja kaikki.. Only thing that hasnt let me down in this country is the forst ademnnebtnt and Boobs..
Supposedly influential, so that gets them an extra star, but the only song I liked on this album was the one that I'd already heard - their cover of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine". Otherwise, just rambling punk music that didn't really appeal to me at all.
Che, está mal pero no tan mal. Algo me gustó. Bien las chicas! Dale. Vamos.
I really wanted to love this one (go girl power!) But for me it was so much of the same sound over and over.
A couple good songs (the cover of Through the Grapevine is excellent!), but overall not very good.
Album Nr. 28 Man kann es evtl. so ausdrücken: Schwach aber stellenweise interessant.
Punkig
Chaotic cacophony. The drummer is really the core keeping this all together. Leaning low score but I'll need to revisit
mmm. non mi dice nulla
Was never a favorite. Some good songs. Like the reggae influence. Respect their contribution to early punk music.
Really poor musicianship unfortunately. Only song that really stands out is one they didn’t write, which makes sense. With better direction and better song writing they could’ve been something really cool. As can be seen with grapevine, all of sudden you see the potential of the vocalist. Unfortunately that is the only shining light. Influential but not listenable.
Net niet
Very strange album. Wikipedia gives the genre as post-punk/dub-reggae/art pop, and yeah! I'm OK with the post-punk/dub-reggae aspects, but so keen on the art pop side of things.
This got worse as it went, and it didn't start out well. Reminds me of what might have been playing in the background at a "cool" record shop, back when we had record shops. At least there's tits on the cover.
1.9 not great
at least it sounds like they had fun
Oh boy was that not very enjoyable.
Reggae was ok
Pretty good but nothing special to my ears
Tough one. I wanted to like this; looks like it should be right up my street. Other than that awesome cover of Grapevine though, I just didn't get into it 🫤
Meeeeeeeeh
Nearly a three, but there's some rubbish on here.
Different!
Yet another british punk album. It started okay but as the songs went on they became more and more annoying. Maybe they are too british. Stand-out: Instant Hit
Ce n'était pas tellement mon genre de post punk. J'ai trouvé que ça manquait de mordant et l'instrumentation n'était pas asseez à mon goût. Ça se laissait écouter, mais c'est loin d'être l'album le plus mémorable de ce style que j'ai eu à date. 5/10
At first glance, I thought that this album was going for punk stereotypes bingo. Shitty cover? Check. Tits on the cover? Also check. Half hour run time? Yep. Each song is like a max of 2 minutes? You bet. So I was pretty much right about it being a stereotypical punk album from the start and it got even worse with a shitty white reggae sound mixed with lame punk production but the two small bright spots were the lead singer, who sounded familiar but I couldn't tell from where (maybe it just sounded really generic) and the heard it from the grapevine cover which was really good. This seems to be a really influential album on some bands I like but I really don't think it's aged well.
The bass is decent. The other instruments are really weak for the most part. The vocals sound like they weren't trying at all
Probably notable to some extent but didn't age well. Ugh, the vocalist.
Not for me at all, this. Female punk/ska, that's on the list because it's influential rather than because it's good, I think. Just too tuneless for me in the most part. 2/5.
Пока дрочил на сиськи забыл о чем альбом и почему у меня косяк в зубах 5/10
A little off beat, off pitch, but that is probably kinda the point. They at least get some props for paving the way for some other female groups.
Punk. Reggae. Se hace pesado
One of those albums that I've never listened to despite always seeing it on lists like this one. The description would always turn me off, and after listening I'd say my reaction was justified. This is just okay to me...and I'm typically a big fan of anything punk related. This really doesn't sound like what I'd classify as punk though. There's definitely a snotty attitude to the vocals, especially coming from a female in the 70s, but the music is mostly a reggae inspired new wave sound. Their cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine is fun.
- I do recognize how innovative and awesome must a post-punk all female band been in the 70s, but this album didn't age that well. - Didn't enjoy it that much. Maybe it's a bit too rough.
Awfully tedious. Singer sounds like a toddler just learning to carry a tune, making up songs while playing in the sand at the beach. "new town, new, town, newtown, newtown, newtown...." The cover is kinda coo, but the only thing worth returning to.
I mean, I get the whole DIY punk attitude. But I always felt that there still has to be something there. The musicians themselves seem to be pretty good, but the singing is just so... extemporaneous. I don't need punk singers to be great singers, but they need to be able to have some sense of what's going on around them in the song. This person didn't seem to, I feel like someone like David Byrne or Chrissie Hynde could have taken the song to another level. This just seems so... nonsensical. Next.
2/5. It feels like world music mixed with disco and progressive pop. It definitely is a vibe but I'm not sure it's my vibe. It mostly drags on for me, like they are not sure where they are going with it. It is unique and I can hear the modern female indie scene heavily inspired by this album and energy. I'll just say that it can work but others have perfected it.
Not as bad as some of the reviews make it out to be, but not great. Heard it Through the Grapevine was a solid cover
Too disorganised. Punk rock sometimes has to be like that, but in this case I don't take any pleasure from it.
it's just a little too strange for me. none of these songs are really interesting at all. i guess i don't really get this style of music, maybe.
Didn't need to turn it off immediately, but definitely not great
I was looking forward to this. I had heard good things. Alas, I did not like it much at all. Oh well
The vocals get on my nerves. The playing isn't very good either.
Didn't like
Meh
5/10 mélange de reggae / punk pop. not my vibe. la voix n'était pas désagréable
Mostly average. Cover of Heard it Through the Grapevine the only highlight
Tja, ik kon hier ergens nog de lol wel van in zien. Maar heel blij werd ik er ook weer niet van.
Meh
Kind of a weird one, bit too eclectic for my tastes
Started off interesting, I was hoping the first track was the intro to a genre-exploring punk album, but it turned out to be more of the same. I can do the crap vocals, but I can't do the reggae-style at all. Bit less of the reggae and it would have scraped a 3*. As it is it slide down towards 2*.
Bad
I was having a bad day and the last time I needed was an amateurish reggae-punk nonsense.
I like 'Heard it through the grapevine" but I'm not a fan of the vocals, a bit harsh. 2.5 stars
Felt like they were trying so hard to be different, when placed on front of a mic, it didn't translate into a full album, but an amateurish set of garbled screams and pathetic guitar. The Grapevine cover was strong, at least. A dissapointing record.
Punk reggae. It's fine.
Manche songs ganz lustig aber das ganze album hört eich wie eine Demo Version von nem fertigen Album an. Die stimme ist aber nice. Decent 3/10
Horrible audio quality and not exactly enjoyable.
4 ⭐️s for the album cover. A .5 for the music.
Some interesting but not enough.
Ska/Punk/Reggae flavored, all female version of the Talking Heads.... or maybe not them but there is something familiar about the style that I can't put my finger on. I honestly don't care enough to finish the thought. Regardless, this album is not anything I would choose to listen to or ever include in this list. To be fair to the 1001 albums list - they don't claim that the albums are good - I am more and more convinced that they put albums like this on the list for the sole purpose to create appreciation and elevate the great albums that are on the list.
solid drummer. Meh album 2.5
Opening track ('Instant Hit') was pretty nice. Cover of 'I Heard It Through The Grapevine' was ok-ish. Not sure about the other tracks tho. 2,5/5
Curiosa fusió de punk amb elements de reggae que al principi crida l'atenció però acaba perdent força per una manca de melodies inspirades i atractives. Malgrat tot, la barreja no deixa de ser interessant.
i like what they represent but not sure I like their music. I compare it to eating a tuna fish sandwich (RIP) with too much mayonnaise. Like, you see how it could be good, but don't actually like the texture, like, at all. 3 stars.
Great cover of I Heard it Through the Grapevine otherwise decent but not my favorite.
It was honestly just a funny album to open up to so I didn’t really pay attention at first because I expected it to be a garbage one but it wasn’t AS terrible as I’d thought it’d be. Just voices were meh.
Well...it's different, i'll give you that. OK this is not my taste BUT after reading about it before listening, it's definitely far more interesting than I'd expected. I appreciate the use of space and it's actually quite melodic and catchy in parts. I like it quite a bit more than many of the bands/acts that cite them as influential - it just *sounds* way better. You can almost hear a weird Bjork like quality to the vocals, and the British reggae feel sorrrrta has a light early Police feel. My biggest personal critique is that the songs just aren't very good. Can't get far on sound/attitude alone. I'd say overall it's fairly well-done and might enjoy if I heard a track or two on occasion - I just don't love the genre nor most of the actual songs but can see how people would love this. (that cover of "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" is *spectacularly* awful. Epically bad.) 5/10 2 stars.
Not my cup of tea. I can hear the girl punk and how the Go-Go's picked up on it in the US.
Quite enjoyed it. I their version of 'I Heard it on the Grapevine' - not on this album. Wanted to give 2.5 stars.
Beetje rare popmuziek. Ik denk dat album vooral goed verkocht vanwege de blote borsten op de hoes. De muziekstijl is te vergelijken met de B52, volgens mij met een bepaalde humor. Ik vind het niet zo leuk en soms zelfs een beetje vals. **
Good to hear it wasn’t typical punk, but a kind of minimal scratchy post punk vaguely ska sound. Clearly they are having fun especially on Shoplifting: “do a runner”! However, Viv’s autobiography is more enjoyable, recommended even.
The instrumentation's fine, but I found the vocals exceptionally underwhelming.
Didn't care for this one all that much which is weird because there are later albums of theirs that I very much enjoyed.
Great debut record. Mixes genres (psychedelic rock, garage rock, doo-wop, r&b, etc.). Pretty accessible for a Captain Beefheart record, but is just enough “out there” to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Interesting combination of new wave, punk, and reggae.
Creative, but I wasn’t into it.
Not for me. Unique punk surf pop stuff if youre into that
Wasn't awful but I found it pretty hard to listen to the whole thing.
Pretty good early punk. Not usually what I’m in the mood for, but I can dig it.
Glad I didn't like this, because now I don't have to admit to liking a band called The Slits.
Listened to this alone in the car on my way to a meeting. Glad it was only 32 minutes long. Appreciated some of the percussion and bass, but not much else.
Cool record. I had heard about this, and that it was punk, but not punk rock. An apt description for a fusion of styles like this.
2 1/2
Meh very eclectic and all over the place. Not a fan of what I've heard so far. Very avant-garde. Not for me. It's not so bad that I was able to get through the whole album without skipping/fast forwarding.
naporan mi je bio
Osjetim da je ovaj album bio influence nekom dalje, kasnije. Međutim, meni je okej album, iako je inovativan što se tiče fusion punk/reggae zvuka, na prvu mi nije sjeo.
So if it weren’t for them we would’ve never had the Go-Go’s Hmmm.
The cover of Grape Vine is classic, but the rest sounds like it could be out takes from a Clash or Specials album. The lead vocal gets hard to listen to after about 90 seconds. My co judge owned this and knew all the songs, but agrees on the final mark.
Quirky and disjointed post punk with dub influences. I heard it thru the grapevine is an inspired cover but the rest of the album doesn’t excite me much.
*Sigh* This is tedious. There isn't a good song on this album, except for the cover version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine", but even this version is botched. The singer can't sing, but at least the rest of the band has a decent command of their instruments. Still, there is nothing here to warrant repeated listening (if at all). 1.5/5
Pros: - It's an interesting sound. Reggae music with sort of melodic sort of spoken word vocals --<>-- is how I would try to understand it? Cons: - Surprisingly boring for the amount of experimenting and looseness going on? Maybe it's the reggae sort of backdrop behind the vocals?
Fun and experimental. Couple good songs towards the end
I appreciate that this is probably kind of a groundbreaking album but I do not think it is for me
Interesting. I like it, but really need to hear it again.
I don't think this album has a place here.
With a name like The Slits I was really hoping for some punk or riot grrrl sound. Not to be. I’m all for kooky/arty female 70s music, but the cover of heard it through the grapevine was the only standout here.
Yep, cut
I get how important this album was in the history of punk but I just don't think it's aged very well. Most of the tracks meander about the album is very samey.
aðeins of produceraðar á þessarri, mun betri live
Hi- So Tough, Typical Girls, I Heard It Through The Grapevine Lo- Everything else Punk/Reggae-ish, cover that makes me uncomfortable to have on my screen at work...An actually kind-of enjoyable version of I Heard It Through The Grapevine...This album is mostly just obnoxious noise, but it does sound like a less-refined L7 to my ears. I like L7, though, and I don't like this.
Punk de donde?
Un album globalement naze de la part de notre sympathique groupe de femens. Mes collègues présents en salle des profs au moment où j'écoutais cet album sur mon enceinte semblaient du même avis tant les regards tournés vers celles-ci paraissaient hostiles. "Mets moins-fort, pour l'amour de dieu !" me criait-on de temps à autre. Des paroles pleines de sagesse auxquelles je répondais parfois un "Vous connaissez Robert…" rempli de malice.
First Listen
Lo escuché desordenado y monótono
Un dels treballs postpunk més aclamats, però al qual mai li he trobat la seva excepcionalitat. És clarament un producte de l'època, amb els seus ritmes desacompassats i la seva atonalitat, però per mi està lluny dels millors treballs del génere. No desentona amb la producció mitja del període, però ja....
Didn't even realize it was Punk at first, but by song three I caught on. I now realise this was an early counter culture album. Wouldn't listen to it again but appreciate it for what it is and what it contributed to the punk movement.
Well… That was weird… And also really interesting? But good? This was weirder and wilder than I knew 1979 was capable of. It feels very unrestrained and raw. Sometimes that can be a great thing, but here it’s a bit too much. This is apparently a much-lauded album, and inspired many later artists. I’m not surprised they were influential, but it just goes a bit too far for me. The incorporation of dub reggae and ska create a cool underlying punk sound, and the I like how the lyrics challenge norms. And I usually like singers who scream and let their voices crack. While this is a touch too unrestrained and raw for me, much credit to these ladies for saying “fuck it” with their attitude, style, ethos, and music.
relatively boring listen, but interesting sound.
I really don’t think this is for me. It’s okay but just not what I like.
i love tiddies 🥰🥰🥰 that whistle tone in ‘newton’ though 😳 idk guys i’m on ‘love und romance’ and the crazy is kinda growing on me 😼 I FEEL LIKE IM ON DRUGS nah cause ‘love und romance’ is a state of mind are they having group sex? no ‘typical girls’ makes me feel like a businesswoman in the 80’s I LOVE IT HERE i heard it through the grapevine is the most sonically cohesive song so far and it very much slaps liebe and romanze has 0 rights ok i need to throw up
This is bad
No tenían ni idea de tocar por lo que musicalmente el disco apenas tiene valor, sin embargo históricamente lo tiene y mucho. Chicas punkis empoderándose a través de riffs imprecisos y bases reggae. Curioso
I just didn't give a fuck about this at all. Sorry Scott. I can barely remember it.
Some of the music was kinda nice, but the singing absolutely ruined all but a couple songs for me.
I really don't like this. This woman sucks at singing and the music is just awful-sounding.
What? They allowed this album cover? I do like the screaming, but this is a once a year album, maybe.
Interesting, unique music. Not very enjoyable as a whole but some great songs. Best version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine. 5-6/10
it is just too weird. this ska/reggae/rock with little melody and off-kilter vocals. probably an acquired taste.
not for me, but interesting
Was not expecting the heavy reggae influence here. Even though I don't think this album comes together for me, a few of the tracks on here are definite bops.
A lot of stuff happening on this album but the ‘heard it through the grapevine’ cover was well done
Nice organic rhythms, but the vocals are a bit too strange for me. Track 9 and 11 are the best.
Just because something is unique doesn’t mean it’s good. Looking at the cover for this record, I was expecting some female punk band with fast, heavy riffs, and lots of screaming about liberation, independence, and equal rights. Now, there is a slight punk element present here, but I was surprised at the very heavy reggae feel. There’s nothing wrong with reggae, but I just don’t think it works here. The vocals are unappealing to say the least. There’s a lot of “warbling” I’ll call it, and overall it sounds pitchy and weird. Musically it’s certainly different, but the sound just doesn’t grab me. I’m sure people like this, but it’s not my jam.
What is this genre? Punk? Bjork? College girls dancing by jumping straight up and down. Experimental... or just mental.
Sadly this girl punk band didn’t cut it
I've heard better school bands. And no, the cover doesn't help either. 1*
Pretty sure I didn’t need to listen to this one.
An assault on the ears
Last song was the only one I enjoyed but maybe it was because I was glad it was over
A punk record that is completely devoid of talented musicians. The author's thought process probably went something like "Oi, I need to put some kind of lady punk band on here, that's for bloody true. The Slits were doing it in '79 AND they're fellow Brits! Job done, time for tea." This band may have been early in the female-fronted punk game, but they suck. Extremely simple songs, bad vocals, and bad instrument work. How about anything from Bikini Kill? What about The Distillers? 7 Year Bitch kicks ass, what about them? Hell, I'd settle for Joan Jett or Lita Ford at this point! This author is so fucking lazy, I wish I could kick him in the bollocks. The Slits will be my 19th 1/5, but this is much more an indictment on the author not having any music knowledge outside the Beatles and Rolling Stones.
I don't understand why this album exists.
Far far far too weird for me
🎧Sorry, why is this album considered great?
I think I just don’t like punk that much tbh
I know this is supposed to be ska/punk. I can see why people wanted it on the list to represent that era of music. It's not good. Nothing about this is good.
*pretty sad when an album has to label itself to may be inappropriate to all listeners.
That was utter crap. I almost made it through it, but that last track was just noise and I hit skip with about 20 seconds left and was relieved to find out it was the last one on the album.
Nope