A Little-Known Masterpiece: Henry Rollins on the Ruts album “without peer”
The ink-stained pages of punk rock history are awash with incredible artists who produced one or two songs before disappearing into the ether. Underappreciated artists like The Ruts dwarfed the phoney punk rebellion of the Sex Pistols, yet they are rarely treated with the same kind of reverence. Luckily, many prominent figures within the punk community are self-confessed music nerds whose penchant for destruction and anarchy is only rivalled by their addiction to old vinyl and obscure bands from 1970s England.
One such figure is ex-Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins, who has championed the underdogs and outcasts for decades. Although he was a fairly confrontational figure during his early years, the hardcore legend has mellowed out somewhat, now taking every opportunity to espouse the joys of record collecting and celebrating his early influences. From Bikini Kill to The Cramps, Rollins never lost his appreciation for anything distorted and aggressive, but The Ruts always remained a firm favourite.
Formed at the peak of the UK’s punk boom in 1977, The Ruts are among the most underappreciated acts of the first wave. Whereas many of their peers were concerned with one-dimensional buzzsaw guitars and clichéd lyrics, The Ruts were creating a fearlessly original sound unparalleled by any other group within the early days of punk. Their music was characterised by heavy reggae and ska influences and a staunch anti-racist stance. Although bands like The Clash adopted reggae into their sound, it was never as all-encompassing as in the case of The Ruts.
After years of perfecting their craft on the live circuit of London, they set about releasing their first full-length album, The Crack, in 1979. The record is among the finest releases of the post-punk period, which is no mean feat given that the album came out shortly after The Clash’s magnum opus, London Calling. Featuring the hit singles ‘Babylon’s Burning’ and ‘Something That I Said’, the record was awash with political influences and anti-racist sentiment, predating the anti-racist revolution of 2 Tone Records and The Specials debut album by only a month.
Although the record peaked at number 16 in the UK album charts, The Crack is largely overlooked in the lineage of punk rock. It is rarely held in the same regard as records like Nevermind the Bollocks or Damned Damned Damned, despite being an infinitely better album than either of those titles. Thankfully, there are still a few punk obsessives who never lost their love of the album, including Henry Rollins. In a video for uDiscover, advertising the 2019 reissue of The Crack, the punk frontman shared his utter adoration for the album, listing it as “One of the most important records of my life.”
Continuing, he shared, “I’ve been listening to it since it came out in 1979. It is without peer.” In fact, his love for The Ruts is so colossal that he purchased the original painting that was featured on the cover of The Crack. A Sgt Pepper-esque image featuring members of The Ruts among their peers and notable figures from popular culture and musical history, the artwork was created by John H. Howard. It now hangs proudly in the home of Henry Rollins.
Tragically, The Ruts fell apart soon after the release of the record. Singer Malcolm Owen died of a heroin overdose in 1980, a death which would become depressingly common within the punk scene. Although the group continued as Ruts D.C., they could never quite recapture the brilliance of that debut album. In a final endorsement for the brilliance of The Crack, Rollins held up a copy of the LP, saying, “This should be on your turntable right now. Trust me. You’re going to thank me for this.”
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