The Slits – ‘Cut’
When the needle hits the groove on Cut, The Slits waste no time in letting you know what they are all about. The first track ‘Instant Hit’ covers the topic of heroin addiction, an issue rife within the punk scene. Guitarist Viv Albertine claims the track is based around her good friend Keith Levine, of Public Image Ltd, but the ambiguity of the self-destructive character that the song is formed around gives the track a more universal appeal. In opposition to the countless heroin songs that follow a slow, downbeat, depressive pattern – think The Velvet Underground’s ‘Heroin’ – The Slits offer a different perspective on the opening track, discussing the effects of addiction on other people, rather than it being a first-hand account.
In addition to its provocative lyrical content, ‘Instant Hit’ is perhaps the best example of the album’s ska and reggae influences. Reportedly, the result of lead singer Ari Up’s listening habits, this melee gives Cut a much more interesting, complex sound profile. The variety in the soundscape continues throughout the whole album, with the band embracing their punk roots on ‘Shoplifting’ as well as taking on dub on ‘Spend, Spend, Spend’’.
Given that the album has such a variety in its arsenal, the excellent production work of Dennis Bovell on Cut is particularly notable. An esteemed reggae artist in his own right, Bovell’s influence throughout the album is inescapable. Though the record maintains a DIY, outsider feeling, it does so without underwhelming or seeming ‘low-fi’. The boom of the album is imposing and bass-heavy, with lots of hidden details and easter eggs, such as the ding of spoons and glass on ‘Newtown’, which means you hear something new upon every listen.
With lyrics covering topics such as femininity, rape, mutilation and commercialism in the 1970s, Cut is fearless. Their willingness to discuss issues which were far too often overlooked, downplayed or deliberately ignored make The Slits one of the most important bands of the decade, and that fact is particularly apparent on this album. A stand-out track, ‘Typical Girls’, facilitates a tearing down of generalised ideas of femininity and womanhood, acting as a rallying cry for more female representation in the male-dominated music industry.
Cut arrives three years after the formation of The Slits, and those years of touring, writing and establishing themselves on the scene concoct an interesting, diverse and rugged sound. Regardless, the album is chocked full of brilliant and much-beloved tracks. ‘Shoplifting’, in particular, captures the energy and anarchic joy of the band, with the reggae influence remaining present as Ari Up screeches with a power that a banshee could only dream of. Representative of the DIY production and recording sessions of the album, the frontwoman can be heard laughing, “I pissed in my knickers”, towards the end of the track.
Although, as the band would readily admit, The Slits are not particularly skilled musicians in a technical sense, such a thought never becomes particularly apparent when listening to Cut. It feels rough and ready, sure, but the innovative soundscape and fantastic lyrics delivered by Ari Up make this seminal album one of the most important records to arise from punk music.
The plentiful themes, addressed with potency, give the work a timeless feel and undying relevance. Cut has lots to say, and it yells it with great gusto and a swirling backdrop.
