The Slits – ‘Return Of The Giant Slits’
“I count in the first song, and off we go,” Viv Albertine remembers playing in The Slits. “We all play at different speeds. Ari screams as loud as she can, I thrash at my guitar, Palmolive smashes the drums – the stage is so big and Tessa’s so far away, I can’t hear what she’s doing… We all play the song separately, we know we should play together, but we can’t. I hope that if I remember my part, and the others remember theirs, with a bit of luck we’ll end at the same time. This doesn’t happen.”
The British punk outfit was not really about musicality. Their live performances are what led them to the spotlight. They broke into the musical world of bands like The Clash and Sex Pistols, doing everything they were doing but doing it as women. Similar to a lot of the acts around at the time, the trickiness was attempting to translate their music to record when it was less about the song and more about the energy. On their debut, Cut, the band managed that with a rip-roaring tour of their attitude. On the 1981 Return Of The Giant Slits, they proved they were more than that.
The Slits were always more than just punk, and nowhere is that better displayed than in this sophomore effort. Opener ‘Earthbeat’ welcomes you into this new world where punk, rock, afrobeat, and a new romantic edge have merged. There is a slight air of Sixousie Sioux about the track, mirroring her same utter dedication to crafting a cinematic soundscape. For a band that always claimed not to be musical or technical, this opener is intricately and delicately made. The instrumental is perfectly balanced; the echoing harmonies come in at just the right time and sit neatly on the nest of the various components. It feels strangely modern and at once totally timeless and placeless as The Slits continue to exist solely in their own lane.
As the album rolls on, the members all shine throughout this thoroughly maximalist release. Ari Up’s voice is acromatic and expressive on ‘Or What Is It?’ Viv Albertine’s guitar feels more inspired by jazz than rock as her riffs and licks dance around the rhythm and lyrics, almost punctuating each line with a little extra sprinkle. In other places, she seems to take influence from ska and reggae, weaving her way around all the other sub-sects and genres that, at one point or another, have influenced rock.
Through their vast sound and global influences, Return Of The Giant Slits feels like an essential reference point for the world of post-punk especially. It feels like without this record, and specifically tracks like ‘Face Place’ or ‘Walkabout’, the world wouldn’t have releases like Talking Heads’ Naked or Tom Tom Club’s work. Through their exploration of worlds beyond the typical punk or rock scene, they dare their peers to do the same.
While this experimental view was undoubtedly set up on Cut, Return Of The Giant Slits is a more polished exploration. There might be fewer hits than on Cut, but this second album was proof that the girls were way more than just riotous kids messing around or one-album wonders with no endurance. Instead, it still maintains their raw spirit but is tighter and more focused as the band had more time to figure out who they were, what music they were interested in making, and simply how to make it, play in time, and pull something proper together.
