|
One of the advantages of having a long and distinguished career is that when you decide to make a series of releases highlighting stripped down versions of your songs you have a significant body of previous work to fall back on. Such is the case with perennial punk favourites Ruts DC who, despite now being onto their third volume of reappraisals, still have a mammoth bank of untouched classics to re-record/re-invent for our pleasure. However, as they are at pains to point out, these electro acoustic numbers are one takers and have had no subsequent indulgent studio refinement or digital enhancement. Starting with ‘Vox Teardrop’ from the ‘Music Must Destroy’ album they set the bar at a high level. To my ears the acoustic guitars having an almost harpsichord sound, but any song that praises The Ramones is always going to have my seal of approval. However, it is the second track that reminds me why I will always love this band. When I first saw them live 45 years ago punk was still in its infancy but sadly was drifting towards having a recognisable ‘sound’, mainly of three chord thrash. Then along came The Ruts and produced tracks like “Dope for Guns” and “Jah Wars” mixing punk attitude with a reggae backbeat. Thankfully both numbers are on this album and, whilst they maybe a little less heavy on the booming bass of the originals, it is clear why they both are bona fide punk classics.
The beauty of retrospective albums is that it gives the chance for more obscure tracks to resurface into the sunlight. Such is the case for “Formula Eyes” the b-side of 1981’s single “Different View”, which was actually a cover of a track first written and recorded a year earlier by Kevin Coyne. “Too Much” comes from their last fully electric album in 2022’s “Counter Culture?”, whilst “Secret Soldiers” is from the last album they recorded with the late lamented front man Malcolm Owen. Whilst it’s not one of their better known tracks it’s certainly merits being included and brought to the attention of a new audience.
“Music Must Destroy” track “Tears in Fire” is followed by “Bound in Blood” and then “Human Punk” which I clearly remember Malcolm Owen introducing at Cardiff Top Rank in 1979, back when we were all much younger than today! Certainly not as frenetic as the original (but that may not be a bad thing as my pogoing days are long gone!) it contains a brilliant mid track guitar solo from Leigh Heggarty. A great re-invention of a classic track. Well played lads! And for the vinyl release that wraps it up, but not so the extended CD that contains three additional bonus cuts of 1982 single “Whatever We Do”, “Criminal Mind” from their debut album “The Crack” and, last but not least, “Society” from their sophomore release “Grin and Bear It”. So there you have it another Stellar addition to their ELECTRacoustic collection, which in themselves are perfect companions to the original releases that they are still producing. But don’t take my word for how good this band still are, take time out and see play live on the accompanying tour and you’ll understand why, after nearly half a century together, they can still mix it with the best of them! Bones
www.facebook.com/theruts/
|
