245) The Ruts - The Crack

We have already reviewed a Ruts album with review 163 of  Animal Now but that is a much different beast as the band were slowly finding their feet after the death of lead singer Malcom Owen.

This debut is the only release that happened in Owen’s lifetime, and I have just read that TOTP’s asked the band to mime Owen’s vocals after he had died, and the band righty told them where to go. So much for compassion but then let’s not forget who presented that programme back in the day.

The Clash have been rightly praised throughout the years for embracing reggae into their sound well they were not alone as The Ruts had mastered this genre. Go straight to their third single from this record Jah War to hear perfect dub with horns and an enthusiastic performance from Owen.

Anyone who has listened to any punk compilation will have heard their top ten hit Babylon Buring that opens the record with a police siren and a distinctive riff and a striving baseline, its nearly fifty years old and still burns with passion and Dope for Guns is powerful and fast but with a surprisingly infectious chorus.

Paul Fox shows his considerable talent as a guitarist on Something That I Said, he is sadly also no longer with us, but was clearly a talent as are all the band.

Savage Circle the band speeded up by one hundred percent with all four members up to the task and along with Human Punk (no shock) highlighting that they could execute their punk credentials with the best of them.

Criminal Mind has a run a round riff and doesn’t hang around and Out of Order is the right side of aggression.

Owen’s lyrics stand out you really must wonder where they would have gone next if tragedy had not happened but this four piece made a wonderful debut.

7.5/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Babylon Burning