Customer Reviews

Crack//Grin & Bear It

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE RUTS were,without a doubt the best,and most overlooked punk band to come from the late 70's explosion.They were more street than SHAM 69,more reggae/dubwise than THE CLASH,more pop than THE JAM,and easily the most talented of all the first wave punk bands.If singer Malcolm Owen hadn't died of a heroin overdose in 1980,THE RUTS would have surely surpassed THE CLASH as the premere punk band to break through to a wider U.S. audience.This c.d. combines the two proper RUTS releases,THE CRACK(1st l.p.),and GRIN AND BEAR IT (collection of singles,and rare tracks,released posthumously after OWEN'S death).This is an absolute must have for any fan of true british punk,and for any fan of quality music that is played with real soul and passion.

This was a GREAT band. At the time a lot of people liked them better than the Clash. They rocked harder, played their instruments better. Sadly they didn't make enough product before singer malcolm owen ODed for the biz to have any incentive to keep them available and because this music was so hard to come by a lot of people never got a chance to hear it. This, like the Clash, was punk music that got rock fans to listen to it and changed a few lives.

I like to think of myself as pretty well versed in late 1970s punk rock, but this is one band that, sadly, I missed, and I regret that I had not heard them years ago. This collection is fantastic...you get two great albums at once that show off the talents of this sadly overlooked and short lived outfit. The songs hit hard and stick in your head like a virus. You can't get your punk rock cred card punched until you have checked out The Ruts. Do it. NOW!

That's right folks, I don't need The Clash, I got The Ruts! I remember a friend of mine asking me if I'd ever heard of these guys which I had not. Narrow minded me, the first thing that came to my mind was, "The Ruts? What kind of a name for a band is that, sounds lame." Then he persisted to put on a vinyl version of The Crack for me. I lost it man! To me, The Ruts are EASILY one of the best British punk bands of all time. Get this 2fer NOW!