The Ruts - Grin and Bear It
#462
December 1 1980
The Ruts
Grin & Bear It
4 out of 5
Highlights:
(West One) Shine on Me
Staring at the Rude Boys
Babylon’s Burning
I absolutely loved The Ruts debut record. The Crack was a surprise on the original version of this archeological dig. But here we are a year later and they’ve got another one. How does it fare?
This isn’t punk. And it’s isn’t Power Pop. It’s a combo platter.
You know how sometimes the vocals in power punk are so awful that the music can’t overcome it? The opposite experience is The Ruts. Sure, Malcolm Owen is all British snarl but he gets close enough to the melody that I don’t mind that he has a 4 note range.
I don’t love that some of it is live but it’s surprising enough to not to bother me. Not as great as The Crack but great, nonetheless.
This is the future of melodic punk right here. There’s no place for The Ruts in 1980. Not hardcore and not poppy enough. But in 14 years this will be the foundation for THE sound.
Sadly, Owen wouldn’t be around to see it as he died a few years after this album from a heroin overdose.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-crack-grin-and-bear-it/714923148
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