R
'Radar' O'Reilly
Guest
Re:Ruts. (no moz)
Thats all very well but over 25 years later we have to look at what has stood the test of time and what is still relevant, once the decks had been cleared for the anyone can do it, punk DIY attitude, you've got to look at who took things to the next level, who really had something to say. The Jam went on to make some of the greatest brit guitar music ever from All Mod Cons onwards, and The Clash did London Calling. This is the stuff that stands out 25+ years later really. From my point of view one of the reasons The Ruts have never really been paid their cudos is because they get lumped in with The Members, Sham or The Lurkers, meanwhile Jah War is argubly the finest white reggae to come out of the UK.
OK I am being over harsh on the rejects and Sham, and yes I have owned all their records in the past, including Shams working class concept album 'Thats Life' or whatever it was called. However the point I was making was in answer to Ruff. I wanted to make it clear that Ruts were not some yob/hooligan band like the Cockney Rejects, as to say so would do a great diservice to the Ruts. And with Sham as they had a large element of the right wing following, which destroyed them basically, 'Staring At The Rude Boys' is quite relevant here seen as the song is all about confronting the National Front element within Punk.
I've had all the punk stuff at some stage or another from terrible live albums from Sid Viscious to the 4 Skins to the Boomtown Rats, none of which I can stand anymore, surely there are punk bands you don't like Pat, thats why I don't go round namechecking everyone. The UK Subs have always had their finger on the pulse politically and socially but I can't stand 'em anymore so I prefer to talk about The Ruts and The Clash.
Its also a bit of a myth really that punk put an end to all what came before, as much as I hate Led Zepplin, their music is more relevant today than the Rezillos. And listening to fantastic bands like Magazine and the Stranglers there is more than a hint of a prog rock influence with keyboard maestros Dave Greenfield and Dave Formula. And the Mod influences are everywhere from the Pistols to The Jam to Wire.
At the end of the day weather you look back with nostalgia or hindsight it all adds fruit to the pudding, at least we are discussing this stuff on here, further up the board Erasure are being mentioned hahaha.
Respect!
> Ah, young O'Reilly. Oh so wise with all the facts and records and books
> and videos and search engines at your fingertips there in your bedroom.
> With your best pal, Mr.Hindsight. (don't get too attached to him - he's
> EVERYONE'S best pal).
> Sham 69 and The Cockney Rejects never offered themselves up as poets or
> lyrical geniuses. Their songs are straightforward and could even be
> described as naive and idealist. "Angels With Dirty Faces"
> "If The Kids Are United" "I'm Not A Fool" to mention
> only three, won't win any songwriting prizes. We all know that.
> What you won't be aware of though, despite all your research equipment, is
> that we knew it even then.
> But they were honest and simply wanted to have their say. In the punk era,
> that was what mattered most.
> We were in our late teens/early twenties. Unlike the half-dead youth of
> today slouching and moping around listening to their favourite bands
> playing ballads (BALLADS!!), we were alive!! And, like Sham and The
> Rejects, we were shouty, boisterous and energetic.
> What Sham 69 and The Rejects DIDN'T do, however, was write complete and
> utter senseless gibberish. Like the kind of stuff we were subjected to
> pre-punk. And THAT'S where you're letting yourself down with your
> too-quick-to criticise approach.
> Do more research and try to discover what was out there pre-punk. As a
> quick reference, you could listen to 'cosmic dancer'. That's just one
> piece of nonsense among hundreds, by dozens of bands. It seemed as if it
> was never going to end.
> THAT'S why we took Costello AND Sham. Why we took The Jam AND The Rejects.
> It's also why I have 'Radio Radio' (arguably the finest song ever written)
> on a tape , immediately followed by 'I'm Not A Fool', which is
> straightforward and honest and blows you away. Both, therefore, played a
> part in punk.
> It's also why, when one of the forks veered off down towards full-scale
> Oi, only a few numbnuts followed. The vast majority of us didn't.
> Sadly, you'll never know the rush of a Ruts gig or a Sham gig. And even
> more sadly, nobody's articulate enough to make you feel what those times
> were really like.
> When all is said and done, you really did have to be there.
Thats all very well but over 25 years later we have to look at what has stood the test of time and what is still relevant, once the decks had been cleared for the anyone can do it, punk DIY attitude, you've got to look at who took things to the next level, who really had something to say. The Jam went on to make some of the greatest brit guitar music ever from All Mod Cons onwards, and The Clash did London Calling. This is the stuff that stands out 25+ years later really. From my point of view one of the reasons The Ruts have never really been paid their cudos is because they get lumped in with The Members, Sham or The Lurkers, meanwhile Jah War is argubly the finest white reggae to come out of the UK.
OK I am being over harsh on the rejects and Sham, and yes I have owned all their records in the past, including Shams working class concept album 'Thats Life' or whatever it was called. However the point I was making was in answer to Ruff. I wanted to make it clear that Ruts were not some yob/hooligan band like the Cockney Rejects, as to say so would do a great diservice to the Ruts. And with Sham as they had a large element of the right wing following, which destroyed them basically, 'Staring At The Rude Boys' is quite relevant here seen as the song is all about confronting the National Front element within Punk.
I've had all the punk stuff at some stage or another from terrible live albums from Sid Viscious to the 4 Skins to the Boomtown Rats, none of which I can stand anymore, surely there are punk bands you don't like Pat, thats why I don't go round namechecking everyone. The UK Subs have always had their finger on the pulse politically and socially but I can't stand 'em anymore so I prefer to talk about The Ruts and The Clash.
Its also a bit of a myth really that punk put an end to all what came before, as much as I hate Led Zepplin, their music is more relevant today than the Rezillos. And listening to fantastic bands like Magazine and the Stranglers there is more than a hint of a prog rock influence with keyboard maestros Dave Greenfield and Dave Formula. And the Mod influences are everywhere from the Pistols to The Jam to Wire.
At the end of the day weather you look back with nostalgia or hindsight it all adds fruit to the pudding, at least we are discussing this stuff on here, further up the board Erasure are being mentioned hahaha.
Respect!
> Ah, young O'Reilly. Oh so wise with all the facts and records and books
> and videos and search engines at your fingertips there in your bedroom.
> With your best pal, Mr.Hindsight. (don't get too attached to him - he's
> EVERYONE'S best pal).
> Sham 69 and The Cockney Rejects never offered themselves up as poets or
> lyrical geniuses. Their songs are straightforward and could even be
> described as naive and idealist. "Angels With Dirty Faces"
> "If The Kids Are United" "I'm Not A Fool" to mention
> only three, won't win any songwriting prizes. We all know that.
> What you won't be aware of though, despite all your research equipment, is
> that we knew it even then.
> But they were honest and simply wanted to have their say. In the punk era,
> that was what mattered most.
> We were in our late teens/early twenties. Unlike the half-dead youth of
> today slouching and moping around listening to their favourite bands
> playing ballads (BALLADS!!), we were alive!! And, like Sham and The
> Rejects, we were shouty, boisterous and energetic.
> What Sham 69 and The Rejects DIDN'T do, however, was write complete and
> utter senseless gibberish. Like the kind of stuff we were subjected to
> pre-punk. And THAT'S where you're letting yourself down with your
> too-quick-to criticise approach.
> Do more research and try to discover what was out there pre-punk. As a
> quick reference, you could listen to 'cosmic dancer'. That's just one
> piece of nonsense among hundreds, by dozens of bands. It seemed as if it
> was never going to end.
> THAT'S why we took Costello AND Sham. Why we took The Jam AND The Rejects.
> It's also why I have 'Radio Radio' (arguably the finest song ever written)
> on a tape , immediately followed by 'I'm Not A Fool', which is
> straightforward and honest and blows you away. Both, therefore, played a
> part in punk.
> It's also why, when one of the forks veered off down towards full-scale
> Oi, only a few numbnuts followed. The vast majority of us didn't.
> Sadly, you'll never know the rush of a Ruts gig or a Sham gig. And even
> more sadly, nobody's articulate enough to make you feel what those times
> were really like.
> When all is said and done, you really did have to be there.
