I've had 'best of' CD of The Ruts called 'Something That I Said' for a number of years but havn't played it in ages. Then I saw a review of the Clinton Heylin history of Punk and Grunge called 'Babylon's Burning' and decided to buy it. You can buy it too from here. Naturally this made me want to revisit the album and just as before I'm amazed by how much The Ruts achieved in such a short time.
Beginning in 1978 it was less than two years before lead singer Malcolm Owen died of a heroin overdose aged only 26. Other members of the band were Paul Fox on guitar, Vince Segs on bass and Dave Ruffy on drums. They had a really hard edge that attracted a similarly hard edged clientelle to their gigs, in particular the skin-heads of the late punk era. But because the band put forward a strong anti-racist stance this did not sit well with some of the fans and often the gigs would degenerate into violence. Some have said that this was a contributory factor in Owen's addiction although hard to prove.
There is little doubt that Owen had one of the finest punk voices of the era. His loss was at a time when The Clash were disappearing off to the States and was felt all the worse for that. Unlike the Pistols and the rest of the McLaren posse they dressed like the majority of the punk scene, and just seemed plain ordinary working class lads. After the death of Owen the band continued for three more years, but having the front man taken away left them in an unenviable position and they were unable to create the same success.
The Ruts - In A Rut (mp3)
The Ruts - Jah War (mp3)
The Ruts - Staring at the Rude Boys (mp3)
If you havn't heard The Ruts then take a listen and if you like what you hear then buy the albums here. A measly £6.98 for 'The Crack/Grin and Bear It' is a steal. If you have heard them take another listen and do the same.
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