Almost as well-known for its cover (the three
Slits are half-naked and covered in mud) as for its music,
Cut is an ebullient piece of post-punk mastery that finds
the Slits' interest in Caribbean and African rhythms smoothly incorporated into their harsher punk rock stylings.
Ari Up's wandering voice (a touch like
Yoko Ono) might be initially off-putting, but not so much so that it makes listening to the record difficult. Six tracks are revamped from earlier
John Peel Sessions and sound better for the extra effort (especially "New Town" and "Love und Romance"). With its goofy charm, gleeful swing and sway, and subtle yet compelling libertarian feminism, this is one of the best records of the era. [The Deluxe Edition, released in 2010, features 30 bonus tracks, including demos, sessions for
Peel's BBC program, and dub versions.] ~ John Dougan