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Typical Girls? The Story Of The Slits
Wild, defiant and startlingly inventive, The Slits were ahead of their time. Although they created some unique hybrids - dub reggae and pop-punk, African rhythms, funk and free jazz - they were dismissed as being unable to play. Their lyrics were witty and perceptive while their influential first album challenged perceptions of punk and of girl bands - but they were still misunderstood. And that infamous debut album cover, with the band appearing topless and mud-daubed, prompted further misreadings of the first ladies of punk.
Author Zoe 'Street' Howe speaks to The Slits themselves, to former manager Don Letts, mentor and PIL guitarist Keith Levene and many other friends and colleagues to discover exactly how The Slits phenomenon came about and to celebrate the legacy of a seminal band long overdue its rightful acclaim.
Too long seen as a note in the margin of the history of rock, The Slits at last get a fair hearing in this revealing biography.
Author Zoe 'Street' Howe speaks to The Slits themselves, to former manager Don Letts, mentor and PIL guitarist Keith Levene and many other friends and colleagues to discover exactly how The Slits phenomenon came about and to celebrate the legacy of a seminal band long overdue its rightful acclaim.
Too long seen as a note in the margin of the history of rock, The Slits at last get a fair hearing in this revealing biography.
217 pages, Paperback
First published July 6, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 26, 2015
I'm not going to lie - I came to know about this book by reading the Slits' guitarist's, Viv Albertine, memoir, Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys.. I read that book because I was interested in knowing more about the band since I've been intrigued by their music for some time.
Journalist Zoe Howe realized there were no biographies about the band, one of her favorites, so she set out to fill that void. Viv Albertine mentions in her own book how when they were first confronted by Howe about writing the book, they met her with a little wariness. Luckily they adored her and she was able to interview each of the main players in the group: Ari Up, Viv Albertine, Tessa Pollitt, and Palmolive, making this a very complete and accurate account of how the band came to be, what made them who they were, and their place in musical history.
Much of this was repetitive for me, having just read Albertine's book. Some of the references are the same, and I cannot even say that Howe took a more unbiased approach than Albertine - because Howe is a serious fan, her adoration for the band is evident on nearly every page. This doesn't make the book bad, per se, but it is relatively one-sided. This is a book for fans, or those with a passing interest in their music specifically, or punk music generally.
I was happy to see three sections of black and white pictures - some of the same images were used in Albertine's book, but this was a much more extensive collection. These images show the girls (and, yes, they were girls when they started - let's not forget Ari Up was 14 years old when she joined Palmolive in forming the band) on stage, back-stage, and in their natural habitats, showing the various sides of each of them. (And you get to see Ari's hair become more advanced. It's like watching Giorgio's hair get taller and wilder in each season of Ancient Aliens. Except, I understand from this book, Ari actually had critters in her hair at one point, which is pretty hardcore.)
I enjoyed reading this, and it was a quick read. Between this and Albertine's book, I feel a have a solid idea of what the band was about and what they wanted to accomplish. The book is also very, very British. As a non-Brit myself, I found a few occasions where I wasn't quite sure what Howe was trying to say, just because the terminology was unfamiliar to me. This doesn't mean anything, I'm just saying. There's a lot of references to "taking the piss" which will always amuse me, apparently.
Journalist Zoe Howe realized there were no biographies about the band, one of her favorites, so she set out to fill that void. Viv Albertine mentions in her own book how when they were first confronted by Howe about writing the book, they met her with a little wariness. Luckily they adored her and she was able to interview each of the main players in the group: Ari Up, Viv Albertine, Tessa Pollitt, and Palmolive, making this a very complete and accurate account of how the band came to be, what made them who they were, and their place in musical history.
Much of this was repetitive for me, having just read Albertine's book. Some of the references are the same, and I cannot even say that Howe took a more unbiased approach than Albertine - because Howe is a serious fan, her adoration for the band is evident on nearly every page. This doesn't make the book bad, per se, but it is relatively one-sided. This is a book for fans, or those with a passing interest in their music specifically, or punk music generally.
I was happy to see three sections of black and white pictures - some of the same images were used in Albertine's book, but this was a much more extensive collection. These images show the girls (and, yes, they were girls when they started - let's not forget Ari Up was 14 years old when she joined Palmolive in forming the band) on stage, back-stage, and in their natural habitats, showing the various sides of each of them. (And you get to see Ari's hair become more advanced. It's like watching Giorgio's hair get taller and wilder in each season of Ancient Aliens. Except, I understand from this book, Ari actually had critters in her hair at one point, which is pretty hardcore.)
I enjoyed reading this, and it was a quick read. Between this and Albertine's book, I feel a have a solid idea of what the band was about and what they wanted to accomplish. The book is also very, very British. As a non-Brit myself, I found a few occasions where I wasn't quite sure what Howe was trying to say, just because the terminology was unfamiliar to me. This doesn't mean anything, I'm just saying. There's a lot of references to "taking the piss" which will always amuse me, apparently.
July 5, 2021
"I've got a new, improved remedy..."
And I WAS taking footsballina whilst reading this thanks to the Euro Cup.
Positively surprising, in the field of books about bands it's one of my challenges in life to find ones that are written well and have interesting stuff in them. This one was top of it's game. Sure, main reasons might be:
It's not written by any of the members themselves.
It's a band I'm a huge fan of.
What I didn't like, though, was that the writer seemed to go off the trail every now and again talking too extensively (in my view) about other people besides the members of the band and I wasn't always so interested to know what these random people got up to.
The beautiful cover of the book graces my bedroom wall (instead of a headboard) and it's even made out of fabulous, soft silk!
I love these ladies and their music and thanks for paving the way for us and thanks for the music and lots of love!
Reading with Viv Albertine's Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys to get the full story.
And I WAS taking footsballina whilst reading this thanks to the Euro Cup.
Positively surprising, in the field of books about bands it's one of my challenges in life to find ones that are written well and have interesting stuff in them. This one was top of it's game. Sure, main reasons might be:
It's not written by any of the members themselves.
It's a band I'm a huge fan of.
What I didn't like, though, was that the writer seemed to go off the trail every now and again talking too extensively (in my view) about other people besides the members of the band and I wasn't always so interested to know what these random people got up to.
The beautiful cover of the book graces my bedroom wall (instead of a headboard) and it's even made out of fabulous, soft silk!
I love these ladies and their music and thanks for paving the way for us and thanks for the music and lots of love!
Reading with Viv Albertine's Clothes Clothes Clothes Music Music Music Boys Boys Boys to get the full story.
June 28, 2015
This book originally was published in 2009 and I came back to read it now after finishing Viv Albertine’s fabulous autobiography. I was always a fan of the Slits after buying their first record “Cut” when it came out in 1979. The Slits came out of the same fertile British punk scene that the Clash and the Pistols did, but their journey was quite different.
The author, Zoe Street Howe, was a big fan of the Slits and she managed to get the band members to open up about their life and experiences in the band. Even though the Slits were an all-girl band for a very short time (all of their official recordings had a male drummer) – they became pioneers for women in rock.
The book is an easy read and contains great pictures of the band as well a discography at the end. The book is British so there are a few comments and sayings that were unfamiliar to me and the book could have used a bit more editing. As a Detroiter – reading that the Stooges were from New York was annoying. The book also has a bit too much of a “fan” perspective where bad decisions and behavior by the band is glossed over. One former manager states that the Slits were more important than the Clash.
However, these are minor quibbles. The Slits music has stood the test of time much better than most of their contemporaries. Listening to “Cut” in 2015 is just as much of a treat now as it was back then, except that I can finally understand and relate to what the Slits were trying to do. This book does a great service by bringing the story of the Slits back into the public eye and exposing a new generation of fans to their music.
The author, Zoe Street Howe, was a big fan of the Slits and she managed to get the band members to open up about their life and experiences in the band. Even though the Slits were an all-girl band for a very short time (all of their official recordings had a male drummer) – they became pioneers for women in rock.
The book is an easy read and contains great pictures of the band as well a discography at the end. The book is British so there are a few comments and sayings that were unfamiliar to me and the book could have used a bit more editing. As a Detroiter – reading that the Stooges were from New York was annoying. The book also has a bit too much of a “fan” perspective where bad decisions and behavior by the band is glossed over. One former manager states that the Slits were more important than the Clash.
However, these are minor quibbles. The Slits music has stood the test of time much better than most of their contemporaries. Listening to “Cut” in 2015 is just as much of a treat now as it was back then, except that I can finally understand and relate to what the Slits were trying to do. This book does a great service by bringing the story of the Slits back into the public eye and exposing a new generation of fans to their music.
October 8, 2020
Typical Girls?: The Story of the Slits (2009) by Zoë Street Howe is a book about the first wave, all woman punk group, which formed in 1976. Their 1979 debut album, Cut, is a one of the defining releases of the post-punk era.
Typical Girls?: The Story of the Slits is one for the fans, or the completely unitiated. A somewhat fawning look at The Slits. As a reasonably clued up fan, I didn't learn anything new however it did inspire me to revisit their back catalogue which sounds better than ever.
Even their final album Return of the Giant Slits, which I felt was a bit of letdown when it came out in 1981, now sounds good, although don't expect too many tunes. It's all about textures, dubby effects and afro-pop rydims.
Worth a read if you like the group, or are unaware and intrigued about their lives and times.
3/5
Typical Girls?: The Story of the Slits is one for the fans, or the completely unitiated. A somewhat fawning look at The Slits. As a reasonably clued up fan, I didn't learn anything new however it did inspire me to revisit their back catalogue which sounds better than ever.
Even their final album Return of the Giant Slits, which I felt was a bit of letdown when it came out in 1981, now sounds good, although don't expect too many tunes. It's all about textures, dubby effects and afro-pop rydims.
Worth a read if you like the group, or are unaware and intrigued about their lives and times.
3/5
October 9, 2023
I found this at times to be kind of messy and juvenile and too fawning over it’s subjects (I do think Viv Albertine is the coolest woman who’s ever lived, mind) and I didn’t love the writing style. But The Slits are icons and it’s important that someone wrote a book about them.
I hope the adaptation of Viv’s Clothes Music Boys doesn’t get stuck in development hell!
I hope the adaptation of Viv’s Clothes Music Boys doesn’t get stuck in development hell!
May 29, 2017
As I adore the Slits, I adored this book. Great photos to accompany and gives juicy details that all music fans will love. Really helps connect punk and the Slits family tree.
August 14, 2022
Very detailed and engrossing story of the very first all-female punk band. I was vaguely aware of the Slits during the Punk Years, but they had a reputation for not being able to play at the time, so my peers kind of discouraged me about listening to them (I was a different person then - now I listen to absolutely anything that interests me). I read the two Viv Albertine books and they were excellent, so I wanted to know more about the other members of the band and their music. As in many other fields (almost all, at the time and most of them now), being an all-female ensemble was a disadvantage. I admire and respect the Slits for being pioneers, for their mere courage in putting themselves and their ideas out there so young and without much experience. They were spat on, stabbed, ridiculed, called names. Yet, they persevered. They had various incarnations from 1977 to 2008, without the original drummer Palmolive, with boy drummers and other members after reforming in the 2000s. They persevered and became a cult band, rediscovered by younger generations. There were blunders, confusion, personality clashes - as in most bands. They were most likely among those who inspired the Riot Grrrls female revival in the 90s - a period I lived vicariously, finding it extremely interesting.
Yes, I listened to their music - some of their songs were indeed not only likeable, but unique-sounding for the times. Kat Bjelland and Bjork must have listened to Ari Up.
It's a book not only for fans of the genre, but for those interested in what women have gone through to achieve what they wanted and express themselves.
Yes, I listened to their music - some of their songs were indeed not only likeable, but unique-sounding for the times. Kat Bjelland and Bjork must have listened to Ari Up.
It's a book not only for fans of the genre, but for those interested in what women have gone through to achieve what they wanted and express themselves.
November 6, 2018
Carrying on a recent Viv Albertine/Slits obsession, I read this, a book referred to in Viv Albertine's book Clothes Clothes..... I learnt more ins and outs, it prompted me to listen to their album 'Return of the Giant Slits' - which was a tremendous disappointment. Throughout all these books, Viv and co. reiterate just how much they didn't know. I think they are great characters but the music! I feel like my granny! Have to try and imagine how 'dangerous' the Slits were (they weren't really) - people felt threatened by the way they dressed and their couldn't care less attitude. But I still don't like their music.
April 22, 2019
Interesting timeline of events if you are interested in The Slits. It also goes through the different eras, and influences they had, as well as the different musicians they collaborated with or help them in their journey.
October 7, 2020
Always loved this band. It was great to learn more about them.
May 25, 2022
Another one I read for my degree.
This was interesting, but at times the framing felt a bit aimless.
This was interesting, but at times the framing felt a bit aimless.
February 23, 2017
I'm a huge fan of the Slits, who have always been underrated, but I was a bit disappointed in the book. I don't read a lot of music biographies, and this isn't a terrible book by any means, but it's a matter of perspective. Having been around (alive!) when the Slits were together, the "history" that formed the backdrop to their emergence is also my history, so it feels strange to see it depicted as such an external narrative.
The author, who I sincerely believe wants to do justice to the impact and significance of the Slits, simply wasn't alive when any of this stuff was going on, so she can only write about it from a weird "back in the day, I'm told" historical perspective. Not her fault, of course, and it might read better to someone from her generation than to someone for whom the punk ethos has been lived and internalized for decades.
The author, who I sincerely believe wants to do justice to the impact and significance of the Slits, simply wasn't alive when any of this stuff was going on, so she can only write about it from a weird "back in the day, I'm told" historical perspective. Not her fault, of course, and it might read better to someone from her generation than to someone for whom the punk ethos has been lived and internalized for decades.
June 9, 2012
This is a fun and breezy read of an official Slits history contributed to all by all surviving members. With plenty of pictures and first-person recollections, this tells the importnat story of an all-female group that ahead of the curve artistically and business-wise. They successfullt wrangled creative control from Island and helped fuse the early "punky reggae" sound (name-checked by Bob Marley in the original recording of "Punky Reggae Party") with their own music as well as funding their tour with Prince Hammer and Don Cherry.
Through their timing and personal connection to the nascent punk scene via Ari Up's mother Nora, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, as well as others this also makes for a unique view into the birth of English punk rock.
Through their timing and personal connection to the nascent punk scene via Ari Up's mother Nora, The Sex Pistols, and The Clash, as well as others this also makes for a unique view into the birth of English punk rock.
December 31, 2015
An important study of an important band. This biography carries just the right amount of weight and detail to entertain and inform without falling prey to obsessive nit-picking. Zoë Howe is becoming a vital chronicler of the alternative music scene and her seemingly intuitive ability to balance content is as impressive as her choice of subjects. A lesson in self-belief and standing tall through adversity which is doubly interesting if you read it along with Viv Albertine's fascinating autobiography.
September 22, 2013
Superior biography. Really captures the spirit of the time and the creative energy of the band.
September 14, 2024
Fabulous account of one of the top three best ever female groups. The others being The Supremes and The Ronettes, obviously.
May 2, 2017
Slightly repetitive but a must-read for any diehard Slits fans.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews