What a fantastic surprise! Collecting my mail after getting home from a couple of days out of the city, I received a mysterious padded mailer from the UK. Upon closer inspection, turns out it's from Mr. Dave Ruffy, the one & only drummer for Ruts DC, and it turns out it's a copy of their brand new album, Rhythm Collision Vol. 2. Life is good! Anyone who has read Stupefaction for a while now knows what a huge fan of the Ruts and Ruts DC I am.
About a year ago, I featured a new song, "Mighty Soldier," which leads off the new album and you can listen to again below. Considering that Vol. 1, released 30 years ago, remains firmly high on my desert island disc list, surviving members Segs & Ruffy (the rhythm section, wouldn't you know?), and a fantastic crew of support players, have done masterful work that just may rival the original. The overall scope and cohesion of this album as a single piece of work cannot be underestimated - this exactly how I feel about Vol. 1, and it suits this one to a "T". From the beginning, each track weaves into the next to take you on a bass heavy journey of rhythm that is incredibly rewarding. The album is twelve tracks in all - 9 on the album proper, and 3 listed as bonus cuts. It was recorded with Mad Professor, who also engineered Vol. 1 thirty years ago, and mixed by Prince Fatty. It's pedigree is undeniable.
About the album, the band says, "We have decided to release this album on our own Sosumi Recordings, embracing the DIY ethic that propelled The Ruts into the 7" vinyl market in 1978, and allowed us to release Volume 1 in '82."
p.s. From the "even more excitement department," according to the liner notes, there is a book about the band in the works by Roland Link. It will be called Love In Vain: The Story of The Ruts & Ruts DC.
p.s. From the "even more excitement department," according to the liner notes, there is a book about the band in the works by Roland Link. It will be called Love In Vain: The Story of The Ruts & Ruts DC.
 |
| Ruffy & Segs |
All I can say is thank you, Ruffy & Segs. You've made this Ruts fan extremely happy. I honestly never thought I'd be listening to new Ruts music again in this lifetime.
Ruts DC have already played a few album kick off shows in the UK this month. Later this summer they'll be playing the following shows, and it wouldn't surprise me if more are added along the way:
August 10 - Blackpool - Rebellion Festival
August 25 - Penzance, Cornwall - 3 Chord Festival
September 6 - Preston - 53 Degrees
September 7 - Newcastle - North East Calling
September 13 - Reading - Sub 89
More in September - German & Scottish dates TBC
Buy the album directly from the band, or at your favorite retailer,
and keep up with Ruts DC via the following links:
 |
| Happy guys, from left: John "Segs" Jennings, Mad Professor, Dave Ruffy |
No comments:
Post a Comment