NY rock interviewer- "What do you think about the punk scene and all of the confrontations? Who is punk and who isn"t punk? I think in no other scene is all that so much of an issue.
Lars Frederiksen- "You"re right. That"s what I call the kiddie punk approach. You know there are countless rumors and we get accused of not really being punk anymore and all the mags and fanzines have the self-righteous approach, just like they"re the ones who invented punk. Big ***ing deal, we don"t give a *** about it. Why should we? To add some unnecessary complication in our lives? Who needs it? Dealing with the press is a double edged knife. You know, if you believe their euphoria and you get a high, if it pushes you, then a couple of stupid rumors get you down. So the best thing is to ignore it all, because nobody can really take it for a long time. Our motto is: Don"t give a *** and do what you wanna do. That"s the only way to handle it. OK, maybe we have a "tude but hell, it"s that attitude that helps us to keep our sanity."
Rancid has never backed down and probably never will. From 1993, all the way to their retirement. This is a band that has endured nearly 13 years of accusations, tragedies and some pain. But they have also introduced 6 full-length records that have astonished early, late, and hardcore punk- loving fans all around the world. Rancid formed in late 92' when
Tim "Lint" Armstrong and
Matt "Brody" Freeman decided to move on with their career after
Op Ivy disbanded. It was merely just an idea as they picked up drummer
Brett Reed from his dark basement. At the time, Brett was still somewhat of a beginner to the instrument, but over the years, the band stuck with him until his talent actually started to flare. In 93' they released their self titled debut album. And it was clearly a success. Then, in 94' after having picked up second guitarist
Lars Frederiksen, (previously in the U.K Subs,) Rancid released their album entitled
Lets Go. The album was immensely recognized and put the band in the spotlight for some time. And then, in 95' when it couldnt be getting better for Rancid, an album so legendary and huge came along that it would change the face of 90's punk forever.......
Rancid- ...And Out Come The Wolves
Lineup
Tim Armstrong- Guitar, Vocals
Lars Frederiksen- Guitar, Vocals
Matt Freeman- Bass, Vocals
Brett Reed- Drums
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This review will include the album getting divided into three portions. The beginning, middle and end of the record (theoretical order). Since there are 19 tracks, this format will suit and easier view for the reviewer and hopefully, the rest of the Sputnik users.
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Portion 1
The very beginning of the album starts exactly where Lets Go left off. the fast-paced, frantic Rancid you love or hate.
Maxwell Murder features an amazing bass solo by master Matt Freeman, although it is a little overrated, the song stands solid. Then, the first portion continues with a mid-tempo song called
The 11th Hour that features a much slower pace and gets you pumped for the amazing classics that are coming up ahead.
Roots Radicals and
Time Bomb had to be most of the few songs that attracted new fans to the album. both radio-friendly, these two tracks cause sufficient chaos for the first half of the album alone. Roots Radicals features Lar's vocals at their very best and fast-paced riffs that satisfy. While Time Bomb features Rancid experimenting with ska elements. And boy, do they succeed. The following last two songs in the first portion are very different, but both not very impressive. but hey, you cant expect anything to follow up Roots and Time Bomb.
Olympia,WA includes a quite annoying riff that gets quite old eventually. And
Lock, Step And Gone is again, led by Lars, and gives this first portion a quite mediocre but very decent ending.
Portion 1 score- 4/5
Reccomended Songs- Maxwell Murder, Roots Radicals, Time Bomb.
Portion 2
The middle portion of the album kicks off with the song that gave the album it's name. While
Junkie Man doesnt sound like such a serious title, it's bridge is it's major highlight.
Listed M.I.A features some of the album's best guitar work and gives you another glimpse of whats going on inside Lar's head. The album's first single,
Ruby Soho lets you know how hard Rancid can actually play. The chorus stays inside your head for some time, and And the guitar in the bridge doesnt dissapoint either. It seems like every portion has it's own ska influenced track.
Daly City Train slows you down from chaos a little bit and once again gets you ready for another explosive song.
Journey to the End of the East Bay features one of the many bass lines that leave a streak of brilliance on Matt's part.The song's amazing intro and lyrics keep it going from intro to end. Every album MUST have a love song, right?
Shes Automatic gives you a look at the slightly dirtier side of Rancid, and end the middle portion of the album on a perfect note.
Portion 2 score- 3.5/5
Reccomended Songs- Junkie Man, Ruby Soho, Journey to the End of the East Bay.
Portion 3
The very best of the album can be seen on this last portion. It kicks off with the ska-love-song
Old Friend. The intro/main riff is truly great, and the solo and lyrics mold this song into the second-best song on the album. Next, a little anger. But in the best possible way.
Disorder and Disarray includes one of the record's best choruses and bridges and both Lars and Tim make this song shine with their vocals and guitar.
The Wars End slows the portion quite a bit but not anywhere close enought to make it not amazing. Lar's vocals can get very annoying and repetitive on this track, and youll want to skip it eventually. And on the horizon, we can see the best song on the album coming straight for us.
You Dont Care Nothin' features Brett making an amazing entrance and leading the song into victory as Lars and Tim take turns with vocals. I would say it grows on you over small time, but its some of the best the album and Rancid themselves have to offer. Hold your breath. Another explosive entrance is then made with
As Wicked. the song's intro gets you ready for the catchy chorus that doesnt let go.
Avenues And Alleyways and
The Way I Feel lead you into the end of the album. Vocals make these two similar song shine, and if youve already gotten to this point in the record, these songs wont dissapoint.
Portion 3 score- 5/5
Reccomended Songs- Old Friend, Disorder and Disarray, You Dont Care Nothin', As Wicked.
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OVERALL-
Pros-
+Great guitar and bass work
+Lyrics at all-time high
+Three amazing ska tracks
+Portion 3
Cons
-Drums get the spotlight for a minute or two but nothing that special
-Some vocals tend to get annoying
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This album paved the way for hundreds of modern punk bands, and obviously will always continue to. This being Rancid's 'sellout' release, it is a little overrated by plenty of groups, but its nothing compared to the excellence of the album. Id like to point out that the interview text at the beginning was taken from nyrock.com. Anybody who ever has liked a song by Rancid or just likes punk in general should own this. I hope people enjoyed reading this review and hopefully got the idea of how great the album really is. Although I actually prefer other Rancid albums like 2000, Indestructible and Lets Go over this,I knew that this is just the one review that needed to be done first. ..And Out Come The Wolves made a huge impact on the genre and it wont be long before Rancid astonishes us once again in the near future.
4/5
