Rancid

RANCID

Formed: 1990, Albany, California

Members: Tim Armstrong, guitar, vocals (born Albany, California); Lars Frederiksen, guitar, vocals (born Campbell, California, 30 August 1971); Matt Freeman, bass (born Albany, California); Brett Reed, drums (born Albany, California).

Genre: Rock

Best-selling album since 1990: And Out Come the Wolves (1995)

Hit songs since 1990: "Salvation," "Ruby Soho," "Timebomb"

Of the neo-punk bands that popped onto MTV in the brief mid-1990s revival, Rancid was the group that hewed closest to punk tradition. Lefty guitarist Armstrong delivered his lyrics with a slurred, faux British accent accompanied by a mischievous sneer, while guitarist Frederiksen and bassist Freeman offered bright harmonies and spry licks. The group's members were already seasoned performers by the time fame hit and managed to take their brief burst of stardom in stride.

Armstrong and Freeman had been part of Bay Area punk group Operation Ivy in the late 1980s. For Rancid the pair brought in experienced local drummer Reed. Interestingly, Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong performed a gig with the group before Frederiksen became a permanent member. He also co-wrote early track "Radio, Radio, Radio." The group's material got the attention of Epitaph Records founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, who signed Rancid in 1992. Their debut CD, Rancid (1993), is straight-ahead punk and brought in second guitarist/vocalist Frederiksen. The album features "Hyena," a simple skate-punk track that showcases the band's exuberance and self-assuredness but leaves no doubt that the group was a few hooks short of a hit.

Nationwide recognition came with their follow-up, Let's Go (1994); MTV placed the video for "Salvation" in heavy rotation. Reflecting the punk/rebel ethos, the song takes a tongue-in-cheek look at envy of the rich. It is also true to punk's penchant for repetition, as the group plays the hook "come on baby, won't you show me what you got there" fourteen times in fewer than three minutes.

And Out Come the Wolves (1995) delivers on the promise of "Salvation" with a pair of irresistible punk-pop hits: the ska/reggae flavored "Timebomb" and the Clash-inspired "Ruby Soho." "Timebomb" sets the vivid story of a doomed drug dealer against an incongruently sunny hook: "black coat, white shoes, black hat, Cadillac, the boy's a time bomb." "Ruby Soho" may have the same missing-my-girl theme as KISS's "Beth," but with its energetic "destination unknown" hook, it avoids the schmaltz and insularity that the topic tends to provoke. Both songs made the Top 15 on Billboard 's Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album title refers to the label bidding war that followed Let's Go. However, Rancid remained with Epitaph, preferring the creative autonomy it offered. The label might not have been multinational, but its hard-earned reputation and quality lineup meant that Rancid's CDs were not hard to find.

A major label likely would have been pressuring the group during 1996 to get something out as soon as possible. The group participated in that year's Lollapalooza but didn't exactly strike while the iron was hot, waiting until 1998 to return with Life Won't Wait. The title was prophetic, because neo-punk was no longer the flavor of the month. Green Day was on lite-rock stations with a ballad, while Offspring was staying on the radio with quasi-novelty tunes. Meanwhile, Rancid stuck to their guns, but the album's first single, "Bloodclot," didn't possess the hooks that characterized the group's earlier heights.

The title and the music on Rancid (2000) are a return to the past, featuring straight-ahead, super-fast punk rock without the Caribbean influences. Seventeen of the twenty-two tracks clock in at fewer than two minutes. During the early 2000s, Rancid concentrated on grooming new acts via their Hellfire subsidiary of Epitaph. Though not known for their trailblazing, Rancid did stay true to the punk ethic and churned out some unforgettable music.

SELECTIVE DISCOGRAPHY:

Let's Go, (Epitaph, 1994); And Out Come the Wolves, (Epitaph, 1995); Life Won't Wait, (Epitaph, 1998); Rancid (Epitaph, 2000).

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