...And Out Come The Wolves as if it were yesterday, despite the fact it was 5 years ago. My 15th Birthday, and I was completely into the whole neo-punk thing. NoFX, Green Day, the entire gamut of three-chord wonders. For some reason, getting a Rancid record took me some time, but on the eve of ... Read review
Advantages: A handfull of the songs are pretty decent Disadvantages: filler all over the shop, boring and repetitive
...years ago. My 15th Birthday, and I was completely into the whole neo-punk thing. NoFX, Green Day, the entire gamut of three-chord wonders. For some reason, getting a Rancid record took me some time, but on the eve of my 15th, my mum was looking for presents for me, and I clocked this album and it's follow up Life Won't Wait in a 2 for £20 deal, and got mother to buy and keep them for me.
I had heard of Rancid, who hasn't. Often hailed, ... ...were.
And to be honest, my little 15-year old mind agreed with them, I utterly loved ...And Out Come the Wolves, viewing it as easily the best album ever. It done nothing but bolster my love for the scene, but then one day something happened. Possibly inspired by the fact every Rancid review referenced them, I actually started listening to The Clash. First I downloaded a lot of their songs. Then bought their albums. Ironically, the ... more
I can still remember the first time I heard ...And Out Come The Wolves as if it were yesterday, despite the fact it was 5 years ago. My 15th Birthday, and I was completely into the whole neo-punk thing. NoFX, Green Day, the entire gamut of three-chord wonders. For some reason, getting a Rancid record took me some time, but on the eve of my 15th, my mum was looking for presents for me, and I clocked this album and it's follow up Life Won't Wait in a 2 for £20 deal, and got mother to buy and keep them for me.
I had heard of Rancid, who hasn't. Often hailed, quite laughably, as 'the new Clash', the group had come to my attention via those Epitaph records Punk-O-Rama samplers, as well as the thorougly bizarre, yet not totally un-enjoyable Chef Aid South Park album, which also boasted songs from Clash singer Joe Strummer, as well as fellow punks Devo(and even Perry Farrell cropped up on it). Every time I went on a website showcasing reviews for these American punk acts, basically every review, no matter how unrelated, bleated on about how immense Rancid were.
And to be honest, my little 15-year old mind agreed with them, I utterly loved ...And Out Come the Wolves, viewing it as easily the best album ever. It done nothing but bolster my love for the scene, but then one day something happened. Possibly inspired by the fact every Rancid review referenced them, I actually started listening to The Clash. First I downloaded a lot of their songs. Then bought their albums. Ironically, the band Rancid seem so completely eager to liken themselves to, are the band that ended up putting me off them. You see, the more I listened to The Clash, the more I began to appreciate that not every song has to sound the same and be based around a catchy guitar hook to be good. And the more Rancid seemed to pale from significance in my eyes. Yet, I still had a smidgen of respect for Rancid, based upon the fact that they had an excellent bassist and the bass played a far more important role than normal in the songwriting process, which I deemed original. Come 2004, I had discovered The Stranglers, a band whose albums the bass-boost function on CD players could turn lethal, and all of a sudden, Rancid really seemed to be no more than another American Neo Punk act, with little to differentiate them from Green Day or Blink 182, other than maybe catchier hooks.
If you haven't heard of Rancid, they were founded by bassist Matt Freeman and guitarist/slurrer Tim Armstrong after their old band, Operation Ivy, split up. Along with one-time UK Subs member Lars Fredericksen and some drummer that even the band's fans probably don't care about(seriously, he gets about as much recognition as the other two from U2) they released two, pretty dreadful, albums in the early 1990s, and found fame and fortune beckoning. MTV picked up their videos for rotation, as did the radio(and while this may sound like a good thing in the eyes of many, it's a big no-no for 'punks'), big money offers came in from major record labels, but already facing 'sell-out' calls from their fans, Rancid decided to stick with Epitaph records, to make them look like Martyrs for the cause of punk or something, and released easily their most popular record in 1995, ...And Out Come the Wolves.
Now, in terms of musicianship, Rancid aren't actually bad at all. While Freeman is easily the most talented member of the band, Armstrong and Frederiksen between them can come up with some nice catchy guitar riffs, and the drummer isn't bad either. What is so comical about them, is their complete and utter desperation to be punks, like they were in the old days. This means really bad mohawks, plaid trousers and leather anything. They look more like The Anti-Nowhere League than any of the more famous punk acts, and the thing I find so amusing about the record, for supposed Clash fans, is that it's cartoon-esque picture of a mohawked, stereoypical punk, looks uncannily like that of Cut the Crap.
Come to think of it, for a band who are supposed to be like The Clash, they really don't do a very good job of it. There entire "we won't sign for a major label" thing is noble I guess, if only the fact the band's idols, you know, the real punk acts of the 70s, were all signed to major labels. The entire stigma that surrounds chart success, with views from punks that it automatically equals 'selling out' is also pretty funny. I hate to tell you guys, but The Clash longed for chart success, as did The Stranglers, The Sex Pistols and The Ramones.
Clocking in at 19 tracks in length, we meet the first problem with the album. While I can appreciate what the band were doing here, trying to make up for the length of songs by putting more on the album, as well as providing a link to London Calling, to be honest, I don't think it works. You see, a lot of ...And Out Come The Wolves sounds very, very similar. It's pretty standard power-pop stuff, with the only thing to differentiate songs is that the two 'singers', Tim and Lars, have very distinct voices. So instead of feeling like value for money, it instead makes the album feel really, really repetitive and stretched out. A shorter album would have had more impact, sure it may have gone by quickly, but it would have left an impression on the listener. If you want a key example of this, see The Dwarves, who've released albums that run 15 minutes, yet stick in the mind for just how violent, in your face and rapid they are. By about the three-quarter point of ...And Out Come The Wolves, chances are you may not even want to hear another Rancid song ever again.
Before I sound like I am totally damning the band, I'm not. ...And Out Come The Wolves has some really fun power-pop, often with Ska influenced tunes on it. The basic problem is that it doesn't have enough good songs to class as a good album, and more to the point, haven't we all heard enough power-pop songs? it's not like it's original, bands like The Ramones and Generation X did it in the 1970s, and the fact is, contrary to what the band's fans will say, this resembles a Generation X or Undertones record far more than it does one by The Clash.
Yet, I have to say it's hard to hate songs as upbeat and catchy as Maxwell Murder, Time Bomb, Roots Radicals, She's Automatic and Old Friend, and I'm even even quite partial to the angst-o-rama that is The Way I Feel, because all of those above songs are pretty entertaining while they last, power-pop at it's best, often incorporating some ska feeling, but not enough to classify the band as a full blown ska outfit, just taking a nice enough dose to add some life to the songs.
The most infuriating track on the record is easily Junkie Man, which would fit into the above category, even featuring some nice Tim/Lars joint vocals and a reciting of a poem featuring the album's title...but the song falls apart at the chorus, which actually starts off well with Lars wailing "no one answers/no one takes that call for you/no one answers no one takes that call for you/no one answers no one takes that call...for you-ee-oo-ee-oo-ee-oo-ee-oo" which is cooler than it looks in text, but it all goes to pot when Tim slurs "Junkie man tell me what your story is" over and over. It ruins what was potentially a decent song, and sees to it that it can be filed next to every other song on the record in the bin.
You see, I've mentioned 7/19 songs here, and the fact is that they are about the only ones that deserve mention. While the ska-injection to the album certainly livens it up, Rancid seem to have figured that..."hey this ska stuff kind of works" and overdone it. The other songs are just plain dull, generic 1990s punk nonsense. The band's much touted lyrics are pretty dreadful to be honest. Even in the good songs, only Roots Radicals really stands out as being anything resembling memorable, and even it's tales of Lars meeting up with his friends and stuff isn't exactly heavy hitting.
Junkie Man is often said to be about Armstrong's pre-Rancid drug problem, which I've often found, slightly morbidly, hilarious. You see, I'll admit I haven't looked into the band's story for about 3 years, but the only drug I can remember any story I read referencing in regards to his intake was Marijuana. Now, maybe he was horribley addicted, I don't know, but I mean, getting addicted to weed isn't exactly the most dramatic rockstar addiction out there, and certainly not one to be making a fuss over. As I say, I haven't read up on it much, maybe he was addicted to harder, dangerous drugs as well, and if that's the case, I apologise, but if it was a weed addiction then, uh..
Other places on the record, the lyrics are just crap. From faux rebellion anthems ("Little Sammy was a punk rocker/you know his mother never understand him" in The Wars End and the utterly hilariously cliched 'unite and rebel' anthem Avenues & Alleyways, which sounds like a really bad Sham 69 rip-off.. Elsewhere, they just plain sound dreadful, like the entire course of As Wicked. The less said about Ruby Soho, which drones on over and over, the better.
To be perfectly honest, I can't even think of anything memorable to say about songs like Listed MIA, Daly City Train, Disorder and Disarray and You Don't Care Nothin', because they are quite frankly, utterly generic and forgettable fodder that could easily have been B-Sides to the singles.
And that's the album, it has it's moments, but a disgusting majority of the record consists of utterly generic and boring punk that can be found on any Epitaph records published record. It goes on too long, and doesn't have enough songs that can be classed as good to qualify as anything other than a passable record. It's leagues ahead of the absolute horror-show that was Let's Go. I'm not going to recommend the album. It epitomises everything about this utterly laughable modern punk scene, and despite showing some really positive signs that Rancid can write some of the best music within the genre, the album is 19 songs long, and over half of it is completely disposable nonsense.
Advantages: See opinion Disadvantages: See opinion
...fed up with bad relationships and they DO have a heart, just ‘cause they have tattoos and shave their heads doesn’t make them a macho idiot. They don’t like having their hearts broken. They have “pain inside” (TM Staind, Nickleback etc.). Worst of all, these guys have “issues”. How convenient! So do all those teenagers out there who haven’t latched onto something meaningful. At the risk of sounds hypocritical, at least Nirvana had decent tunes to ... ...dirt on ex girlfriends (Nookie) and the nonsense rhymes of the theme to Mission Impossible 2 (“Now I know why you wanna hate me/’Cause hate is all the world has even seen lately” IT MAKES NO COCKING SENSE!). The backlash will be slow – and I do still feel like a hypocrite. Axl Rose was a damn good frontman but HIS biggest hits were – dishing the dirt on ex-girlfriends, and sometimes wishing them dead. BUT HE HAD THE MUSIC TO BACK IT UP WITH!
In ...
peppersinclaire 15.04.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
Advantages: Catchy, High Energy, Poetic Disadvantages: Not the best vocals
...the California based punk legends and will probably always be my favorite Ranicd album. It is consistently catchy and energizing from the first song to the last, and definately contains some of their best hits such as "Time Bomb" and "Ruby Soho". The lyrics are meaningful and nostalgic, commemorating lost friends, fun times with past band members, and memories of growing up together. Tim Armstrong, the lead singer and main songwriter, shows himself ... ...as "As Wicked" and "Junkie Man" which both tell stories of people living tough lives. While a stunning voice had never been one of Tim's strengths, the catchy chorus lines and poetic lyrics seem to make up for anything lacked in vocals and he still manages to carry a tune. His raspy voice almost seems fitting as he sings of gritty life in the city and the hardships of growing up. In conclusion, if you enjoy good songwriting or are looking for a fun ...
NowhereKid22890 13.11.2009
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Review of And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
Advantages: more than one good song, interesting variations on there usual style. Disadvantages: a little too light
...is the bands 3rd album and was released back in 1995, it would always be hard for rancid to follow there second album "lets go" which included the classic punk rock song "salvation" but they have produced one of the best punk albums of the 90s in "and out come the wolves". Throughout there careers Rancid have been plauged with there reputation of being completely un-original and sounding far to similar to there idols "The Clash" this album shows ... ...of music including Ska, reggae and blues which are apparent throughout the album.
There are numerous songs on this almost classic album that stand out as a cut above the rest, the first of these is track 2 "The 11th Hour" where the band have written a very good punk song. Time bomb, track number 4 is a two tone ska punk song that includes a powerfull base line and good vocals. Ruby soho is as close as rancid come to making a love song and its suprisingly ...
webassassin 29.04.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
Advantages: Great deal of good music Disadvantages: CD's are too expensive these days
...albums although others are great. And out come the Wolves is Rancids fouth studio album and contains some excellent songs. The tracks on the album are as follows:
1 Maxwell Murder
2 The 11th Hour
3Roots Radicals
4Time Bomb
5Olympia WA
6Lock, Step and Gone
7Junkie Man
8Listed M.I.A
9Ruby Soho
10 Daly City Train
11Journey to the End of the East Bay
12She's Automatic
13Old Friend
14Disorder and Disarray
15The Wars End
16You Dont Care ... ...songs are about being outcast and image, Rancid put such an amazing quality of origionality on all of there songs. If you like any of Rancids previous albums or like anthing that is even mildly punk this album is a must buy. The songs are writtren by the band whcih means it comes from there own expereinces in life and shows what a real band should be like. If you have never listened to any rancid song before please do and support such a great band.!!!!!!! ...
Dowson123 28.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
Advantages: immense Disadvantages: the CD got scratched.
...Saw Rancid live last week and they blew my socks off.
Maxwell Murder was immense the best bass line you'll ever hear, and when you first hear the album that will blow your socks off.
every track is amazing and could easliy be released as a single which is the signs of a well made album.
Other songs such as Ruby Soho, and Time Bomb, are well good punk/ska songs which last week got everyone dancing and singing along.
this album has many catchy ...
chedface 15.11.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of And Out Come The Wolves - Rancid
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Quality and consistency...
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Advantages: Quality Album, a must-have for all rancid fans Disadvantages: Only disadvantage is a couple of 'feel-good' songs which seem out of place
This long-awaited album initially brought mixed reactions. There were several people who thought that Rancid had 'sold-out' by signing to Warner. However, a few listens to this album and its plain to see that Rancid are still very origninal.
Standout tracks "Red Hot Moon" and "Tropical London" deal with serious issues such as heroin addiction and the break-up of Tim Armstrong's marriage. The lyrics are written from the heart and are poetic and haunting.
Although this isn't a traditional punk album it has rancid's unique sound. A mix of punk-ska-harcore that is unforgettable and unique.
Even the feel-good "fall back down" grew on me. All Rancid fans old and new will love this. It brings together the elements of "And outcome the wolves..." as well as "Rancid (2000)" to create a fine specimine of punk-dom.
The price has gone ...
Advantages: This CD reminds me that even *I* can write better songs. Disadvantages: I would rather open up a CD case to find fecal excrement inside than listen to this one.
destruction, and self-aggrandizing whining.
Real punk rockers usually have at LEAST one really good guitar solo. (check outRancid’s entire “…And OutCome The Wolves” CD if you don’t believe me.)
P.S. I see that I’ll be the first to NOT recommend this product, so I eagerly await the keyboard-assisted tongue lashings from the Ciao community.
P.P.S. If you want to hear some REAL punk, check out “Unity” by Operation Ivy; “Never Mind The Bollocks…” by The Sex Pistols; “…And OutCome The Wolves” by Rancid – you get the idea. ...
Advantages: Good value for money Disadvantages: Not as good as previous albums
Rancid.
this album is really enjoyable but to other albums not up to standard,im not to sure when 'life wont wait' 'outcome the wolves' were released but none the less this isnt the best of all rancid albums, also the latest released album ''indestructable'
this band are unbeliavble, tim armstrong (lead vocals. guitarist) went through hell to become famous, any rancid fan out there should know,hes a great role model, he went from family life, to living on the street and doing drugs, although that doesnt sound good, when i just said hes a great role model, but the hard work hes put into it all is very inspiring, his previous bands are 'operation ivy' he is also in 'the transplants', in the band rancid the bassist is called 'matt freeman' and at this time he is suffering with cancer,but recently the played the warped tour in the U ...
scottjones123 26.07.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Rancid - Rancid
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