In the 1990s, there was only one real punk rock band still standing. Rancid. Other so-called punk acts had bent the term so much that they were unrecognisable as punk or had become a caricature of the expression. Or even worse, of themselves.
Childhood friends Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman formed Rancid in 1991. Heralding from the punk scene in Gilman Street, Berkeley, they were members of the ground-breaking outfit Operation Ivy. After Op Ivy's demise, the duo recruited Brett Reed on drums and, by the release of their second LP in 1994, the enigmatic Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals. In 1994 came the inspirational, platinum-selling …And Out Came The Wolves, and the band were soon a fixture on MTV, radio and even Saturday Night Live. At this point, many would have disappeared into the stratosphere, but not Rancid. They worked tirelessly in the punk network, giving plenty back and keeping true to those crucial two elements of punk – liberation and unity.
Today they remain the most credible punk band on the planet. Rancid On Track describes their nine studio albums, track by track, and covers compilations, stand-alone singles, splits, rarities, and unofficial releases.
Paul Matts is a part-time writer from Leicester, England. A lifelong punk rock and reggae fan, who fully embraces the DIY ethic, Paul writes for We Are Cult, Something Else and Punk Globe magazines. He is also the author of a novella, Donny Jackal and a novel, Toy Guitars. Paul owned The Attik underground music venue, Leicester, and promoted live shows as 101 Productions. He was also a guitarist with The Incurables. He is married to Georgie, has two grown-up children, and works as a self-employed gardener. Paul's work can be found at paulmatts101.wordpress.com