Issue #100: Rancid – …And Out Come the Wolves

Released:  August 22nd, 1995

Recorded:  February – May 1995

Genre:  Punk, Ska Punk, Pop Punk

Record Label:  Epitaph

Duration:  49:39

Producers:  Jerry Finn, Rancid

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why …And Out Come the Wolves is One of My Favorites

I’d hoped to land on something perhaps a little more…universal (?) for my 100th issue, but the truth is, I’ve been sliding Rancid’s 3rd album to the side far too many times already.  And another truth is that I’m running out of albums that I would truly consider my favorites from the decade.  In fact, this will probably by my final issue of this series, at least until I really take the time to dig into more music from the time period and/or rediscover something else from the past.

…And Out Come the Wolves sort of forms the 5th leg of the mid-90’s punk revival “table.”  Along with Dookie, Smash, Stranger than Fiction, and Punk in Drublic, the album helped punk crash into the mainstream while setting the stage for and also laying out some of the precedents for pop punk.  But don’t let the comparisons fool you; …And Out Comes the Wolves takes advantage of various ska elements to create a distinct record that takes less influence from 80’s hardcore and retains a healthy portion of Ramones-esque 50’s-style melodies and catchy chord progressions.

Many of the songs (“Time Bomb,” “Daly City Train,” “Old Friend”) have that “wakka-wakka” guitar sound native to ska punk, while even more (“Roots Radical,” “Olympia WA.,” “Lock, Step & Gone,” “Listed M.I.A.,” “Disorder and Disarray,” “The Wars End,” “You Don’t Care Nothin’,” maybe even a few others) have an identifiable ska beat driving them along.  This ska beat would eventually morph into the catchy rhythm that would pervade pop punk in the next few years and is a noticeable departure from the more straightforward “1 2 3 4” beats originating from hardcore that similar albums are based around.  The attitude, delivery, and instrumentation are undeniably punk, but the rhythm is something else altogether from typical punk.  The ska influenced helped slow things down a little and add more room for catchy hooks and rhythms.

When not relying on the conventions of ska and ska punk, Rancid takes ample influence from 50’s rock and roll.  Many of the choruses (certainly the most memorable parts of the album) are dependent on simple, catchy, and upbeat chord progressions.  Two of the album’s three singles, “Roots Radical” and “Ruby Soho” have amazingly infections choruses that beg for a second, third, and twelfth listen.  Often times the vocals are layered, though not in a polished, overproduced way, rather like a group of rowdy bar patrons chanting their favorite song (not dissimilar to Oi! punk – they even say “Oi! Oi! Oi!” in “Avenues and Alleyways”).  The lighthearted sensibility further increases the accessibility of …And Out Come the Wolves.

One of the few downsides is that while relatively short, there are just a few too many songs here (19), and unfortunately a few of them slip into the background and fail to distinguish themselves, especially the few that lean closer to hardcore.  Armstrong (Tim this time, not Billie Joe) also has a hard time holding a tune on his own, and he sounds strained and off key at certain points.  Had they cut a few of these weaker tracks, I think …And Out Come the Wolves would’ve been great enough to move out of the shadow of Smash and Dookie.  Despite the flaws, it still works great as an album.  Even if every song isn’t a standout, there aren’t any glaring weak spots here.

If you can listen to …And Out Come the Wolves while remembering that pop punk wasn’t yet fully formed, it’s quite easy to draw a straight line between songs like “Lock, Step & Gone,” “The Wars End,” “Ruby Soho,” “As Wicked,” “The Way I Feel,” and “Olympia WA.” and the work of later bands like Blink-182, New Found Glory, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, and a slew of others.  Armstrong never quite hits the adenoidal whine that would define pop punk, but somewhere under his gruff vocals, there’s that same sort of inflection that others would adopt.  Still, it’s the rhythmic aspect of this album that sticks out the most.  Straight up “punk” and more specifically hardcore has never had a lot of variation in the rhythm section, and Rancid helped inject this component into the 90’s punk revival, lending the genre a great deal of accessibility, danceability, and most of all, fun.

I never listened to this album as much as I should have back when I was teenager, though when I start digging through my Offspring or hell, even Ramones albums from time to time, eventually I get back around to this one and time and time again I’m stunned at what an effective proto-pop-punk album …And Out Come the Wolves is.  It’s edgier than Dookie, lighter than Smash, catchier than Stranger Than Fiction, and more melodic than Punk in Drublic.  Worth a listen for any 90’s fan!

Written by The Cubist

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Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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