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 they were unrecognisable as punk or had become a caricature of the expression. Or 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. 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.
In 2021, they remain the most credible punk band on the planet. Rancid Tracks describes their nine studio albums, track by track, and covers compilations, stand-alone singles, splits, rarities, and unofficial releases.
