Today, 15 Nov 2021, Canadian DIY label Anxiety Attack Recordings has released a new comp, Let Me Go – An Acoustic-Punk Tribute to Rancid, a 20-track comp of acoustic covers by Canadian artists. This comp is 100% free (not even a name-your-price option), and can picked up right now at their Bandcamp page.
Several TGEFM staff, and a couple of guest contributors, joined in a group discussion to talk about each track, and express our likes (a whole heckuva lot) and dislikes (few and far between). We’ll embed each track along with its discussion, so that you can listen while you read along.
The Matchup – “Antennas” orig. s-t (2000)
Julie River: Okay, so we’re doing this kind of on the heels of the Misfits tribute comp and the Fugazi tribute before that, and in both cases we were disappointed in how few covers strayed from the original. Already I’m not worried about that on this comp. How are you going to do an acoustic cover of “Antennas” and not change it? The Match Up make this into such a fun and bouncey song and that works surprisingly well with the lyrics. A very hopeful start to this comp!
Jeff Sorley: I’m going to admit something at the start: I don’t know most of these songs. I had Rancid’s 1994 s/t album, and liked it, but wasn’t interested enough in the band to continue afterward. I honestly recognize only three of these songs, and two of those is because I heard another band cover them… (laughter)
So take all of my thoughts here with a grain of salt, because in most cases I’m listening to the original right before the cover in order to make a comparison!
Starting with The Match Up, this cover plays it pretty straight as acoustic versions go. It’s a bit slower but the production is nice and the acoustics sound really good.
Daniel Rice: “Antennas” is a great song that’s been covered by many great bands like NOFX and my personal favorite reggae/ska version by Deal’s Gone Bad. Tim Armstrong even does his own acoustic version under his pseudonym Tim Timebomb that I’ve listened to many times. So, I was very excited to start off with this one. I liked the Match Up version, there is nothing super special about it, but nothing bad either. Like Julie said, it’s fun and bouncy, and a great way to start off.
Gregnaha: In my original post (THANKS JEFF!!! [editor’s note – I accidentally and irrevocably deleted the original discussion, of which Greg had already written out his thoughts on ALL 20 SONGS]) I mentioned that it was nice to hear this song without straining to understand the lyrics. It’s not necessarily a detractor that most Tim Armstrong songs (especially post-Indestructible) are unintelligible, but I just like the experience of not needing a lyric sheet to know what the track is about. All that being said, totally straight ahead cover that works real well.
Tyler Barrett: This is the only Rancid song I ever bothered to learn, and in college I used to imagine myself singing the chorus to a dark room full of confused coffee-drinkers at the local open mic night. It hasn’t happened yet. But if it did, it would probably sound somewhat similar to this. Although mine likely wouldn’t have the dual vocals, which I like. Nor would mine have the pleasant soloing at the end, because I can’t play guitar that well. But my version would have a better vocal pattern that doesn’t follow the chords quite as much as this one. Or at least I’d try. I’d certainly be unable to top this cover, but the coffee drinkers would never know.
Chuck Coles – “The 11th Hour” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Jeff: Chuck Coles (of Brown Brigade, The Organ Thieves, The Creepshow) really takes this one into hearty acoustic territory. I expect that, with most of these songs, the vocals are going to be much more intelligible than the originals. Even Chuck’s raspy voice doesn’t mask the lyrics and adds a much more world-weary tone to the track.
I agree with Julie’s sentiment from the lead track “Antennas,” in that I expect that a lot of these are going to be pretty enjoyable simply because they are presented in a different format than the originals (acoustic vs. electric). The big question is will any band wildly re-jig the song in unexpected ways?
Julie: One thing this comp is bringing to light, that I’ve really taken for granted, is Rancid’s lyrical talent. Most vocals on Rancid’s songs are either shouted or sung in Tim Armstrong’s trademark mouth-full-of-marbles drawl, which I absolutely love but can’t understand. These songs excavate the lyrics and put them on display and we’re reminded how beautiful the songwriting really is.
Chuck Cole’s cover brings to my mind Hot Water Music’s hauntingly soulful acoustic cover of Alkaline Trio’s “Bleeder.” It has that warmth of tone and deep heart that makes an acoustic cover great. So far I’m in love with this compilation and want to have its babies.
Daniel: I was thinking the exact same thing as Julie and realized I was singing the wrong words to some of the lyrics all these years because I misunderstood what Tim said.
Jeff: (laughter) I think a lot of people are going to be finding themselves surprised by the lyrics.
Greg: I like this cover a lot but wish that Chuck had found something else to do once he gets to the second verse. I think an acoustic cover is not necessarily the same thing as just playing a Rancid song on an acoustic guitar which is primarily what this is.
Chris Kanner: I concur that one is just playing a Rancid song on an acoustic guitar. It’s fine but that’s all it is. I always thought this was one of the more underrated tracks on their most famous album, both lyrically and musically. And yes, most people will understand the lyrics better on this cover, but the original has so much else that could’ve been played around with to make an acoustic cover unique.
Daniel: I agree Chuck could have taken a few more liberties aside from leaving out the “all right” in the beginning of the original. It’s a nice acoustic guitar version, but like everyone said, that’s all it is.
Emily Bones – “Roots Radicals” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Greg: I love Emily Bones’ approach to this. The vocal harmonies add a lot – that’s a carryover from the original but it feels more like a feature in this than backups in the original.
Daniel: I also think the vocal harmonies were done well. The slowed down tempo (I checked Jeff and this song is almost a minute longer than the original), and the yeah, yeah, bridge part worked great!
Chris: YES. This is a definite standout. Emily Bones takes what was a punchy punk anthem and, as any great cover should do, makes it all her own. Her lovely voice is as about as opposite from Tim and Lars’ as you can get, but she manages to maintain all the heart of the original. I second the kudos on the bridge as well!
Tyler: Just a lovely cover. Absolutely wonderful. The backing vocals are a nice touch and the lead vocals are all you could ever hope for on a poppy acoustic cover like this.
Julie: The irony of the original is that it’s a tribute to reggae and ska despite not being a reggae or ska itself. Emily Bones giving it a bit of a country twinge that adds another level to that irony. It’s really a beautiful rendition of this song and captures the spirit of the original really well.
Cactus Vella – “Olympia, WA” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Jeff: Cactus Vella, who is also the progenitor of this tribute, and whose label is releasing it, brings the first song from the whole set that I actually know, but really first heard with the NOFX cover. CV surprisingly pulls off an even stankier voice than Tiim Armstrong, pushing the dirty, gravelly tone of the original even further into the gutter. I like it! However, I would just find it OK if it weren’t for (checks notes) Matt Kantor on violin. I think the home-sy delivery of that instrument paired with the acoustic really brings something out of this song. I like in the break how CV’s vocals go from distant and echo-y back to the microphone.
I give this one five liberty spikes and two forehead tattoos.
Greg: I like this cover a lot but I wish that the violinist had done a little more than play the exact guitar parts from the album. The solo doesn’t translate to violin well at all and it would’ve been nice to hear Matt cut loose a bit.
Chris: This is a good one. The bluegrass vibe to this lends very well to the overall fish-out-of-water theme of the song. I, like Greg, do just wish that the violin would’ve wandered off on its own a little.
Daniel: I liked this one also and thought the violin worked well except the solo like Greg said. The violin could have been turned up a little bit more and a little more aggressive sounding, but otherwise it was good.
Tyler: I agree with everyone who is digging this but will depart from my comrades in that I found the violin to be just right—not too showy, not too bland, but a perfect addition. I also really love the bridge here; it’s one of my favorite parts of a Rancid song, and this was a great take on it. Well done.
Julie: Looks like we’re pretty divided on this violin. I’m going to come down on the side of pro-violin. I don’t mind that it’s pretty much just playing the lead guitar part from the original. Otherwise it’s about as straight forward cover as you can do under the circumstances.
Ty Trumbull – “Cocktails” orig. Life Won’t Wait (1998)
Daniel: This one has a country feel, and I’m not a big fan of country, but I do like some country punk. This song was very good, who doesn’t like a good banjo!
Jeff: Maybe a bit more alt-folk? But you’re right. Who doesn’t love a banjo? (assholes, that’s who).
I’m finding out two things during this process: 1) is that I’m probably going to like a lot of these covers more than the originals, and that’s because 2) I appear to be getting really annoyed by Tim Armstrong’s vocal delivery. I don’t recall it being this grating on the 1994 s/t, but maybe it wasn’t because, IIRC, that album was a lot punkier, and Matt Freeman sang a lot as a beefier counter to Tim.
That being said, I dig this cover a lot, and I really, really don’t like the loosey goosey original. Ty Trumbull turns the haphazard original into a moody folk piece and his vocal delivery adds a lot more nuance to the performance.
Greg: Life Won’t Wait is my favorite Rancid album and I will defend it as an extreme masterpiece to my last dying breath. I’m disappointed that this is the only track from the album that’s showing up here, but I’m also glad that it’s one of my favorites. Jeff, I agree that this is really where Tim’s vocals get…tough. I’ve been curious for a long time about how much of a choice that is for him, or if he hasn’t really been taking care of himself and can no longer really sing distinctly?
Regardless, I really really love this cover. It reminds me a lot of how well done the Iron Horse tribute albums are – especially the one for Modest Mouse. Ty Trumbull really plays a lot with harmony and melody in a way that fundamentally changes how I hear the song and I’m all about it.
Tyler: Agree with Greg 100 percent about Life Won’t Wait and recently had to do a lot of defending when I loudly proclaimed to 200+ people in my music social circle that it’s the best Rancid album. I love the original “Cocktails” and while I don’t love this quite as much, I like its transformation in the hands of Ty Trumbull. It just takes on a completely different shape, and if you can take an already good song and make it completely different but still pretty good, I say “hats off.”
Chris: I don’t want to ruin anyone’s day but this one sneaks away with my vote for the best song on here. It may sound country punk to some, but I’d actually invert that and call this urban folk. It specifically invokes Harry Nilsson, and post-Garfunkel but pre-Graceland Paul Simon. I love the warm vocals and delicate backline. It gives a fresh, but just as important, perspective on another classic inner city cautionary tale that Rancid does so well.
Julie: This is the first track on this comp where I don’t really know or particularly like the original that much. I’m not a huge fan of Life Won’t Wait. The title track and “Bloodclot” are excellent but I can pretty much take or leave the rest of it. So this felt less like I was listening to a cover and more like I was listening to an original song. And as a song in its own right, it’s excellent. I agree that banjos are awesome.
Somewhat off topic but I always thought RATM’s “Sleep Now in a Fire” would sound just positively epic on a banjo. Just sayin.
Jeff: (laughter)
Andrew Yeo – “Black Derby Jacket” orig. s-t (2000)
Greg: I’ve never liked this original. I don’t like Matt as a vocalist and a lot like what I wrote about “The Wars End,” I have a real hard time with these lyrics. This cover is fine – I wish the guitar had found something a little more inventive to do here.
Chris: I disagree. I like Matt singing, but probably only because it’s on a very rare occasion. It’s a nice little Easter egg to throw in for a band that has two lead singers. Yes he’s extremely gruff but it’s a good contrast against Tim’s marble mouth and Lars’ howl. I’ve actually always liked “BDJ”. It’s a road song, and structurally has a good roadhouse/honky-tonk feel that suits the lyrics well. That being said, the minimalist guitar work on this really strips away all of the soul here.
Jeff: I agree with Chris. Matt’s vocals may be gruff, but I prefer them to Tim by a mile or, to be more precise, I think they work best when working off of eachother. With that in mind, I also agree with Greg that I wish Andrew would’ve pulled off something better with the guitar. It seems pretty plain and, to be honest, what one would expect from the band themselves if they were put on the spot to play the song acoustically. I like his singing voice but, without the gruff delivery and cadence that Freeman delivers, it kind of shines a light on how much Rancid has to do somersaults to fit some of the lyrics into the song. I’m not saying Yeo did it poorly, just that maybe having too clean and clear of a voice is a bit of a hindrance? Damn you’re clean and crystal clear singing, Andrew Yeo! (laughter)
Chris: True. I mean it’s not that the band doesn’t have a firm grasp of melody and structure, but it is as if they use whichever of their three ‘everyman’ vocal styles to their advantage to make an extra syllable or an approximate rhyme fit in where it’s needed. When you sing as cleanly as this guy, there’s nowhere to hide anything.
Tyler: I have a special place in my heart for “Black Derby Jacket” as a breakup coping song, though I could never play it for anyone because Matt’s vocals are so ridiculous. But it’s a great song lyrically and melodically, and Andrew Yeo has the pipes to really pull it off.
Daniel: I’ve never been a big fan of this song before, but after listening to Andrew singing it, I went back and listened to Matt and now I have more of an appreciation for the lyrics. I liked Andrew’s version, his voice makes up for the simple guitar work.
Julie: Rancid’s second self-titled album, a.k.a. Rancid 5 or Rancid 2000, is the only Rancid album I would say is on the same level as their most famous album, …And Out Come the Wolves. A musical onslaught of 22 hardcore tracks in under 40 minutes, the tightly packed album has no bad songs including all of Matt Freeman’s contributions. Sure, I probably wouldn’t listen to Rancid if Matt was the primary lead singer, but his occasional contributions work really well for what they are.
I’ll agree with Jeff on this one. This is basically what the band would do if they were forced to perform the original acoustically without much time to practice.
Cindy Caron – “Ruby Soho” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Jeff: Speaking of realizing you were singing the wrong lyrics, I was as surprised as anyone to find out this does not go “Density Unknown/Super Super Super Massive Black Hole”! (best dad jokes ever right here).
OK, so this is the ONE SONG on this tribute that I recognize by both name AND the original Rancid version. So I’m giving Cindy credit here because she got what is likely both the most popular and (hot take) worst Rancid song I’ve ever heard. Now, given, I admitted at the start that I don’t know a lot of Rancid songs, and “Ruby Soho” may be part of the reason for that. In what is, possibly, the exception to Julie’s rule from earlier about Rancid’s lyrical talent… the lyrics in this song are just the worst. They hurt my brain. It doesn’t help that it also has Tim Armstrong doing his worst Tim Armstrong impression.
That being said, Cindy Caron does a much more enjoyable version of this song, but I still don’t really enjoy it.
Daniel: I do agree that Cindy’s version helps the lyrics but I also don’t think they are that bad. They are not great lyrics, but not the worst. I thought the cover was just ok. She does a good job with the vocals but it just felt kind a of plain.
Jeff: How come you didn’t laugh at my lyrics joke, Dan?
I don’t know… the original to me just seems like they came up with a super catchy chorus that flows well but doesn’t make much sense on its own; so then they got together and hashed out some quick verses as filler. I mean, they rhyme “eye” and “goodbye” at the end of both the second and third verses. That’s just lazy. The repetition of the word “Ruby” is literally over 1/4 of the entire vocals of the song
Greg: I love this version of the song. Jeff, it’s funny that I’ve been real hard on Rancid for their lyrics on other tracks, but this one doesn’t bother me at all. I like this kind of twee approach to the song, but I really like that Cindy starts with a slightly out of tune conversational approach, but totally kicks it into high gear for the choruses tuning wise. Guitar parts are kind of boring and they could have experimented more but this is still a solid cover.
Julie: So what we’re learning from this project is that Jeff has a deep-seated and irrational hatred of Rancid. You think you know a guy. (laughter)
Jeff: (laughter)
Julie: I don’t dislike this song, but I do think it’s a little overrated. Just a little. I think “Time Bomb” deserves to be thought of as Rancid’s best song more than “Ruby Soho” does, but it’s still a great song.
This is a pretty straightforward cover, but I just love the song with femme vocals and the gang vocals on the chorus add something really nice for me.
MUDIE – “Journey to the End of the East Bay” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Greg: I really appreciate this kind of indie-emo-folk cover. I think it gets to the emotional core of the song in a totally different way than the original. Reminds me a lot of Pygmy Lush. Vocal harmonies are great. Violin is great. I think there are parts that get a little too slow but I give this an A+ for being so inventive.
Tyler: It’s funny Greg assigned it a letter grade (and an “A+” at that); before I saw Greg’s comment and I was just listening to the track, I thought about simply commenting “A++.” Because I don’t really have much to say other than MUDIE saw the pitch, swung the bat, and knocked it out of the park. Impossible to not love this.
Jeff: Should we just switch over to letter grades? It might save time? (laughter)
Daniel: It’s not really my style, but it’s done very well. MUDIE definitely picked the right song for this style. It meets or exceeds expectations.
Julie: MUDIE really makes this into something I never thought it could be. It’s heartwrechingly delicate and pulls out the harmonies of the original but does something really different with it. Again, I love this comp.
Stacey & Phil – “Old Friend” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Greg: This only resembles the original in its lyrics and I think this cover is perfect. Thank you for service Stacey & Phil. This approach illuminates the song in a fascinating way. What I love about this is that you can tell how much time they’ve spent thinking about this song. Some of the other covers interact with the original on a surface level but this shows a real deep appreciation and love for the original.
Chris: Always one of my favorite Rancid songs. This version is what I was hoping to hear on the “The 11th Hour” cover: They take the musical complexities of the source and really put in the effort to twist them into something original. Just because your guitars not plugged in doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun, and Stacey & Phil prove that beyond doubt.
Tyler: This is good on a number of levels, but I don’t like it. Qualitatively, everything is good. The musicianship is competent, the singing is strong, the recording is hi-fi…but to me, “Old Friend” should be in the major scale. And the reason is that the lyrics very paradoxically relate something painful like heartache with a kind of dependable kinship. And the poppy A major scale Rancid plays in musically evokes that paradox. Played with minor chords (as I believe they are here), it’s just too somber. I can recognize the quality of this cover, but I will go to Big D & the Kids Table if I need to hear someone other than Rancid play it.
Daniel: They did a great job of making this song their own and it sounds great. But I agree with Tyler and not a big fan of this one. The vocals changed the feel of the song and made it somber for me also.
Julie: I’m with Greg and Chris on this one. It gets transformed into a sort of folk-emo-country tune that bears no resemblance to the original musically and really understands the song in a way I don’t think even Tim Armstrong does. Truly it’s a delight.
Calhoun – “Fall Back Down” orig. Indestructible (2003)
Greg: I’m curious to see what other folks have to say about this but I like almost nothing about this. The beginning made me think we were about to get Tom Waits doing Rancid – and I was wrong. The mixing is kind of bizarre. The vocals are way too loud and the distorted guitar is kind of baffling. Also this goes as a reminder to all musicians to tune your instruments before you record!!
Chris: I feel as though this guy didn’t get the memo that this collection was supposed to be a “tribute”.
Daniel: The distorted guitar kind of ruined the acoustic feel for me and the acoustic guitar needed more twang to go with the vocals which kind of overpowered the song.
Julie:
Wait, is this Matt Freeman with an acoustic guitar? (laughter)
Yeah this song is all over the place and can’t decide what it wants to do with the song. I think some artists don’t take tribute albums seriously and just crank something out really quickly and hope nobody listens to it, and I think that’s what happened here.
Hackles – “Let Me Go” orig. Let Me Go (2000)
Greg: Thank you Hackles for not trying to rap like Tim does (side note: when are we getting a Transplants cover album??). I’ve said this in another comment but I think the fact that Tim Armstrong can write a song that is essentially a groovy rap tune, and it translates to an acoustic folk cover with basically no changes speaks to what a solid songwriter he is. I like the addition of the melodica a lot and there’s also what sounds like a cello to me. We didn’t need to hear the “Okay check this out” at the beginning but in general I think the vocal approach to this works really well.
Daniel: Hackles definitely gave this song their own feel. The vocals worked well, I didn’t know that was a melodica but I liked it a lot too. I liked the “Okay check this out” at first, but after a few more listens I agree with Greg. Are we still doing letter grades? I’d give it a B+.
Julie: I agree that I like that Hackles didn’t rap the lyrics like Armstrong does. I love the way Armstrong does this on the album, but they don’t need to do it the same way with the acoustic cover. I love this cover but it might be because this is definitely the best song off one of their best albums and it’s hard to screw up.
Jon Creeden – “The Wars End” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Greg: This is one of my least favorite Rancid songs by far. I feel embarrassed listening to the lyrics. I’ve always appreciated that every Rancid album is stuffed to capacity with songs, but sometimes I wish a couple of these songs had been cut. Jon Creeden’s cover doesn’t do a lot for a song that isn’t fantastic to begin with. Since the song is so simple it would’ve been nice to hear something a little more inventive or weird.
Chris: For a while when Rancid did this song live, Lars would do it solo, and I thought that version worked better than the album version when the rest of the band comes in after the first verse. This cover is of course more reminiscent of that live solo version, and doesn’t really bring anything special to the table. I never thought it was an altogether bad song, likely because 13 year old me heard a lot of my own story starring my own un-punk parents in it. But it definitely has not aged well, and now feels like an interlude at best. Kudos to this cover for capturing that, at least.
Daniel: I guess I’m in the minority here as I like the original and I like this cover. The vocals are not a big departure from the original and I guess the guitar pretty much follows the original also, but it still has a different feel to me.
Julie: I wasn’t thrilled with this cover, but that could be because the whole comp is packed with so many great covers that I’m becoming hard to impress. I think I would have liked this one better if it wasn’t surrounded with so many amazing covers.
Dragon City Radio – “Spirit of 87” orig. Indestructible (2003)
Daniel: This might be my favorite song on the comp. Lots of energy, fast tempo like the original, maybe even faster? think I hear bongos and maybe a harp?
Jeff: It definitely seems faster but, surprise, the runtime is exactly the same as the original: 3m20s. Better people know better words for this, but I think the guitar gets more strokes and the drums more beats while keeping the same rhythm of the song. And the vocals keep the same pace as the original but have a lot more frantic emotion to them. I’m not sure if I dig the vocals sounding like the were recorded in a can, but who cares? This song is super fun. Big props to Dragon City Radio.
Greg: This is one of my favorites on the whole compilation. It surprises me that this is almost the only song that takes a folk-punk approach to the music but it works so well. I don’t revisit Indestructible terribly often but this song made me remember how much I love the original, even if I don’t really care for the lyrics.
Chris: It’s true that this isn’t Rancid’s best lyrical work, but this was also exactly where the band was at the time, and given that context this is actually one of the best songs on Indestructible. This is probably the most deviant and truest version of a song on this collection, if that makes sense. As has been mentioned, they keep the run time and tempo the same, while adding the 1/16ths to the drums and guitars for a little more depth. And yes the vocals sound like shit, but have that rabid hyena flair to them that sounds just psychotic enough to be great fun without being over the top.
Jeff: “…while adding the 1/16ths to the drums and guitars for a little more depth.” See, better people. (laughter)
Tyler: It’s very interesting to read the comments here, and I’m glad this cover is getting some love because it certainly wouldn’t come from me. That has way more to do with my dislike of the original though. I mean, I’m not huge on the lo-fi folk-punk kinda stuff, but it’s not like the cover is any worse than the song for me. Just never dug this Rancid tune but I do find it cool that others are into it.
Julie: When we were doing the Misfits tribute I remember that Tiffa said they should have made a rule about no cell phone recordings during band practice. I feel like this comp needed the same rule. I’m surprised at all the love for this one. Starting with the fact that Indestructible, which is largely Tim Armstrong’s emo divorce album (then again if one the most gorgeous women in punk divorced me I’d be pretty emo about it), is one of the band’s weakest albums. Then this cover sounds like it was recorded in a glass bottle. I was not loving this track.
John Di Marco – “The Sentence” orig. s-t (1992)
Greg: This is not a song I’ve heard in a long time, but John Di Marco makes the right choice in approaching this like a fast paced folk punk song. If the song was any longer I think it would get boring and I think John’s voice is maybe not fitting the texture terribly well, but not a bad cover at all.
Daniel: I didn’t recognize this one and I could not find it in my collection. I did find it on the YouTube. So this version was like a new song to me. I liked this one, the solo was good and the little bass break down. Not bad at all.
Julie: I’m definitely giving John Di Marco points for choosing such a deep cut for his cover. That being said, it doesn’t do much that’s particularly interesting with the material so I walked away more impressed with the song choice than the cover itself.
Valerie Knox – “Loki” orig. s-t (2000)
Greg: My biggest complaint about this cover is just my jealousy about how damn good it is. My other (real) complaint is how short it is! I know that Valerie Knox is following the form of the original but I would not have complained about repeating some parts. My band has been doing some Paula Cole covers and this version of Loki would be right at home.
Chris: Why did someone this good pick one of the shortest Rancid songs to cover? Definite 90s alternative songstress spirit here, although I’d probably lean more towards Shawn Colvin than Paula Cole. At any rate, this one is fantastic. I do appreciate that there’s a full band here, but with the way Knox handles the arrangement of this very simple song, it would be just as effective stripped down further.
Tyler: Seems like it’s a rare occurrence that we get to hear hardcore songs reimagined with melody. NOFX did it with “Straight Edge” and I See Stars kind of did it with “Can We Start Again.” But neither of those are anything compared with this. A truly top shelf interpretation. My only complaint is that while the abrupt end works for the original, some breathing room on the back end might have served this rendition well.
Daniel: This is not really my taste in music but it’s still really good. This is the only song on the comp if you hadn’t told me, I would have no idea it was a Rancid cover.
Julie: Really great cover. Valerie Knox really puts some great melodies into a hardcore song that had none. I don’t mind that it’s so short. Short of writing her own extra verses for the song like Lars Fredericksen did with his Billy Bragg cover, I don’t see what she could do to make this longer.
Cud Eastbound – “Time Bomb” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Jeff: This is another of the songs that I recognize, but mainly through a college bar cover band from back when my wife was getting her PhD at Penn State. They played it pretty straight except with an accordion which, no surprise, adds a lot to the song.
Anyhow, Cud Eastbound take the, given, slightly neurotic ska stylings of the original and gives it a super-fast folky twang which I dig. I’m still on the fence if the vocals deliver or not, but since I’m not immediately put off by them, I’d mark that down as a win either way.
Also, I’m not sure what the heck is going on during the “solo” which seems pretty haphazard, but it is very off-putting and I LOVE IT!
Greg: This is a great cover. I think all the artists on this comp are showing a lot of smart restraint by not doing acoustic ska and looking for other ways to interact with the genre. I wouldn’t want an entire album of this style cover, but this is so satisfying for one song. Jeff, I like the solo a lot too. I have no idea how they’re doing that but it’s a real cool effect that I would not have guessed was going to show up.
Chris: First off, even being the huge Rancid fan that I am, I have always despised this song. It may have gotten the most airplay over the years, but I’ve honestly always considered it to be one of their weakest songs. That being said, I do like this cover. I think the vocals are actually spot on. I like the slight rasp mixed with a little twang; it gives the story within the lyrics an actual heartbeat, moreso than the original does. And yeah that solo is a mystery to me too but it comes outta nowhere, sounding disjointed as all hell, and really makes this one memorable.
Daniel: I didn’t get a ska vibe from this song the first time I listened to it, but after another listen it kind of does. I personally would love an all acoustic ska album, maybe next time. After the first listen I just wrote down a question mark because of that solo and thought I need to come back to this song because I have no idea what that was. After a few more plays I still have no idea what’s going on there but the rest of the song is pretty darn good. Everyone else talked about the cool twang and the scruffy vocals so I don’t have much else to add.
Julie: I’m going to take exception to Chris’s hatred for this song, because this is easily the band’s best song. So because of that, this is a pretty hard song to mess up. It’s a good cover, and I agree that the solo is weird and awesome, but I’m not sure if I would have cared that much if this was a lesser song.
The Little Deaths – “Radio” orig. Radio Radio Radio EP (1993)
Daniel: This gets my vote for the most unique song on the comp. Very stripped down with just an organ. The singer has a good voice and it’s a very interesting cover, I’m just not sure it’s the best song for this approach.
Greg: As a fellow organ freak I was really excited about this. The theremin addition is real cool and I could’ve done with more of it. I do wish the organ was doing more than just playing the chords but it’s still nice to hear something other than an acoustic guitar. The singer has a real good voice but this is maybe not a great key for her voice. There’s moments where she has a lot of vibrato and she’s really digging into the notes, but I feel she’s straining for quite a bit of it. I wish more of the cover had been as weird as that moment at around 1:50 but I still had a great time listening.
Daniel: Yes I totally forgot to mention the theremin part! It was strange and cool at the same time. Angelo Moore would be proud!
Jeff: I like this one a lot, too. Man, the theremin is fucked up. In regards to what Greg said, I’m not as bothered with the organ just playing chords, as anything more might’ve overwhelmed the impact of the theremin when it does come in. I’m not as bothered by her vocals as much as I kinda wish they were recorded a bit better. The organ and theremin are clean yet, once again, we have the vocals sounding like they were recorded someplace they shouldn’t be– I had the inside of a metal shipping container in my head for this one. I just don’t think the recording quality/environment was doing the vocals any favors at all. Still, super thumbs up on the cover!
Tyler: Wow. Very striking take on an obviously beautiful song. My complaint is either with the mixing (where some vocal parts are awkwardly loud) or the execution of the vocals. It might not be perfect but I definitely appreciate the creative direction on this.
Julie: Okay, I have a confession to make: everyone who knows me knows that I don’t love NOFX (although I deeply love Fat Wreck Chords), but NOFX’s reggae cover of this is the definitive cover of this song and maybe even better than the original.
That being said, I wasn’t enthused by this version. The rather vulgar tribute to the genre of punk has some very good lyrics, but they sound awkward when the only backing music is an organ and a theremin.
Boxcar Sh’onn – “Sidekick” orig. Let’s Go (1994)
Greg: Is there a better Rancid song than Side Kick to do as badass outlaw folk? It really made me reconsider the lyrics – partly because I could actually understand them. I think my biggest complaint is the ending – I would have loved the tension of just holding out the last chord of the chorus and skipping the outro bit.
Tyler: Hot dang, this is just about the perfect acoustic Rancid cover. It’s jangly and haunting with all the necessary pieces from the original (minus the sidekick’s name tag, which is only mildly distracting). Boxcar Sh’onn, get off your boxcar and onto the podium, this is one of the best tracks on the comp.
Daniel: This was the perfect song to use for, as Greg said, an outlaw folk version. It really worked well. Yes I wasn’t crazy about the outro, but everything else was great! I also agree with Tyler this one makes it on the podium!
Chris: Boxcar Sh’onn drops the mic before the comp is even done. Outlaw folk music is basically what punk rock is, and I think thats why this one translates so well. The ending throws me off as well, but, the unexpected has its place too, doesn’t it? Podium track for sure.
Julie: I’m just going to agree with everyone that this outlaw folk translation of the original is one of the best songs on this comp and leave it at that.
Mikey and His Uke – “As Wicked” orig. …And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Greg: This shows up at a smart place in the album, where the onslaught of acoustic guitars is getting a little tiring. I do wish there was more playing around with the original material in this though. I actually could’ve done without the drums in favor of an all piano cover. Pretty much just a straightforward cover that gets from Point A to Point B without any issues.
Daniel: I actually think this song could have been moved up a few spots. I do agree I could have done without the drums. I enjoyed the vocals and overall I liked it.
Chris: I want to like this one alot more than i do. Great performances all around; I especially like the voice. But, and maybe this is because of the drums, for me it’s just entirely too similar to the original. Its like one of those keyboard workstations where you compose a song with various parts, and you can switch out the instruments. They kept the vocals and the drums and just switched the guitars for a piano and harmonica. I do enjoy it I suppose, but only because if I wasn’t paying close attention, I might actually think I’m on side B of “Wolves”.
Tyler: This is definitely not what I was expecting from an artist called “Mikey and His Uke.” Did I miss something here? Is that Mikey? Is there a uke buried somewhere in the mix? I thought this was supposed to be an acoustic comp, there sure sounds like something electric or digital in there. That said, I like it. It reminds me of Inspection 12 doing a Rancid cover, which is really funny to me and as a fan of both, makes me happy. Is it a little strange? Sure. Do we really need the drums? I’m not sure. But it’s cool to hear this kind of Rancid by-way-of Elton John AOCTW staple.
Daniel: I just wanted to mention that I think it’s funny there is a band called Inspection 12 and another called Inspector 12.
Jeff: Well, of course! Inspector 12 was already taken.
Julie: I actually like the drums just because I haven’t heard any in like a dozen tracks now and I miss them. This cover basically turns it into a pop-rock tune and it turns out to be the perfect song choice for that style. I was a little confused by the band name, too. I’ve heard of Mikey and His Uke before and wasn’t expecting a full band with a high pitched singer and no sign of a Uke.
Chris Veinot – “Poison” orig. s-t (2000)
Greg: Not a bad cover but doesn’t add a ton to draw me in. It strikes me how good songwriters Rancid are, that they can perform songs that draw on reggae, punk, and hardcore, and all of them translate equally well to the acoustic medium.
Chris: For me this one actually does the biggest favor for the lyrics of all the songs on this comp. This was on the second self-titled, aka “Rancid 2000”, aka ‘the hardcore one’. Which means this one was loud, fast, and was excreted from Tim’s mouth on a tsunami of saliva. Not to mention I believe this was the only Rancid record not to include lyrics in the book. There isn’t much character in this cover, but it does allow the listener the advantage of discerning a very overlooked example of their great songwriting.
Daniel: This is another original that I don’t listen to very often and hadn’t paid much attention to the lyrics before. This cover helps you realize the great songwriting as Chris said and it’s a well done acoustic song but it didn’t do much more for me.
Julie: This is a very good translation of the original, but I wanted a little more harmonizing on the chorus like in the original. They bring it in a little in the end but the first few times he does the chorus I really wanted those harmonies.
Final thoughts
Chris: To call this an acoustic covers album is a little misleading. That makes it sound like it’s just a bunch of recorded practice sessions. In reality, this is 20 versions of punk rock songs done in a variety of traditionally acoustic (or mostly acoustic) musical styles, such as bluegrass, country, tin pan alley blues, and folk, as well as pop and rock & roll. But really the genres don’t matter much, and that’s the whole point. This is a tribute album to a band whose work defies genre, and i think the main takeaway from this record is that not enough people realize that. Rancid might play punk music but their songs are universal.
Daniel: Overall this was a great tribute album with tons of variety. The album was mixed well and the songs sounded consistent. Unlike Jeff, I’ve been a Rancid fan since I first saw them live in 1994, so I was very familiar with all but two songs. These slowed down versions gave me new appreciation for the lyrics and made me like some of the originals even more. I think even non-Rancid fans would dig some of the songs. I’m a little bummed we only got one song from Life Won’t Wait, I really would have liked to hear someone take on the songs “Coppers” or “Hooligans”. All in all, I love listening to cover versions of songs I really like and I will definitely listen to this album again.
Greg: This is third cover album we’ve group reviewed and I have to say that anyone interested in curating such a thing should be taking lots of notes.
First, there’s a huge diversity of approaches to the covers themselves. We’ve got a few straight ahead covers that do almost nothing to change or comment on the songs. There’s a few that play with the style a bit but generally stick to the harmonic and melodic layout of the original. And then there’s a few that take a lot of liberties with the source material in extremely inventive and fun ways. My only real complaint about the album as a whole is that there’s only one song from Life Won’t Wait, and nothing from after Indestructible. I like hearing takes on songs I know really well, but I could’ve done with a few more deep cuts.
Second, some degree of care has gone into making the recording quality relatively consistent. It’s easier to do this when so many of the covers are just acoustic guitars and vocals, but if we didn’t have proof that these were recorded, mixed, and mastered in different spaces I would have guessed that at least a few of them had the same engineer. This might be more of a coincidence than anything else but it gives the album a cohesion that makes for an easier listening experience.
As I said in some of my individual song comments, it really jumps out at me that Rancid is full of extremely crafty and talented songwriters whose music can translate to lots of different genres. Lars Fredriksen was talking on the Turned Out A Punk podcast a few years back about how many different styles they’ll try for one song. I can’t remember the exact quote but he was saying that one song might start as a hardcore track, and then they try it as rockabilly, and then as ska or whatever. I think that looseness and adaptability int he foundations of the songs themselves translates fully across all the covers across this album.
This is how you should put together a cover album. This is a great model for both curation and approach. I typically don’t spend a lot of time listening to covers – because as I’ve mentioned before I often feel that I need a lot of convincing that I should be listening to the cover instead of the original, but this is an album I fully plan on listening to again.
Jeff: While I’m still not entirely sold on Rancid as a band (and at this point in my life, that ship likely sailed a long time ago), I AM sold on this tribute album. It’s a real treat, and most of the artists really stepped up and delivered. I think that if there any tracks I just don’t like it is more likely due to personal style and preferences.
If I had any qualms it is that the scope of this seems so narrow. If I count correctly, eight releases are represented on this comp, and 9/20 of these tracks are from …And Out Come the Wolves. But over almost 25 years of releases, Rancid has nine studio LPs, a couple EPs, and a bunch of ephemera to pick and choose from. It feels like a lot of potential material was left aside (I would’ve loved to hear a moody, sad acoustic rendition of “The Bottle”).
So while this is a tribute to Rancid the band, it feels more like a tribute to the nostalgia of Rancid at the time when they were riding high on wave of the mid-90s punk resurgence and, possibly, when a lot of these musicians first got into punk? This isn’t a slight on any of their contributions, but tribute comps always lead me to look at a band as a whole and, with this comp, we’re only getting one part of the picture, and a majority of that one part is from the band’s mainstream breakout album, which is also their most popular and best-selling to date.
Still, 100% great work from all around, and to Anxiety Attack for putting it together (and making it FREE). You’d be a fool not to grab a copy and then go on to like/follow/support these musicians.
Julie: This is the third tribute album we’ve done recently and I think, because of the fact it’s an acoustic tribute, there’s far fewer songs that play it too close to the original. The nature of this particular comp forces artists to make the songs their own and bring out sides of the songs that the original failed to. It’s definitely my favorite of the three tributes, even if there were songs I could have done without.
Tyler: Rancid and Tim Timebomb have done some of these songs acoustically already, but that doesn’t stop this comp from being a great collection of covers. It’s great to hear some classics reimagined by artists with their own creative interpretations, and I love the stylistic diversity. But for a band with such a rich and enormous back catalog, it’s a bummer so much material was ignored. Rancid is one of only a few bands I can think of that had five incredible albums to start their career comprising an astonishing 102 songs among them and many more in the last 20 years. This comp is basically …And Out Come the Wolves with a sparse sprinkling from other releases. That said, it’s hard to complain because it’s a wonderful showcase of lesser known characters paying homage to one of the greatest punk bands of all time. Covers compilations can be pretty hit or miss, this one is definitely a hit.
TGEFM would like to thank the following guest contributors for their time and participation:
Chris Kanner is a writer and comedian currently living in Columbus, OH. He has also contributed to Punknews.org writing features, interviews, and reviews.
Daniel Rice likes fine beer and cheap cheese. He has been a DJ, sound mixer for commercials and television, and is currently the owner/operator of REC MX, designing high-performance aftermarket parts for the sport of motocross. He also has a habit of creating pastiche style cover songs and changing the chorus to incorporate “Jeff” or “Sorley.” (sigh… it’s true – Jeff)
Tyler Barrett rocks. Like Chris, he also contributes to Punknews.org.
Great Review. Thanks!