Life Won't Wait

by Rancid

Overview

Rancid never win any points for originality, but originality isn't their goal. Rancid want to be, to quote an old Clash slogan, "the only band that matters." Where the Clash earned that title by mixing genres, blending the old with the new, Rancid decide to be traditional, spiking the Clash's sound with ska-punk and hardcore. Musically, that might not make the group vital in 1998, since it ignores any musical innovations since 1978, but that doesn't mean the group is impotent -- far from it. Life Won't Wait, the group's fourth album, is a powerful slice of old-school punk -- as powerful as any of their records. Apart from a more pronounced ska influence, it actually sounds a lot like its immediate predecessor, And out Come the Wolves, complete with the fiery intensity and catchy hooks that set the group apart from the retro-punk pack. Life Won't Wait, however, also shares the messy, pseudo-epic pretensions that hampered its predecessor. Taken in small doses, the record is quite powerful, but since the group's attack is fairly predictable, even with the detours into ska/reggae and blues, the album becomes wearing when taken as a whole. Still, Rancid are head and shoulders above their punk contemporaries -- they have better songs, a genuine political stance, and raging energy -- and that makes such indulgences tolerable. Even if it runs too long, there won't be a better old-school punk album than Life Won't Wait in 1998. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	06/30/1998
Label:	Epitaph
UPC:	0045778649716
Rank:	14165

Tracks

1. Intro
2. Blood Clot
3. Hoover Street
4. Black Lung
5. Life Won't Wait
6. New Dress
7. Warsaw
8. Hooligans
9. Crane Fist
10. Leicester Square
11. Backslide
12. Who Would've Thought
13. Cash, Culture and Violence
14. Cocktails
15. The Wolf
16. 1998
17. Lady Liberty
18. Wrongful Suspicion
19. Turntable
20. Something in the World Today
21. Corazon de Oro
22. Coppers

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rancid   Primary Artist
Lester Butler   Guest Artist,Harmonica
Simon Chardiet   Guest Artist,Guitar
Eric Stefani   Guest Artist,Piano
Lynval Golding   Guest Artist,Vocals
Dicky Barrett   Guest Artist,Vocals
Tim Shaw   Guest Artist
Howie Pyro   Guest Artist
Marky Ramone   Guest Artist
Roddy Byers   Guitar
Santa Fazio   Harmonica
Ollie Lattgenau   Vocals
Jamil Sharif   Horn
Tom Johnson   Percussion
DJ Q Maxx 420   Vocals
David Hillyard   Horn
Wil Wheaton   Vocals
Stephen Perkins   Guitar (Steel)
Lars Frederiksen   Guitar,Vocals
Victor Ruggiero   Piano,Guitar,Percussion,Organ (Hammond)
Greg Lee   Vocals
Mark Mullins   Horn
Brett Reed   Drums
Neville Staple   Vocals
Dr. Israel   Vocals
Roger Miret   Vocals
Matt Freeman   Bass
Alex Desert   Vocals
Tim Armstrong   Guitar,Vocals
Buju Banton   Vocals

Technical Credits

Lars Frederiksen   Producer,Composer,Engineer
Thomas Johnson   Engineer
Tim Armstrong   Producer,Mixing,Composer,Engineer
Jonathon Mooney   Engineer
Grace Falconer   Engineer
Steve Mixdorf   Engineer
Robi Banerji   Engineer
Jesse Fischer   Artwork,Photography
Albert Cayati   Engineer
Michael "Cooley" Cooper   Engineer
Rohan "Jimjay" Stephens   Engineer
Lior Goldenberg   Engineer
Tom Johnson   Mixing,Engineer
Walter Mauceri   Engineer
Kevin Dena   Engineer
Michael Rosen   Engineer
Douglas Bennett   Composer
Vic Ruggiero   Composer
Joe Zook   Engineer
John Tyree   Engineer
Howard Willing   Engineer
Howie Pyro   Composer
Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Kevin Smith   Engineer
Ronnie Rivera   Engineer
Jerry Finn   Mixing
Cappy Japngie   Engineer
Claus Trelby   Engineer
Dr. Israel   Composer
John Ewing, Jr.   Engineer
Jim Albert   Engineer
Buju Banton   Composer