...And Out Come The Wolves
Just as Green Day aped the Ramones, their contemporaries in this Southern California punk quartet aspired to be the Clash. But also like Green Day, Rancid's fresh approach and excellent songs (including the ska-punk MTV hit "Time Bomb" and the anthemic "Roots Radicals") rose far above tribute-band level. And poet Jim Carroll (The Basketball Diaries) adds spoken-word stream-of-consciousness to the dour "Junkyman." While 19 songs makes this 1995 CD drag on a bit too long,Wolvesis evidence of punk rock's relevance a full two decades after the Sex Pistols.--Steve Knopper