Rancid has had two lineup changes since its inception, with Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman being continuous members. Their current lineup consists of Armstrong on guitar and vocals, Freeman on bass and vocals, Lars Frederiksen on guitar and vocals, and Branden Steineckert on drums. The band was formed by Armstrong, Freeman, and former drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by Steineckert. This lineup recorded their first album, with Frederiksen joining the band on their subsequent tour.
To date, Rancid has released ten studio albums, one split album, one compilation, two extended plays, and a series of live online-only albums, and has been featured on a number of compilation albums. The band has sold over four million records worldwide, making it one of the most successful punk rock groups of all time. The band rose to fame in 1994 with its second studio album, Let's Go, featuring the single "Salvation". In the following year, Rancid released its highly successful album ...And Out Come the Wolves, which produced its best-known songs "Roots Radicals", "Ruby Soho", and "Time Bomb", and was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA, selling over one million copies in the United States alone. Its next six albums – Life Won't Wait (1998), Rancid (2000), Indestructible (2003), Let the Dominoes Fall (2009), ...Honor Is All We Know (2014) and Trouble Maker (2017) – were also critically acclaimed, though not as commercially successful as ...And Out Come the Wolves. The band released their tenth album, Tomorrow Never Comes, in June 2023.
Studio albums
Rancid (1993)
Let's Go (1994)
...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
Life Won't Wait (1998)
Rancid (also known as "Rancid 2000" or "Rancid 5") (2000)
Indestructible (2003)
Let the Dominoes Fall (2009)
...Honor Is All We Know (2014)
Trouble Maker (2017)
Tomorrow Never Comes (2023)
Maxwell Muder
Rancid Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He just wants you to visit him there
Same old game that he's playin'
His rules are never fair
Nobody want to look back everybody want to get high tonight
Before they run outta time where's the felon the chargeable
Felon the name of the crook who committed the crime
Dial nine nine nine if you really want the truth
Dial nine nine nine if you can't see it through
He ain't Jack the Ripper he's your ordinary crook
Calling Maxwell murder for you
Maxwell got a hand in this plan
He knows who you are in this plan
Shop the rock before you bought it
Sickness Maxwell knows you caught it
Nobody want to look back
Everybody want to get high tonight before they run out of time
Where's the felon, the chargiale felon
The name of the crook who committed the crime
Dial nine nine nine if you really want the truth
Dial nine nine nine if you can't see it through
He ain't Jack the Ripper he's your ordinary crook
Calling Maxwell murder for you
Oh Max, you motherfucker
Dial nine nine nine if you really want the truth
Dial nine nine nine if you can't see it through
He ain't Jack the Ripper he's your ordinary crook
Calling Maxwell murder for you
The song "Maxwell Murder" by Rancid is a fast-paced and energetic punk rock song that tells a story about a criminal named Maxwell who is seemingly enjoying the chaos he has created. The lyrics suggest that he is in a state of denial and believes his slightly twisted world to be a better place than reality. The mention of felons and charges in the song indicates that the authorities are after Maxwell, but he's not worried as he thinks he's invincible. The song also highlights the corruptness of society where people tend to escape from their problems by getting high and ignore the truth.
The chorus of the song, which is repeated multiple times, is a call to dial 999 (which is the emergency number in the UK, but the song was actually recorded in the US where the emergency number is 911) if you want to know the truth and if you can't see through the lies. The lyrics suggest that Maxwell's ordinary criminal activities could be a far more significant issue than people anticipate, and the song is warning listeners to be aware of the real criminals who are roaming society unnoticed. The overall mood of the song is fast, chaotic, and angry, a typical punk rock sound that Rancid was famous for.
Line by Line Meaning
Maxwell can't tell he's in hell
Maxwell is unaware that he is living in a place of misery
He just wants you to visit him there
Maxwell wants to trap others in his suffering
Same old game that he's playin'
Maxwell is repeating the same manipulative tactics
His rules are never fair
Maxwell's actions lack fairness
Nobody want to look back everybody want to get high tonight
People are focused on enjoying the present and not dwelling on the past
Before they run outta time where's the felon the chargeable
People are trying to party before time runs out and are questioning the whereabouts of the guilty party to blame
Felon the name of the crook who committed the crime
The perpetrator of the crime is named Felon
Dial nine nine nine if you really want the truth
If you truly desire the truth, call emergency services
Dial nine nine nine if you can't see it through
If you are unable to see the situation clearly, seek assistance
He ain't Jack the Ripper he's your ordinary crook
Maxwell is not a notorious killer, but a regular criminal
Calling Maxwell murder for you
Maxwell is committing murder and is calling out to pull others into his crimes
Maxwell got a hand in this plan
Maxwell is involved in this scheme
He knows who you are in this plan
Maxwell is aware of the identity of those involved in the scheme
Shop the rock before you bought it
Beware of shopping for illicit substances without caution
Sickness Maxwell knows you caught it
Maxwell is aware of the negative consequences of drug use
Oh Max, you motherfucker
Expressing anger and frustration towards Maxwell
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: LARS FREDERIKSEN, ROGER M. FREEMAN, TIMOTHY ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jens
OK, I'm going to explain how it is short and simple since many people are having a hard time grasping it:)
Pick playing vs finger style is a choice of technique and/or sound that has nothing to do with easy or difficult per se. Bass players in certain genres (e.g. punk and thrash/groove metal) gravitate towards using a pick because of tradition, sound and playing techniques. There are of course finger styles, like advanced slapping techniques, that require a lot more training than playing fast down-strokes with a pick, but how would that sound in a punk rock song for example? Not very good.
Also, there are figures and sequences which are actually much harder to do with a pick than with your fingers (e.g. playing a melody on the higher notes while maintaining an ostinato - accompanying - bass tone) and vice versa.
Sure, it's true that unskilled bassists tend to use a pick, since the finger style has a somewhat higher threshold for achieving an intermediate level of skill, but that doesn't mean that the pick style as such is easier if you consider more complex musical structures and techniques above the most basic level of playing. The finger style is also historically more widespread and explored in more musical genres, which generally means there are more skilled finger players than there are skilled pick players. Just statistics.
Ok, not so short, but I got carried away.
jl2391
Hunter Havok Dude, you've got to be kidding me.
I mean, as far as preference, you absolutely can like Matt's bass playing better, but there is no question that overall Victor Wooten far surpasses this guy as far as skill goes. I am personally shocked they can even be compared.
This bass solo has absolutely no feel, no rhythm, no dynamics and certainly no melody, at all. It's rambling.
Victor Wooten plays with an incredible amount of feel, dynamics, and he is BRILLIANT melodically and rhythmically.
If you put Matt in any situation other than punk, he'd most likely be lost. If he had to follow a chord chart for jazz music, I don't think he'd even know WHEN to play, let alone WHAT to play.
I mean really, this entire solo is a constant flow of 16th notes at a very fast tempo, I really don't hear anything complex happening here other than speed, and speed is the LAST thing that makes someone a good musician.
Speed can be great when used as a way to articulate rhythmic phrases, and sure it can be fun to watch, but speed can also be a great cop-out, as in you just play so damn fast that it doesn't matter if you hit a bunch of random notes and there's no melody because everything is happening so damn fast nobody is gonna hear it anyway. Like I said, speed and flashiness can be enjoyable, but only when it's utilized in a musical way, and this bass solo is far from musical.
That being said, you are obviously entitled to your opinion and have every right to like this guy as a bass player more than anyone else, I'm simply stating that there is no way this guy can be compared to Wooten as far as overall musicianship is concerned. As far as Flea, I think he is so incredibly overrated and boring as a bass player, I just don't see what people see in him.
I personally think Matt is incredibly overrated too, but again, it's just my opinion, there's no right or wrong here, and please understand that what I said here I truly mean with all due respect to you!
Colin A
The best way I can describe Rancid is a punk band with a couple of rhythm guitar players and a lead bassist.
StrengthAddicts
Matt’s amazing ‼️‼️
Evan Richeson
@the G.O.A.T I’d say they’re closer to street punk and maybe a bit of Oi
Tiago Lethal
@the G.O.A.T They're just Rancid
oceanhuntermilesy77
@Crayon Writer fuck off it was a comment not a doco. Fucked if I care. Sorry for your soul. ST4LIFE
Crayon Writer
@oceanhuntermilesy77 my theory if you been playing guitar for 40 years you probably good enough lol. I would love people bashing them to get up on stage everyday put on a show and never let people down. Cause thats Rancid, just cause they are punks doesnt make them less skilled, atleast not after 40 years. If you wanna hear classical listen to that, if you want flamenco listen to that. Its not a dick measuring contest.
PorIssoMesmo
Came to see one of the best bass players in the world and caught a bunch of people fighting over the guy sucking for using a pick or how much better he is for not using his fingers. Different techniques, people. Jesus Christ, it's like blaming someone for using a red shirt over a blue one...
bflo1000
@Hummens There are finger players out there that suck too.
Guillermo Espinosa de los Monteros
Also, the name is Bass GUITAR for a reason. It comes from the same old instrument as the guitar, so if it comes to tradition, it should be played with a pick
Hummens
@Cameron Harris most people who can't play well, play with a pick.