Roots Radical

Rancid | Format: MP3 Download
From the Album ...And Out Come The Wolves

Product Details

• Original Release Date: January 29, 2008
• Label: Epitaph
• Copyright: 1995 Epitaph
• Duration: 2:47 minutes
• Genres:
• ASIN: B001M7AZYQ
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #82,133 Paid in MP3 Songs (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Songs)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rockin' Punk Anthem, March 11, 2011

By 

Sir Charles Panther "Life is hard. It's hard... (Alexandria, Virginny, USandA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Roots Radical (MP3 Download)

I heard this song for the very first time live when Rancid played it on Saturday Night Live in 1995, and it hooked me right then and there. As a dedicated punk in college in the 80s, then under cover as a commissioned officer in the US Army (how's that for ironic?) yet still a dedicated punkster, I'd heard of these guys, but their name turned me off, me thinking them just another band with a lame, confrontational name. Well, that was my mistake, and I had ...And Out Come The Wolves the very next day. There was no looking back, I've got every Rancid release, and I listen to their work often, as I close on 50.

At a mere 2:47, this thing is over and done in no time flat. I wish it could go on longer, as it's so awesomely strong, but that of course would fundamentally change what the song is about, depunkify it, and render it irrelevant.

This is no shallow punk tune of chicks, cars or drugs, but a fast and furious tale of disowned, unloved teenagers, seeking solace in one another and in drink, colored by the fundamental ska/rocksteady/reggae influence of Desmond Dekker. It's also a tribute to the roots reggae music that influenced Rancid's members, with Jimmy Cliff's "Roots Radical" song name-checked in this song's title and in the "you know I'm a radical" chorus.

Bottom line: this is a hard core punk tune that is also about as pure rock n' roll as you can get (it went to 27 on the Billboard rock chart). It delivers completely on the rockin' explosive energy of punk while paying tribute to musical influences and past friends. It's a pumping, positive endorsement of the power of music. Play very, very loud.