During the mid-1990s, some important releases by bands out there resulted in a revival of Punk Music by the end of the decade. This generally came from some well-received releases by bands such as Green Day, The Offspring and other USA-based Punk groups out there. Rancid had been on the musical scene for some time by 1995 when this album was released. With a mixture of Punk, and Ska Punk, this is an album release that sold well (for such a band) and began a major label bidding war for the group, which explains the album title, which was inspired by the whole bidding war. The music, however, is the most important thing to pay attention to. Let’s take a listen to this album and we shall hear what it sounds like.

Maxwell Murder begins with some keyboard and freaky electronic sounds and launches into a chaotic and good Punk Rock listening experience. This may be a subtle reference to The Beatles’s Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. Nonetheless, an interesting listen with Punk guitars and a cool bass guitar solo. All in all, an enjoyable start to this album.

The 11th Hour begins with some upbeat and excellent guitar riffs, launching into a momentous tune about things in one’s life falling apart. The song and overdriven guitars are a good match to complement each other throughout this tune. This music is really excellent and sounds incredibly supercharged. There are bongos in the second half of the song, and this is a powerful and passionate listening experience for its two-and-a-half-minute running time. A good song to hear.

Roots Radical is a shouty song with some awesome Punk-based guitars, and quickly launches into an easy listening Punk/Pop Music piece. This has some lyrics about politics but sounds punchy and interesting nonetheless. With simple and catchy music, Rancid do have a decent appeal for a band based on Punk stylings. There is a change leading into an expressive guitar solo here, and the music sounds gloriously good for what it is. This is a singalong song for Punk Music lovers that sounds warped, thrilling and excellent. Towards the end is a singalong chorus with some awesome lead guitar work.

Time Bomb is the most popular song from this album, and launches into a weird mixture of Punk and Reggae, aka Ska Punk. Still, despite the fact that Rancid don’t do Ska Punk overly well, this is solidly catchy and has some awesome melodies throughout. It does sound rather dated today. A slow yet awesomely melodic guitar solo is present with tremolo picking, followed by an organ solo. The song eventually returns nicely, and it is energetic and supercharged throughout. This deserves more attention, although this is clearly musical history here.

Olympia, WA launches right into more overdriven power chords and sounds excellent. By this point of the album, one will realise that this isn’t as good as some competitive contemporaries of the time, such as blink-182. Still, it is very good listening. This is a good listen about the city in the song title, and the music is powerful and energetic to hear. This unusual and interesting blend of Punk Music sounds really cool. There is a rhythmic and well-played guitar solo in this song, and the music carries on through a great series of musical changes and guitar styles of playing. All in all, a powerful and upbeat listen that sounds melodic and interesting. Towards the end is a sweet guitar solo that is played without shredding, and is very melodic.

Lock, Step & Gone begins with feedback-laden guitar, and quickly enters into an upbeat Pop Punk song. This sounds a lot like The Clash, to be honest. This outlines the fact that Rancid had a flaw, which was that they weren’t entirely original musically. Still, this is a powerful and supercharged listen that is very good and interesting to listen to. For many listeners, this music is a lot less appealing than other music out there. Still, this has some awesome bass guitar soloing, loud overdriven electric guitars and powerful drumming, with shouty lyrics. This was 1995 music for Punk fans who wanted to hear some more contemporary and interesting music. A good song.

Junkie Man begins with some odd guitar melodies and energetic drumming, launching into a song that is okay but is essentially more of the same musically. This song is obviously a politically incorrect one lyrically and it is difficult to get into and enjoy. This isn’t the best music, to be frank. The appeal of this album wears thin by this point. It is good music, but is not focused and it sounds like second-rate material, to be fair. There are some DJ-scratched vocal samples and bongos with some try-hard humour lyrics in the second half of this song. The album title is cited here, and the song quickly returns to the verses. Not overly impressive, even for a three-minute-long song.

Listed M.I.A. launches right into it, with some ordinary-sounding guitars and drumming. Once the verses hit, this does sound quite good. A good song that is quite a story, this is one of the better listening points of the album. A manic guitar solo that is mid-tempo is present in the centre of the song. This is very simple music that sounds energetic and fiery throughout. In the second half, handclaps enter and this song is a really awesome piece, at least sonically, even if the music is so-so. Enjoyable enough for what it is.

Ruby Soho launches straight into overdriven guitars and mid-tempo drumming. This quickly launches into a song that is okay but does not have a wow factor about it all. The chorus is meant to be singalong, but to be quite frank, this album is rather trashy overall and this song is a good example of that. In any case, this song is one of the more popular listens from this album and does have a poppy element to it. Still, this music isn’t the greatest, and it lacks a genuinely long-term musical appeal. Very difficult to appreciate hearing this music after a while. The repeated singing throughout this song is quite annoying as well.

Daly City Train sounds rather ordinary from the start, with raspy vocals, organ and clean electric guitar fighting for attention in different channels. This enters into a Ska Punk tune that sounds quite good, but it isn’t as well done as say, The Specials would do of that style of music. Musically, this is a supercharged and energetic listen that has very little appeal. The songs could have been done better, both production-wise and lyrically. Ska Punk is a bit of an acquired musical taste, and this is very clear why so on this song. In any case, this song is okay but others have done Ska Punk Music better. There is a simple guitar solo with tremolo picking, and this whole thing sounds fairly mediocre and uninspired to listen to. Very difficult to get into, but fortunately, it is only three minutes or so of your time. Very meh.

Journey To The End Of The East Bay begins with melodic bass guitar and hi-hats. It sounds bad, with the addition of feedback electric guitar swells. This quickly launches into another very ordinary song that probably can be skipped. This is not a great song, and it sounds like an aggressive rant throughout. This is about roaming through the USA and is just not very consistently appealing. Punk Music has done better, both before and since, and there is no overtly wonderful musical moment in this song. A mixture of bass guitar melodic playing and guitar soloing is present in this song as well. Again, not that great. This music has a lacking musical appeal to most listeners. Overall, very lacking. It ends with some awful guitars.

She’s Automatic launches into a short song that makes no sense lyrically and has some overdriven guitars, drums and shouty singing. More of the same, essentially. A real drag of a listen, even for a song that is only a minute and a half long. The drumming is worth mentioning with some powerful drum rolls and changes throughout, but the song sounds really bland otherwise. This isn’t outright bad, but is dull and boring listening for the most part. It’s only okay.

Old Friend enters into another weird Ska Punk song. It sounds really cheesy. It eventually enters into a song that hasn’t aged well, both lyrically and musically. This is okay to hear but is an average album of music that is a mixed listening experience. Fortunately, the songs on this album are relatively short. Just because these guys were a specific style, it doesn’t mean that the music is very good. This is the case with this album. A breakdown with lone vocals, accompanied by an organ is here, before launching back into the song at hand. Anyway, this is okay but not the finest album or song ever made. This ends just before three minutes in length.

Disorder and Disarray begins with hi-hats and launches into an average-sounding song. This is very Punk based in its own way, but by this point, this Buzzcocks-sounding piece of music drags the album down further. In general, not an enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. There is a pseudo-Dub/Reggae breakdown before this song launches into the middle eight. Even so, this music isn’t great to hear out of interest. This is just a piece of rubbish, even for this album. Hit stop, and go and hear something else than this junk. There is nothing good nor worthwhile musically. A bad song, period.

The Wars End begins with oversatured overdriven guitar riffs in the right channel. This music eventually gets going with some good singing. An improvement over the last track nonetheless, this sounds energetic and powerful throughout. Musically, this is an improvement over the last batch of tunes and has some decent melodicism about it. A very good listen, but certainly not a great listening experience. It ends suddenly before two minutes in length.

You Don’t Care Nothin’ begins with some great drum rolls, and launches into another fairly cheesy listen. This song is more of the same on this album, and it sounds like a poor Punk imitation musically. Again, this is music that needs a real rethink. It just lacks quality to it and is a case of style over substance musically. Fortunately, these songs are quite short. This sounds very energetic and lively but is disappointing in quality. A poor piece of music, and an uninspiring album to listen to.

As Wicked begins with some bass, percussion and overdriven guitar riffs, before launching into another average music piece. Singing emerges, and this song gets going into a try-hard listening experience throughout. This music isn’t the greatest, and towards the end of the album, this becomes a real drag to listen to. Anyway, skip this song if you can. An unpleasant listening experience and something not worth getting into or remembering. There is a quirky guitar solo in the second half, but that is about it. A drag, and enough to put one to sleep. Avoid this song.

Avenues & Alleyways sounds a bit better from the start. It is a good, melodic and energetic song that sounds a bit more focused and decent musically. This does sound a bit like The Clash, however. This song points out the average and ordinary nature of this album. It sounds okay, but just is nothing particularly innovative, interesting or consistent musically. There are handclaps and matching guitar riffs in the middle before this returns back into the verses. A rather annoying listen, this is an album and song not really worth remembering. Anyway, this is only three minutes long. Still, nothing special here.

The Way I Feel is the last song on this album. Fortunately. It begins with some unusual guitar riffing and launches into a decent and expressive piece of music. Even so, Rancid is not the greatest Punk band ever, in fact, they largely disappoint. This is a good song to close with, but it is not worth a real mention from this album. In any case, this abrasive music isn’t the best. A try-hard punch in the face, this is not a really good tune. It wraps up with a stupid harmony-based chorus and fast playing and drums. The album ends suddenly after that.

This is a very ordinary album listening experience, and it is easy to hear why this is not more popular. Rancid took Punk and Ska Punk and flogged it to the nth degree with some simple, yet banal and boring music. There have been a ton of bands from the 1970s onwards better than these guys. Therefore, this is quite a disappointment. Should you listen to this album? No, don’t bother with it.

Very lame and boring.

4/10