NOFX/Rancid - BYO Split Series, Vol. 3. Review
Posted by Ryan T. Murphy on 09.12.2002
Two of punk's top names play mix and match.
NOFX have made their names as one of the most consistently popular punk bands of the last ten or so years. Rancid have bridged the gap between the mainstream and the underground seamlessly, having been one of the Big 3 bands in the mid-90's punk invasion (along with Green Day and Offspring); and yet still remaining true to their underground roots and staying with their indie label Epitaph when the corporations came calling. These two Warped Tour alumni have won over the mohawked masses with a fury. NOFX has done so with their lighter style and sound and politically charged protestical lyrics. Rancid achieved this with a stylized street punk sound, later infused with reggae, and storytelling lyrics speaking of poverty, addiction, and youthful disenchantment. One of the more notoriable indie punk labels, BYO Records (Bouncing Souls, Youth Brigade), had the foresight to bring these two headlining punk acts together for the third volume in their Split Series. Previously, BYO had released albums featuring songs by Leatherface and Hot Water Music in Vol. 1; and Swingin' Utters and Youth Brigade in Vol. 2. Besides featuring the two most famous bands to date, Vol. 3 of the Split Series has another twist. This album features NOFX performing 6 Rancid songs, and Rancid performing 6 NOFX songs. The contrast in styles and tone between these two bands makes for a dynamic listening experience that any punk would like.
First off, let me set the tone by saying that I bought this album being a huge fan of Rancid but never much of a NOFX fan. The way I view it though, this cd is perfect for fans of either. I mean, its basically 6 songs written by Rancid and 6 songs performed by Rancid, so its more or less a whole Rancid cd, right? And NOFX fans can apply the same logic. Before the end of the first half of the album, though, I realized that I might have sold NOFX short in the past, as they provided some good rock-out moments.
The first 6 tracks are NOFX's versions of Rancid's songs. I was interested to see which tracks NOFX had decided on. Rather than go for some of the better known Rancid songs ("Time Bomb", "Nihilism", "Ruby Soho"), tracks were selected from all but the first of Rancid's albums and most featured a wide display of Rancid's versatility. NOFX's lighter, almost pop-punk stylings tended to offset Rancid's signature sound, which I suppose is what they were going for. This is most notable in "Antennaes" of Rancid's most recent self titled album. An angry protest song culled from the most hardcore sounding Rancid disc to date is lightened by NOFX to a more subtle sing-along type anthem. I personally liked this reworking, though not as much as the original version. "Tenderloin" from Rancid's Let's Go is one of the better tracks on NOFX's side, its less-angered tone and rockabilly-ish riff better suited to NOFX's style. "Olympia WA" and "I'm the One" both sound more as though NOFX were trying to emulate Rancid with their own twist, and these have some of the most punch out of their tracks. "Olympia WA"'s storytelling nature is actually better explored with the easier-to-understand vocal stylings of NOFX's Fat Mike as opposed to marble-mouthed Tim Armstrong of Rancid. The last track on NOFX's side is the one where the listener and apparently the band had the most fun, as "Radio" from Let's Go is reworked into a full-on reggae track, complete with mock-Jamaican accent. The pacing and delivery are completely different from the already excellent original song, and that really encompasses the creativity allowed in covering other's songs.
After "Radio" comes Rancid's selections of NOFX songs. I'll forewarn now that I had never heard any of these songs before I heard these albums, and have not as of yet actually heard the original versions. So my apologies in advance for the change in tone of this review. The Rancid section starts with a brief pause before launching into "Moron Bros.", a funny and blood-pumping anthem that is enfused with liberal amounts of energy. This was definitely a good follower to the laid back reggae of "Radio" and definitely blazes in Rancid's trail with a vengeance. One thing I did notice is that this didn't sound ridiculously unlike an actual Rancid song, though somewhat different. "Stickin In My Eye" is the first song sung by Lars Fredriksen on this album (Rancid usually splits the vocal duties between Tim Armstrong and Lars Fredriksen, and occasionally bassist Matt Freeman, for you new fans.) The clearer vocals of Lars give a smooth gloss to an otherwise heavily minor-chorded track. "Bob", sung by Tim again, is not unlike an actual Rancid song, given its narrative styled lyrics about a recovering alcoholic gone skinhead. The gritty punk nature of this song makes for a good match with Tim's gravely, lisped singing approach (that's gravely and lisped in a good way, of course.) The next few songs are more in a political protest vein, with "Vanilla Sex" clamoring for an end to politicians forcing their ideas of decency on a fun loving porn fan, and "Don't Call Me White" a clarion call to see the end of anti-white prejudice while remaining PC. In fact, "Don't Call Me White" might be the best track on this release, as it mixes the best of both band's styles with a strong political message and the always attention-getting vocals of Matt Freeman. Freeman's voice is one of the most distinctive in all of punk, as his froggy comical sounding voice makes him sound less like Tim Armstrong than Louis Armstrong. All of these elements add up to "Don't Call Me White" being one of the best songs on this album and definitely the one will get a listener's heart beating. (True story: I woke up at 6:30 am for work every morning over the summer, using a cd player/clock radio. One night I was listening to this album on it and forgot to turn the volume down before morning. Need a quick and easy way to give yourself a near-heart attack? Try having a guy that sounds like Grover from Sesame Street scream "DON'T CALL ME WHITE!" into your ear at 6:30 in the morning.)
Considering that most cover albums are usually masturbatory tributes by bands to those who they wish they could be, or style changes done strictly for comedy with no real purpose behind them, BYO Split Series, Vol. 3 really changes the paradigm. Two equally famous bands who have grown together as peers across the years, co-headlining Warped Tours and selling records for Epitaph, and generally sharing a common fan base, have proven that they can attempt to cover each other's songs and still make each track sound distinctive and have an original tint. Though this album received fairly minimal advertisement, it's obvious that NOFX and Rancid didn't record this for themselves. The real winners here are BYO, who have already used this release to add esteem to their name (Vol. 4 being the soon-to-be released split between Bouncing Souls and Anti-Flag, two band whose fame rivals that of NOFX or Rancid); and obviously the fans of either of these bands, getting to hear new twists on some of their old favorites.
Until next time, I hope this didn't suck.
The 411: Rancid and NOFX show their versatility and provide a treat for all their die-hard fanatics.
