Indestructible (Rancid album)

Indestructible
Studio album by Rancid
Released August 19, 2003
Recorded 2002-2003
Studio
Genre Ska punk, punk rock, pop punk, skate punk
Length 51:24
Label Hellcat, Warner Bros.[1]
Producer Brett Gurewitz
Rancid chronology
BYO Split Series, Vol. 3
(2002)		 Indestructible
(2003)		 B Sides and C Sides
(2007)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Blender
Robert ChristgauA− [3]
Kerrang!
PopMatters(Favourable) [4]
Rolling Stone [5]
Village VoiceA− [6]

Indestructible is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Rancid. It was produced by Brett Gurewitz (Bad Religion) and released by Hellcat Records with distribution through Warner Bros. Records on August 19, 2003.[7] Despite critical acclaim, the band was criticized by some of its fans for Indestructible's "poppier" sound on some of its tracks. It debuted at number 15 on the charts, with 51,000 copies sold in its first week, making it Rancid's highest debut at the time though it would be surpassed six years later with their 2009 album, Let the Dominoes Fall. Indestructible marks the last recording by drummer Brett Reed, who left the band in 2006 and was replaced by current drummer Branden Steineckert (formerly of The Used).

Writing and production

After a brief hiatus in 2001, Rancid returned to the studio with producer Brett Gurewitz in 2002 to record their next album. Work on it meant a year long for the band. Most notably, finishing up the album was extremely stressful for all of the members of Rancid. Indestructible was the most personal album the band ever recorded as it covered personal issues including Tim Armstrong's divorce from ex-wife Brody Dalle on songs such as "Fall Back Down", "Ghost Band" and "Tropical London". The other emotional part of the album was the album's last track "Otherside", which Lars Frederiksen wrote and dedicated to his brother Robert who died in 2001. The album was also dedicated two of band's mentors and influences, Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone, who both died during the making of the album. Strummer is mentioned in the album's title track.

Post production of the album consisted of cutting the record down from 25 tracks to 19 tracks. The six tracks left off of the final album were Killing Zone, Stranded, Trouble, Road To Hell, Warfare, and Squatter House. Killing Zone and Stranded were used as b-sides and bonus tracks for the record. Trouble was reworked and released as a single on Pink's third album Try This. That version of the song won Tim Armstrong and Pink a Grammy. Road to Hell was re-recorded and a Japanese bonus track on the 2nd Lars Frederiksen And The Bastards album Viking. Warfare and Squatter House remain unreleased.[8]

Delay of release

The album was delayed a number of times before its official release. First scheduled for release was summer/fall 2002, then early 2003, mid-2003 and finally August 19, 2003. One of the reasons why Indestructible had yet to be released was their various other activities. Singer/guitarist Tim Armstrong released an album with his then-new side project Transplants and second guitarist Lars Frederiksen released an album with Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards. Warner Bros. Records released the CD version while LP was released by Epitaph.[9]

Reception

Prior to the album's release the band signed a special distribution deal with Warner Bros. records which was met with major backlash from many of the band's fans for abandoning their independent roots. To ease tension among the fans, the album was released with no mention of Warner Bros. on the album packaging. According to a label spokesman "It's a unique deal that doesn't play by the traditional record biz rules. It's Rancid putting out an album on Hellcat, with the possibility of additional support from [Warner Bros.]." In a statement, Lars Frederiksen discussed the Warner Bros. deal by saying "We have absolutely no complaints with Hellcat. Yes, we are considering additional support that Warner Bros. might be able to provide, but whatever happens, we're sticking with Brett Gurewitz. All I care about and all I have is my music, my bandmates and my band. We are going to do whatever we need to do to survive." [10]

The album was met mostly with critical praise and made its chart debut at #15 making it the band's biggest debut at the time however some fans criticized the album for being a bit "poppier" with its sound claiming a major label had an influence over the band's music making it more appealing to mainstream listeners (despite the album being written prior to the band's agreement with the label), while some felt the album to be a mixture of ...And Out Come the Wolves and Life Won't Wait. The album's first single "Fall Back Down", a song Armstrong wrote about his divorce and how he could always rely on his close friends, was also met with some backlash from fans for the music video for featuring members of Good Charlotte and Kelly Osbourne. The album's second single, the ska-influenced "Red Hot Moon" features a rap at the end by Skinhead Rob, a member of Armstrong's side project, Transplants.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen except where noted. 

No. TitleLead vocals Length
1. "Indestructible"  Armstrong 1:36
2. "Fall Back Down"  Armstrong 3:43
3. "Red Hot Moon (Ft Skinhead Rob)" (written by Armstrong, Rob Aston, Frederiksen, Brett Reed)Armstrong, Aston 3:36
4. "David Courtney"  Frederiksen 2:44
5. "Start Now"  Armstrong 3:05
6. "Out of Control"  Frederiksen 1:41
7. "Django" (written by Armstrong)Armstrong 2:25
8. "Arrested in Shanghai"  Armstrong 4:11
9. "Travis Bickle"  Armstrong 2:16
10. "Memphis"  Armstrong 3:25
11. "Spirit of '87" (written by Armstrong, Dave Carlock, Frederiksen)Armstrong, Freeman, Frederiksen 3:22
12. "Ghost Band"  Armstrong 1:37
13. "Tropical London"  Armstrong 3:01
14. "Roadblock" (written by Armstrong, Frederiksen, Reed)Armstrong, Freeman, Frederiksen 1:58
15. "Born Frustrated"  Frederiksen 2:56
16. "Back Up Against the Wall"  Armstrong 3:20
17. "Ivory Coast"  Armstrong 2:19
18. "Stand Your Ground"  Armstrong 3:24
19. "Otherside"  Armstrong, Frederiksen 1:52
Total length:
 51:24

Album notes

Personnel

Chart positions

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year Chart Position
2003 Billboard 200 15

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
2003 "Fall Back Down" Modern Rock Tracks 13

References

  1. ↑ http://www.punknews.org/article/6448/rancid-warner-deal-details
  2. ↑ "Indestructible". Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  3. ↑ "Album: Rancid: Indestructible". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  4. ↑ Williams, Adam. "Rancid: Indestructible < PopMatters". Popmatters.com. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  5. ↑ "Rancid: Indestructible : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. 2003-08-12. Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
  6. ↑ Robert Christgau (2003-10-21). "Rousing Constituencies - Page 1 - Music - New York". Village Voice. Retrieved 2012-02-25.
  7. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/70588/rancid-hops-to-warner-bros
  8. ↑ "July 2003 #180". altpress.com. Retrieved 2013-02-02.
  9. ↑
  10. ↑ http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/70337/rancid-takes-indestructible-to-warner-bros
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