Editing Life Won't Wait

{{About|the Rancid album|the Ozzy Osbourne song|Scream (Ozzy Osbourne album)}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2015}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Life Won't Wait
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]]
| cover      = Rancid - Life Won't Wait cover.jpg
| alt        =
| released   = {{Start date|1998|6|30}}
| recorded   = 1997–1998
| studio     = {{hlist|[[Sunset Sound Recorders|Sunset]]|Bloodclot|Brooklyn|[[NRG Recording Studios|NRG]]|[[Ocean Way Recording|Ocean Way]]|[[Record Plant]]|The Complex|American Sector |Penthouse |Coyote |The Site}}
| genre      = [[Punk rock]], [[ska punk]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/life-wont-wait-mw0000599101|title = Life Won't Wait - Rancid &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits &#124; AllMusic|website = [[AllMusic]]}}</ref> [[reggae]]
| length     = 64:13
| label      = [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]]
| producer   = [[Tim Armstrong]], [[Lars Frederiksen]]
| prev_title = [[...And Out Come the Wolves]]
| prev_year  = 1995
| next_title = [[Rancid (2000 album)|Rancid]]
| next_year  = 2000
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Life Won't Wait
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Bloodclot
 | single1date = June 1, 1998<ref>{{cite journal|author=Adored, Ivana B.|title=Post Modern|journal=[[Hits (magazine)|Hits]]|date=May 29, 1998|issue=595|volume=12|oclc=15994494|page=44|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Hits/90s/1998/Hits-1998-05-29.pdf}}</ref>
 | single2     = Hooligans
 | single2date = 1998
 | single3     = Who Would've Thought <small>(promotional single)</small>
 | single3date = 1998
}}
}}

'''''Life Won't Wait''''' is the fourth studio [[album]] by the American [[punk rock]] band [[Rancid (band)|Rancid]]. It was released on June 30, 1998, through [[Epitaph Records]]. It was released as the follow-up to ''[[...And Out Come the Wolves]]'' (1995).

==Writing and production==
Around early 1997, still riding high off of the success of ''...And Out Come the Wolves'', Rancid decided to immediately enter the studio following the ''...And Out Come the Wolves'' tour to record the next album. The recording of ''Life Won't Wait'' took place in the United States (from [[San Francisco]] to [[Los Angeles]], [[New York City]], [[New Orleans]]) and [[Jamaica]]. Two of the songs were recorded in [[Kingston, Jamaica|Kingston]]: "Hoover Street" and the title track, "Life Won't Wait". With the cooperation of numerous Jamaican reggae artists (such as [[Buju Banton]]) is very distinctive on this album, not just in the vocals, but also in instrumental parts, which all makes ''Life Won't Wait'' very different from most of the other Rancid releases. It is also the only album to date not to feature producer/engineer [[Brett Gurewitz]] in any capacity, with Armstrong and Frederiksen opting to produce it themselves. However, as Armstrong noted during his appearance on the podcast One Life, One Chance with [[Toby Morse]], Gurewitz sequenced the album.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Ep 6 [ Tim Armstrong (Rancid/Transplants/Hellcat Records) ] Toby Morse One Life One Chance Podcast |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNlZ6aoPHwQ?si=fbbJxu9diqMKIrFF&t=2094 |website=YouTube |publisher=Toby Morse One Life One Chance}}</ref> 

During the writing process the band had recorded over 50 songs, many still unreleased. For the album, Brett Gurewitz helped pick the songs to be on the record and also help sequence the final album.<ref name=":0" />  Some of the released non-album tracks ended up on singles, compilations, and the ''[[B Sides and C Sides]]'' collections. The song "Emelia" was co-written by [[Vic Ruggiero]] and recorded during these sessions. The song was later re-written and featured on Vic's first solo album in 2001.
The cover photo pays homage to John Lennon's ''Rock 'n' roll'' and Neil Young's ''After the Gold Rush'' cover designs.



==Promotion==
"Bloodclot" and "Hooligans" were released as the album's singles along with music videos for each song while "Who Would've Thought", which also had a music video, was released as a promotional only single. Music videos for "Backslide", "Crane Fist" and "Leicester Square" were also released.

==Reception==
{{Music ratings 
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic review">{{cite web |first=Stephen Thomas |last=Erlewine |title=Review: ''Life Won't Wait - Rancid'' |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r355051|pure_url=yes}} |publisher=[[Allmusic]] |access-date=23 July 2009}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating-Christgau|A-}}<ref>{{Cite book |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |chapter=Rancid: Life Won't Wait |chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=2873 |date=2000-10-15 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishing]] |isbn=9780312245603 |language=en |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/christgausconsum00chri_0 }}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]'' 
| rev3score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|last1=Larkin|first1=Colin|author-link1=Colin Larkin (writer)|title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music|date=2011|publisher=[[Omnibus Press]]|isbn=9780857125958|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC|language=en}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev4score = 7.0/10<ref>{{cite web |last=Ruggeri |first=Kevin |url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/r/rancid/life-wont-wait.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000816184918/http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/r/rancid/life-wont-wait.shtml |title=Rancid: Life Won't Wait: Pitchfork Review |archive-date=16 August 2000 |work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |publisher=[[Condé Nast]] }}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Rolling Stone Review">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/rancid/albums/album/306290/review/5943740/life_wont_wait |title=Review: ''Rancid - Life Won't Wait'' |last=Chonin |first=Neva |publisher=[[Jann Wenner]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030501232723/http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/cd/review.asp?aid=28284&cf=379 |archive-date=1 May 2003 |url-status=dead |access-date=23 July 2009}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Select (magazine)|Select]]''
| rev6score = {{rating|3|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}<ref name="Select Review">{{cite journal |first=Sam |last=Upton |title=Review: ''RANCID - Life Won't Wait, Epitaph'' |journal=[[Select (magazine)|Select]] |publisher=[[EMAP|EMAP Metro]] |issue=August, 1998 |page=93}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev7score = 7/10<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OStTbPbsrNgC&pg=PA121 | title=Life Won't Wait Review | author=Vowell, Sarah |author-link=Sarah Vowell| journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] | volume=14 | issue=7 | pages=121–2 | date=July 1998}}</ref>
}}

''Life Won't Wait'' was released on June 30, 1998, and was the last Rancid album for 16 years to be released through [[Epitaph Records]] until ''[[Honor Is All We Know]]'' (2014). After its release, the band moved to frontman [[Tim Armstrong]]'s label (a sub-label of ''Epitaph''), [[Hellcat Records]], who released their next album, 2000's ''[[Rancid (2000 album)|Rancid]]''. Although not as successful as ''...And Out Come the Wolves'', the album peaked at number 35 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart, making it one of Rancid's highest ranking albums.<ref name="Billboard">{{cite web|title=Life Won't Wait's entry at Billboard.com| publisher=Billboard.com|url= {{BillboardURLbyName|artist=rancid|chart=all}}|access-date=2008-01-17 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080425072933/{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=rancid|chart=all}} <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-04-25}}</ref>

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of [[Allmusic]] described the album as having a ska influence. He praised the music as a "powerful slice of old-school punk — as powerful as any of their records" and claims "it actually sounds a lot like ''...And Out Come the Wolves''". The album received a rating of three and a half out of five stars.<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|title=Life Won't Wait | publisher=[[Allmusic|Allmusic.com]]|url= {{AllMusic|class=album|id=r355051|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=2008-01-17}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{track listing
| extra_column = Lead vocals
| all_writing  = [[Tim Armstrong]], except where noted
| title1   = Intro
| length1  = 0:48
| title2   = [[Bloodclot (song)|Bloodclot]]
| note2    = written by Armstrong, [[Lars Frederiksen]]
| extra2   = Frederiksen
| length2  = 2:45
| title3   = Hoover Street
| extra3   = Armstrong
| length3  = 4:10
| title4   = Black Lung
| extra4   = Armstrong
| length4  = 1:53
| title5   = Life Won't Wait
| note5    = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen, [[Vic Ruggiero]], [[Buju Banton]]
| extra5   = Frederiksen, Armstrong, Banton
| length5  = 3:48
| title6   = New Dress
| note6    = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen
| extra6   = Frederiksen
| length6  = 2:51
| title7   = Warsaw
| extra7   = Armstrong
| length7  = 1:31
| title8   = Hooligans
| note8    = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen, Ruggiero
| extra8   = Frederiksen
| length8  = 2:33
| title9   = Crane Fist
| note9    = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen
| extra9   = Frederiksen, Armstrong
| length9  = 3:48
| title10  = Leicester Square
| note10   = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen
| extra10  = Frederiksen
| length10 = 2:35
| title11  = Backslide
| extra11  = Armstrong
| length11 = 2:54
| title12  = Who Would've Thought
| extra12  = Armstrong
| length12 = 2:57
| title13  = Cash, Culture and Violence
| extra13  = Armstrong
| length13 = 3:10
| title14  = Cocktails
| extra14  = Armstrong
| length14 = 3:21
| title15  = The Wolf
| extra15  = Frederiksen, Armstrong
| length15 = 2:39
| title16  = 1998
| note16   = written by Armstrong, [[Howie Pyro]]
| extra16  = Armstrong
| length16 = 2:46
| title17  = Lady Liberty
| note17   = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen
| extra17  = Frederiksen
| length17 = 2:20
| title18  = Wrongful Suspicion
| note18   = written by Armstrong, Ruggiero
| extra18  = Armstrong
| length18 = 3:32
| title19  = Turntable
| extra19  = Armstrong
| length19 = 2:17
| title20  = Something in the World Today
| note20   = written by Armstrong, Frederiksen
| extra20  = Frederiksen
| length20 = 2:34
| title21  = Corazón de Oro
| extra21  = Armstrong
| length21 = 3:59
| title22  = Coppers
| note22   = Armstrong, Frederiksen, Dr. Israel
| extra22  = Frederiksen, Armstrong, Dr. Israel
| length22 = 5:02
}}

{{Track listing
| headline        = Japanese bonus track
| total_length = 64:00
| title23  = Things To Come
| length23 = 3:14
}}

==Personnel==
* [[Tim Armstrong]] – vocals, guitar, [[record producer|producer]], engineer, mixing, cover photo
* [[Lars Frederiksen]] – vocals, guitar, engineer, producer, cover photo
* [[Matt Freeman]] – bass guitar
* [[Brett Reed]] – drums

===Additional musicians===
* [[Buju Banton]] – additional vocals on track 5
* [[Dicky Barrett]] – additional vocals on tracks 4 and 13
* [[Billie Joe Armstrong]] – backing vocals (Hey Hos) on track 2 
* [[Lester Butler]] – [[harmonica]] on track 1
* [[Roddy Byers]] – guitar on track 8
* Simon Chardiet – guitar on track 19
* [[Alex Désert]] – backing vocals on track 3
* DJ Q-Maxx 420 (Marq Lyn) – backing vocals on track 6
* Santa Fazio – harmonica on track 14
* [[Lynval Golding]] – additional vocals on track 8
* [[Dave Hillyard]] – [[saxophone]] on tracks 11 and 18
* Dr. Israel – vocals on track 22
* [[Thomas Johnson (music producer)|Thomas Johnson]] – percussion on track 12
* Kristin Krisapline – gang vocals on track 2
* Ollie Lattgenau – backing vocals on tracks 10 and 15
* Greg Lee – backing vocals on track 3
* [[Roger Miret]] – backing vocals on track 20
* [[Mark Mullins (musician)|Mark Mullins]] – [[trombone]] on tracks 11 and 18
* [[Stephen Perkins]] – [[steel drum]]s on track 22
* [[Howie Pyro]] – gang vocals on track 2
* [[Marky Ramone]] – gang vocals on track 2
* [[Vic Ruggiero]] – [[B3 organ]] on tracks 5, 8–9, 11, 13, 18, 21, piano on 5, 9, 12, 14, 18, 21, percussion on 5 and 18, guitar on 12
* Jamil Sharif – [[trumpet]] on tracks 11 and 18
* [[Neville Staple]] – additional vocals on track 8
* Tim Shaw – gang vocals on track 2
* [[Eric Stefani]] – piano on track 3
* [[Will Wheaton]] – backing vocals on tracks 11 and 21

===Production===
* [[Thomas Johnson (music producer)]] – percussion, engineer, mixing
* [[Bob Ludwig]] – mastering
* [[Jerry Finn]] – mixing
* Jim Albert – engineering
* Robi Banerji – engineering
* Albert Cayati – engineering
* Michael "Cooley" Cooper – engineering
* Kevin Dena – engineering
* John Ewing, Jr. – engineering
* Grace Falconer – engineering
* Lior Goldenberg – engineering
* Cappy Japngie – engineering
* Walter Mauceri – engineering
* Spencer Ledyard – engineering
* Steve Mixdorf – engineering
* Jonathan Mooney – engineering
* Michael Penketh - engineering
* Ronnie Rivera – engineering
* Michael Rosen – engineering
* Kevin Smith – engineering
* Rohan "Jimjay" Stephens – engineering
* Claus Trelby – engineering
* John Tyree – engineering
* Howard Willing – engineering
* Joe Zook – engineering
* Jesse Fischer – artwork, photography

==Charts==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+ Chart performance for ''Life Won't Wait''
!Chart (1998)
!Peak<br />position
|-
{{album chart|Australia|41|artist=Rancid|album=Life Won't Wait|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Finland|40|artist=Rancid|album=Life Won't Wait|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|New Zealand|46|artist=Rancid|album=Life Won't Wait|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|UK2|32|date=19980628|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2022}}
|-
{{album chart|Billboard200|35|artist=Rancid|rowheader=true|access-date=September 9, 2022}}
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Rancid}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Rancid (band) albums]]
[[Category:1998 albums]]
[[Category:Epitaph Records albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Tim Armstrong]]