Matt Freeman
From Punkopedia - The Punk, Hardcore, and Indie Encyclopedia
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Matthew "McCall" Freeman (born Roger Matthew Freeman June 14, 1966 in Albany, California, U.S., is an American musician. He is best known for his bass guitar work with the punk rock bands Operation Ivy and Rancid.
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[edit] Biography
Personal
Matt Freeman was born in Albany, California, located between Berkeley and El Cerrito.
Friends
He met Tim Armstrong when they were only five years old. They played in Little League together and later attended the same high school. Matt played the trumpet as a kid, and later learned how to play the trombone and played in a Jazz band. He learned how to play the guitar, and eventually began playing bass. They got into punk when Armstrong got a tape of punk bands from his older brother, and began playing music together. They were in a series of bands, the first of which was Basic radio, who broke up in late 1986 or early 1987.
Playing Style
Freeman's flexible style references the playing found in reggae, hardcore punk, and jazz. In a promotional interview streamed from the Rancid website before the release of Rancid 2000, Freeman talked about learning bass by playing along with The Who records. He typically uses a hard pick but will at times use his fingers. Freeman used fingering much more on "Indestructible" and also uses it on slower tracks such as "Wrongful Suspicion." Freeman's signature sound and style are essential components to his best known recordings with Rancid.
Freeman uses scales and arpeggios in his basslines as opposed to "motoring" through a chord progression's root notes as is typical of punk bass playing and often embellishes with chromatic passing tones (most commonly between the 3rd and 5th of a chord). He is famous for his solos that represent innovation and creativity within the punk template. Freeman's solos in the songs "Maxwell Murder" and "Axiom" are among his most lauded, though the unreleased track "White Knuckle Ride" could be his finest moment. During live shows when Rancid plays "Maxwell Murder", guitar player Lars Frederiksen often introduces Freeman as "the greatest bassist in the world!".
[edit] Bands
Operation Ivy and Downfall
In May of 1987, Freeman and Armstrong formed the band Operation Ivy. After Operation Ivy broke up in May 1989, they formed a new band, Downfall, which included all but one member of Operation Ivy and two additional members. Downfall recorded a 10-song album which has never been released, then broke up. Freeman and Armstrong next formed Generator, who played a number of shows, but are not known to have recorded anything. After that, Freeman played with the political punk band MDC for about a year.
Dance Hall Crashers
After Operation Ivy, Freeman and Armstong formed the ska band The Dance Hall Crashers, however they left the band shortly after its formation. The band went on to become moderately successful throughout the 90s.
Gr'ups and Rancid
He joined The Gr'ups in 1991. In 1992, Freeman and Armstrong recruited drummer Brett Reed and formed Rancid. Rancid is his most successful band yet. He considered Rancid a side project until Armstrong had proved to him that he had his alcoholism under control. UK Subs guitarist Lars Frederiksen joined the band later in 1993. Their partnership has continued with Freeman contributing basslines to selected tracks by the Transplants, one of Armstrong's side projects.
Others
Another one of his side projects is Devil's Brigade which is a psychobilly band similar to Rancid.
Guest appearance
Matt Freeman provided backing vocals for the Tiger Army songs "Towards Destiny" and "Power of Moonlite".
Movement
During Rancid's 2004 hiatus, Freeman replaced bassist John Maurer in Social Distortion but did not appear on their latest album Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. Freeman did not stay in the band permanently and he was replaced by recent bassist Brent Harding in late 2004.
Health Issues
Following his departure from Social Distortion, Freeman was diagnosed with lung cancer in May of 2005, but was dismissed as abnormal tissue growth and not terminal to his health in June of 2005. He had been a smoker for 20 years but had quit, seemingly by coincidence, shortly prior to this. He learned to play the mandolin so he would have something to do with his hands as heard on Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards.
[edit] Projects
with Operation Ivy
- Turn It Around! 2x7" compilation album (1987, Maximumrocknroll)
- Hectic EP (1988, Lookout! Records)
- The Thing That Ate Floyd compilation album (1988, Lookout! Records)
- Energy (1989, Lookout! Records)
- Plea for Peace (1992)
- '69 Newport 7" (1993, Very Small Records)
- Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation album (2004, Fat Wreck Chords)
with Downfall
- They Don't Get Paid, They Don't Get Laid, But Boy Do They Work Hard! compilation album (1989, *Maximumrocknroll)
- Very Small World compilation album (1991, Very Small Records)
- Can of Pork compilation album (1992, Lookout! Records)
- Millions of Dead Cops II LP (1991, R Radical Records)
with Rancid
- Rancid EP (1992, Lookout! Records)
- Rancid (1993, Epitaph Records)
- Radio Radio Radio (1993, Fat Wreck Chords)
- Let's Go (1994, Epitaph Records)
- ...And Out Come the Wolves (1995)
- Roots Radicals (1995)
- Ruby Soho (1995)
- Life Won't Wait (1998)
- Rancid (2000)
- BYO Split Series, Vol. 3 (2002)
- Indestructible (2003)
- TBA (2008)
with The Gr'ups
- The Gr'ups (1992)
- Vinyl Retentive compilation album (1993, Very Small Records)
with Auntie Christ
- Life Could Be a Dream (1997)
