Rancid - ＂Salvation＂

What this video is

Released in 1994 on Epitaph Records, 'Salvation' emerged at the precise inflection point when the Berkeley Gilman Street punk underground crossed into MTV alternative programming. The song draws on Tim Armstrong's autobiographical experience of homelessness and Salvation Army rehabilitation, lending the video an authenticity of class tension — street-level poverty versus affluent suburban 'Blackhawk' — that…

Why it matters

A primary artifact of the mid-90s American punk revival's mainstream breakthrough. 'Salvation' was Rancid's first single to chart on the Billboard modern rock charts (reaching #21), and Spin named it one of the best alternative rock songs of 1994. The video's documentary-punk visual language —…

The director

American music video director based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Studied fine art photography and worked on The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) as a lighting camera assistant. Founded SF-based production company Fire Ball Films; later co-founded Bob…