Social Distortion (album)

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Social Distortion
Social Distortion - Social Distortion cover.jpg
Studio album by
Social Distortion
ReleasedMarch 27, 1990
RecordedAugust–October 1989 at Track Record in North Hollywood, California
Genre
Length41:16
Label Epic
Producer Dave Jerden
Social Distortion chronology
Prison Bound
(1988)		Social Distortion
(1990)		 Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell
(1992)

Social Distortion is the third studio album and major label debut by the American punk rock band of the same name, released on March 27, 1990, through Epic Records. The album furthered the country-infused experimentation of Prison Bound with songs like "Drug Train" and the radio hit "Ball and Chain".

Contents

The focus on the alternative rock scene helped bring attention to Social Distortion. The singles "Story of My Life" and "Ball and Chain" were able to find an audience on alternative rock radio and on MTV. Social Distortion was one of the band's most successful albums to date, and their first to enter the Billboard 200; the release peaked at number 128. [6] The album has been certified gold by the RIAA in the United States. [7] By 1996, Social Distortion had sold at least 250,000 copies, becoming the band's second best-selling album in the United States (their next album Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell sold 296,000 copies). [8]

Background and production

After touring in support of its previous full-length studio album, Prison Bound, Social Distortion signed with Epic in 1989 and began work on its first album for a major label. The album's recording sessions took place from August to October 1989 at Track Record in North Hollywood, California. It was produced by Dave Jerden, who also produced their 1992 follow-up Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell .

Artwork

The album's cover features three pieces of ripped paper, each with a different scene on them. The first piece features a 1930s style gangster with a tommy gun attempting to break a door with his right foot. The second piece features an empty liquor bottle held in a drunk woman's hand. The final piece features a woman putting on thigh high stockings. The pictures are drawn all in blue on a gray background.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [9]
Christgau's Consumer Guide Five Pointed Star Solid.svg [10]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [11]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]

Reviews for Social Distortion have generally been favorable. AllMusic's Mark Deming awards the album four-and-a-half stars out of five and claimed that Social Distortion "began to metamorphasize from a rather ordinary L.A. hardcore band into a roots rock band willing to make with more than their share of the attitude, and this process continued on their self-titled third album." For the album's musical direction, Deming states "Mike Ness and Dennis Danell's guitars sound lean, sharp, and powerful; Ness's vocals are better controlled than ever before; and Christopher Reece's drums have a tight snap that suits both the thrashier numbers as well as the slower, bluesier tunes." He also states that it Social Distortion is not a "great roots rock album, but it's a pretty good one, and it's better and more affecting than anything this band had cranked out before." [1]

Social Distortion entered the Billboard 200 album charts in September 1990, just six months after its release. It peaked at number 128 and remained on the chart for 22 weeks. [6] Thanks to the success of the singles "Let It Be Me", "Ball and Chain", "Story of My Life" and "Ring of Fire", Social Distortion became the band's best-selling album of their recording career, achieving gold sales certification in the United States. [7]

Track listing

All songs written by Mike Ness, except where noted.

  1. "So Far Away" (Maurer, Ness) - 3:37
  2. "Let It Be Me" - 4:16
  3. "Story of My Life" - 5:48
  4. "Sick Boys" - 3:19
  5. "Ring of Fire" (June Carter Cash, Merle Kilgore) - 3:51
  6. "Ball and Chain" - 5:44
  7. "It Coulda Been Me" - 3:52
  8. "She's a Knockout" - 3:52
  9. "A Place in My Heart" - 3:15
  10. "Drug Train" - 3:42

Japanese Bonus Track Listing

  1. "It's All Over Now" (Bobby Womack, Shirley Womack) - 4:09
  2. "Shame on Me" - 2:11

Trivia

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1990)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [14] 128
Chart (2015)Peak
position
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [15] 18

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [16] Gold500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Ness</span> American musician (born 1962)

Michael James Ness is an American musician who is the lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1979. He has also released two solo albums, Cheating at Solitaire and Under the Influences.

Dennis Eric Danell (June 24, 1961 – February 29, 2000) was an American musician, guitarist and co-founding member of the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social Distortion</span> American punk rock band

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness, Jonny Wickersham, Brent Harding, David Hidalgo Jr. (drums), and David Kalish (keyboards).

<i>Sex, Love and Rock n Roll</i> 2004 studio album by Social Distortion

Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll is the sixth album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It is their first studio album in eight years, since the release of White Light, White Heat, White Trash in 1996. The album was originally scheduled to be released in the fall of 2000, but was not yet completed, and it was officially released on September 28, 2004. This album is Social Distortion's first to feature guitarist Jonny Wickersham, following the death of original guitarist Dennis Danell in February 2000. The album's opening track, "Reach for the Sky", was released in late 2004 and became one of Social Distortion's biggest hits.

<i>Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell</i> 1992 studio album by Social Distortion

Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on February 11, 1992. Following up on the surprise success of their breakthrough singles "Ball and Chain" and "Story of My Life", Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell became a popular album and received positive reviews from music critics. It also spawned their highest-charting single "Bad Luck", which peaked at number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

<i>Prison Bound</i> 1988 studio album by Social Distortion

Prison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988. It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece. It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, Mommy's Little Monster (1983), by adding influences from country music and blues rock.

<i>Mommys Little Monster</i> (album) 1983 studio album by Social Distortion

Mommy's Little Monster is the debut studio album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released in 1983 through the label 13th Floor Records. The album is notably different from the band's subsequent releases, featuring styles of traditional punk rock, both traditional hardcore and melodic hardcore, and pop-punk. This is Social Distortion's only studio album to feature bassist Brent Liles and drummer Derek O'Brien, both of whom were out of the band by early 1984 and would be replaced by John Maurer and Chris Reece respectively. The album received underground acclaim from punk rock fanzines, and it has been acknowledged as influential and inspirational to the then-burgeoning pop-punk and skate punk scenes.

<i>White Light, White Heat, White Trash</i> 1996 studio album by Social Distortion

White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the fifth studio album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on September 17, 1996, by 550 Music and Epic Records. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn. After the release of Social Distortion's 1992 album Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, the band toured until the end of 1993 and needed a break. After dealing with court battles over early recordings and attempting to retrieve them, package them up, and release them, Social Distortion wrote many songs to plan a new album.

<i>Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past</i> 1995 compilation album by Social Distortion

Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past is a collection of early recordings by Social Distortion. It was released on July 18, 1995, and contains songs which were recorded in 1981. It is a collection of singles and B-sides that had never appeared on any of the band's full-length albums. This album was released by Mike Ness' Time Bomb Recordings in 1995 along with the re-release of Mommy's Little Monster and Prison Bound.

<i>Another State of Mind</i> (film) 1984 American film

Another State of Mind is a documentary film made in the summer of 1982 chronicling the adventure of two punk bands, Social Distortion and Youth Brigade, as they embark on their first international tour. Along the way they meet up with another band, Minor Threat, whom they hang out with at the Dischord house for about a week near the end of their ill-fated tour.

<i>Live at the Roxy</i> (Social Distortion album) 1998 live album by Social Distortion

Live at the Roxy is a live album by American punk rock band Social Distortion. It was released in 1998, on the independent label Time Bomb label. It is the last Social Distortion release to feature founding rhythm guitarist Dennis Danell, who died in 2000. John Moore of New Noises referred to Live at the Roxy as one of the best live punk rock albums of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ball and Chain (Social Distortion song)</span> 1990 single by Social Distortion

"Ball and Chain" is a song by Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion. Written by Mike Ness in 1987, it is featured on their self-titled album released in 1990, as well as on Live at the Roxy (1998).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Story of My Life (Social Distortion song)</span> 1990 single by Social Distortion

"Story of My Life" is a 1990 song by American punk rock band Social Distortion, written by frontman Mike Ness. It was released as a single and also appeared on their self-titled album as well as Live at the Roxy live album. The song describes a man looking back wistfully on life, such as a love interest he had as a teenager, and how things have changed and how quickly his life has passed him by.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Social Distortion discography</span>

The discography of Social Distortion, a Southern California-based punk rock band formed in 1978 by vocalist/guitarist and founder Mike Ness, contains seven studio albums, one extended play (EP), two compilation albums, two DVDs and twenty-four singles.

<i>Live in Orange County</i> 2004 American film

Live in Orange County is a DVD that was recorded by Social Distortion at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California in January 2003.

<i>Greatest Hits</i> (Social Distortion album) Compilation album by Social Distortion

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Social Distortion. It was released on June 25, 2007. It includes hit singles from Mommy's Little Monster to Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll - as well as the unreleased track "Far Behind", which also became a hit single – yet lacks anything from Mainliner, which is actually a compilation of unreleased early material.

<i>Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes</i> 2011 studio album by Social Distortion

Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is the seventh studio album by American punk rock band Social Distortion, released on January 18, 2011. It is the band's first album recorded with bassist Brent Harding, their first album of new material since 2004's Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, and their first release on Epitaph Records. Work on the album began in 2006 and it was originally forecast for a 2007 release, but was pushed back several times while the band continued touring and writing new material. After four years of writing, Social Distortion recorded the album from February to July 2010 at Ocean Studios in Burbank, California. Drummer Atom Willard left the group during the recording sessions in favor of his other band, Angels & Airwaves. He was temporarily replaced by Scott Reeder before David Hidalgo, Jr. joined as the band's new permanent drummer. Despite being listed as a band member on the album, Hidalgo did not actually play on it; instead, the band hired session musician Josh Freese to record the drum tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonny Wickersham</span> American musician (born 1967)

Jonny "2 Bags" Wickersham is an American musician who is currently a guitarist for the California punk rock band Social Distortion. He joined Social Distortion after the death of founding member and longtime friend Dennis Danell in February 2000. Previously he had been a guitarist for U.S. Bombs, The Cadillac Tramps, and Youth Brigade.

"Let It Be Me" is a song by American punk rock band Social Distortion from their 1990 self-titled album. Released as a single, it charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart at No. 11. A live version appears on their Live at the Roxy live album.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Deming, Mark. "Social Distortion – Social Distortion". AllMusic . Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Grow, Kory (July 22, 2015). "Story of My Life: Mike Ness Talks 25 Years of 'Social Distortion'". Rolling Stone . Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ Sachet, Andrew (July 29, 2020). "15 '80s punk albums that shaped the '90s/'00s pop punk boom". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
  4. ↑ Cole, Matthew (17 January 2011). "Review: Social Distortion, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  5. ↑ Wawzenek, Bryan (October 24, 2016). "Y'ALLTERNATIVE: 33 TIMES ALTERNATIVE ROCK WENT COUNTRY". Diffuser. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Social Distortion - Social Distortion". Billboard . Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  7. 1 2 "RIAA Gold & Platinum Database". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 2012-08-03.
  8. ↑ "Will the Flash of 'White Light' Burn Steadily?". articles.latimes.com . 1996-10-02. Retrieved 2013-02-14.
  9. ↑ May, Mitchell (April 19, 1990). "Social Distortion: Social Distortion (Epic)". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  10. ↑ Christgau, Robert (2000). "Social Distortion: Social Distortion". Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 288. ISBN   0-312-24560-2 . Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  11. ↑ Hilburn, Robert (April 8, 1990). "Social Distortion 'Social Distortion' Epic". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved June 22, 2024.
  12. ↑ Browne, David (June 28, 1990). "Social Distortion: Social Distortion". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  13. ↑ Considine, J. D. (2004). "Social Distortion". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp.  756–757. ISBN   0-7432-0169-8.
  14. ↑ "Social Distortion Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Social Distortion Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
  16. ↑ "American album certifications – Social Distortion – Social Distortion". Recording Industry Association of America.
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