Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll,
Social DistortionWow. The chance to review the new Social Distortion record? Yes fucking please. Having been away since the release of 1996’s ‘White Light, White Heat, White Trash’ one of the founder members Dennis Danell sadly passed away and rather expectantly this record is a more heartfelt and sobering affair than what you may be expecting. And oh, how those expectations were high. After a hiatus of eight years, the public wanted a new Social D record. Vocalist Mike Ness teased with a couple of soul searching full lengths, but it was the classic old school punk rock and roll that we all wanted. And the majority of you will be glad to know it is back with a vengeance.
Beginning in textbook old school form, ‘Reach for the Sky’ is a fine opener to dampen the taste buds of any fan, while ‘Highway 101’ slows the pace, but not the enjoyment in creating a strong opening salvo. One of the highlights is the heartfelt emotional tribute to the late Danell on ‘Don’t Take Me for Granted’ while the rock and roll western leanings are oh so apparent on the classy ‘Footprints on my Ceiling’.
The vocals of Ness are still as distinct as ever while with the backing of Maurer (Bass), Quintana (Drums) and Wickersham (Guitar) all pull each track off with such aplomb, you can’t help but hope all the kids out there are taking notice there is more to the scene than floppy fringes and mic swinging. But I digress… The rest of the album is somewhat similar to the opening half as more rockabilly guitars and strong efforts (Angels Wings) take precedence and we are wrapped up within 40 minutes. And along with the bonus live effort ‘Mommys Little Monster’ tacked on the end, it’s an aptly nostalgic way to end proceedings.
I was but a year old when Social Distortion released their first record on an unsuspecting public and 21 years later they have stamped their mark on a very different scene to back then. Bristling with intensity and emotion, this is arguably a must have record for 2004. No doubt a lot of people will be pessimistic about it, but it is worth every penny.
Jay
www.socialdistortion.com
Time Bomb/Kung Fu
