The Grouchy Gaijin's Thoughts on Music and Such

A long time ago there was a type of music that became known as Punk. Punk music was seen as a threat to and therefore criticized by the corporate music establishment. I find this fascinating; because Rock and Roll was born out of defiance and raw emotional honesty that frightened a generation of parents – ironic that the kids who liked Elvis , in part I'm sure because he scared the establishment, would one day view their children's music as something akin to blasphemy.

If you own only one Punk album (CD kids) this should be the one. Granted the Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks LP was rated the second most important album of the latter half of the 20^th century, behind the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's LP, by Rolling Stone Magazine, but for my money Social Distortion has a much more important – not to mention rocking – album in Live at the Roxy.

The overall theme of the disk is mental illness, alienation, frustration, rage combined with substance abuse. Not very cheery music at all but music that has a driving back beat and killer two string guitar solos.

That is what sets Social Distortion apart from the Pistols, Clash, Germs and Fear – SD were some messed up angry kids – who could also lay down a killer groove. What a breath of fresh air! Yes ELP was a “super group” with the “Jimi Hendrix of the Hammond Organ” and a drummer that could do a one handed drum roll, but some where along the way ELP and other “progressive rock” bands lost sight of the fact that it's not JUST how well you can play – emotion and simple raw energy are also important. Social Distortion offers up all three – this disk is a fantastic glimps into the raw, emotional sometimes violent and dark world of an angry outsider; an outsider who demands your attention but doesn't really care what you think.

 

• 1. Story of My Life – a fairly recent song written after undergoing therapy

• 2. Bad Luck

• 3. Under My Thumb – a driving cover of the Rolling Stones' song

• 4. Prison Bound - one of the frequent references to Johnny Cash

• 5. Mommy's Little Monster - a classic

• 6. Mass Hysteria

• 7. The Creeps - the kind of song that worried your parents

• 8. Another State of Mind - life on the road; the name of the Social Distortion/Minor Threat documentary of a band on tour

• 9. Let It Be Me - a punk love song

• 10. No Pain, No Gain

• 11. Cold Feelings

• 12. Telling Them

• 13. I Was Wrong – the revelation of self worth after years of self destruction and therapy

• 14. 1945 - I like the drum solo in the beginning

• 15. Don't Drag Me Down

• 16. Ball & Chain

• 17. Ring of Fire – yet another homage to the man in black
  

I give this album 5 out of 5 scowls.  It is one of my all time favorites.