All Ages
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Since emerging from the streets of Fullerton CA in the late ‘70s, Social Distortion have become the unquestioned standard bearers for punk bands. Beginning with their classic 1983 debut album Mommy’s Little Monster and stretching through 2011’s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, the band, led by Mike Ness, continues to reinvent itself while remaining true to its punk rock roots.
A lifelong devotee and student of rock’n’roll dating back to a childhood spent obsessively listening to the likes of The Rolling Stones, T.Rex, David Bowie, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and eventually the Sex Pistols and Ramones, Ness always maintained that Social Distortion would be more than just a punk band. That theme is evident in the band’s first seven records, with tales of outlaws, outcasts, love lost, and a hard life lived. It’s with this earnestness and viewpoint that Ness is lionized as a truth-telling songwriter to fans all around the world.
Now, 15 years after the release of Hard Times… and a couple of years after Ness faced a life-threatening illness, comes Born To Kill. Preceded by a fittingly iconic and confrontational cover image born of a collaboration between Ness and celebrated artist Shepard Fairey, the album sees Ness take a long look inside and reflect on a well-worn journey where nothing was given and everything earned. Despite the notable timespan between albums, Ness has never stopped writing. Recorded at Sunset Sound then finished at Hillside Manor Studio with Ness co-producing with producer Dave Sardy, Social Distortion plowed through 11 bone-rattling songs (which include guest appearances from Lucinda Williams and Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench), and a couple of unreleased songs going back 30 years.
“I have to dispel the myth that it took us 15 years to write an album,” Ness says. "I kept writing after Hard Times…, so when it was time to pick the songs for this record, we had over 40 songs to choose from. “
Ness aimed to capture the spirit of his formative years, describing Born To Kill as an “homage to the beginning of my career, going out every night and watching bands, listening to records over and over again, and eventually starting my own band despite society’s volatile reaction to this new style of music and culture. Ninety-nine percent of the world was telling us we couldn’t do this. Well, now we have something to prove!”
The album’s opening salvo blazes by in just under four minutes, serving as title track and mission statement not just for this record, but also succinctly summarizing the band’s 40+ year career. With fiery guitars accompanied by defiant lyrics, combined with Social Distortion’s trademark melodic flair and Ness’s knack for creating thick grooves, “Born To Kill” takes no prisoners. “I’m the underdog who ends up on top/ The rebel poet with the peacock strut/ Gonna make a change gonna rearrange/Look out man you’re in my pissing range!" Ness proclaims bombastically in a lyric that sums up his career.
In rapid fire succession and with the trademark raw intensity that has defined Social Distortion for nearly 50 years, Born To Kill peels back the curtain on Ness’s experiences. “No Way Out” sees Ness examine the confluence of events that have defined his life, while the nostalgic “The Way Things Were” sees him reminisce about a hell-raising youth in Fullerton. Meanwhile, the rollicking, swinging rocker “Tonight” has all the qualities of a Social Distortion classic. Developed from an idea from the Hard Times... sessions, Ness confronts the realities of losing the most important relationship of his life but not succumbing to despair, choosing to fight for love and rebuild instead. “Partners In Crime ,“ a Ness favorite, layers heartfelt lyrics atop a three-chord crunch and primitive mid-tempo groove, resulting in what he describes as a “punk anthem.” And “Over You” sounds like the best Heartbreakers song Johnny Thunders never wrote.
Over the years, Social Distortion has carefully chosen cool cover songs, transforming them into Social D classics, most notably their version of “Ring of Fire” from the band’s self-titled breakthrough third album. They continue this tradition with Ness’s take on Chris Isaak’s 1989 brooding hit “Wicked Game,” on which they achieve their goal of creating an interpretation of the song like no other.
All these years later, Social Distortion is more than a gang of punk rock survivors: it remains one of the world’s most respected and revered and still relevant rock ‘n’ roll bands far beyond its Southern California home. Sharing the stage with the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam and Neil Young has found the band attracting a more diverse range of ages and lifestyles. Yet unlike many other bands that have stuck it out as long as they have, Social Distortion not only survives but thrives. Through mostly word of mouth, with their devoted fan base preaching the band’s gospel, the music has been passed down three generations now. Parents bringing their kids to shows, sometime kids bringing parents and grandparents to shows. This has become commonplace, speaking to what Ness calls a universal message echoed in his songs.
“I write about feelings, struggles, and hardship. I also write about love and joy. I try and keep it human. We were a part of the soundtrack to their life. We were one of the bands they grew up with, and they felt they needed to pass it on to their kids, which is a gift and an honor to us.”
