Social Distortion: Американдық панк-рок тобының тарихы

American punk rock band
the band's self titled album

Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. Social Distortion went on a temporary hiatus in the mid 1980s, due to Ness's drug addiction and troubles with the law which resulted in extended stints in various rehabilitation centers that lasted for two years. Following their reformation, the band shifted its style to a country, blues, hard rock and early rock and roll–influenced style of punk. Since its inception, the band's lineup has seen significant turnover, with Ness as the only constant member. After 46 years of performing, Social Distortion continues to tour and record music. To date, Social Distortion has released seven full length studio albums, two compilations, one live album, and two DVDs. They released two albums—Mommy's Little Monster (1983) and Prison Bound (1988)—before signing a three album contract with Epic Records in 1989. Social Distortion rose to fame with their 1990 self titled third album, which produced their well known hit singles "Ball and Chain", "Story of My Life", and the cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire", and was certified gold by the RIAA. Many of their later albums, including their second gold record, Social Distortion is considered one of the best selling and most influential punk rock bands, with more than three million albums sold worldwide. The band's most recent studio album is Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011), and they have spent more than a decade working on new material for their forthcoming eighth studio album.

Social Distortion was formed in 1978 by Mike Ness, inspired by the Sex Pistols and many other British punk bands as well as rock acts such as the Rolling Stones. Aside from Ness on guitar and Casey Royer on drums, early members included Mark Garrett on bass and former Cal State Fullerton basketball player Tom Corvin on vocals. Garrett was succeeded by Rikk Agnew in late 1978. On the origins of the band's name, Royer recalled "Mike was like 15, trying to play guitar but he couldn't. Social Distortion was named for my distortion pedal, which I gave to Mike to play 'cause back then he was no good." Their early music was composed by Ness with lyrics by Royer and sometimes Corvin, and many songs were retired after only a few performances. After Corvin left in the fall of 1979 to attend graduate school at Bob Jones University, Ness recruited his high school friend Dennis Danell to join the band on guitar even though Danell had never played an instrument before. When Danell was brought in, the other members left as they did not want to wait for him to learn. Before joining the Adolescents in 1980, Royer and Agnew played with Garrett in a separate band named Social Distortion consisting of Royer on vocals, Garrett on bass, Rikk Agnew on drums, and Frank Agnew and Tim Maag on guitars. Ness mentions in his DVD commentary that he really had nowhere to stay when he got back to California after the tour ended, so he crashed on the couches of whoever would have him. He details how he plunged headfirst into serious drug addiction and ended up being strung out on heroin for weeks at a time. In 1983, Liles and O'Brien left the band in the middle of a show on New Year's Eve, and were replaced soon thereafter by Ness' high school friend John Maurer and a man named Bob Stubbs. This line up lasted only a short time until Christopher Reece joined on drums.

After the release of Prison Bound, Social Distortion left Restless Records and signed with Epic. The band then returned to the studio around the summer/fall of 1989, with producer Dave Jerden, to begin recording their self titled third album, which was released in 1990. It was Social Distortion's first album that was not financed by the band. fared better than both Mommy's Little Monster and Prison Bound, and is often credited as Social Distortion's best known work, with sales continuing 34 years after its release. It is also sometimes cited as among the best rock albums of 1990—the album is said to "split the difference between rockabilly and Ramones style punk." The band's fourth album, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, was released in 1992. The album included two hit singles: "Bad Luck", and "When She Begins". Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell surpassed all their previous albums in popularity. The album has a similar sound to the previous, eponymous, album, said to be a blend of "punk, blues, country and rockabilly". After the release of this album, drummer Christopher Reece left Social Distortion in 1994 and was replaced by Randy Carr. Carr toured with the band and played drums on live performances until he left in 1995. The band took another hiatus after the release of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, and did not return to the studio until 1995. then returned to the studio in 1995 to record White Light, White Heat, White Trash, which was released in 1996. and to not focus as much on their previous blues and rockabilly sound. White Light, White Heat, White Trash was the final Social Distortion album recorded with Dennis Danell before his death in 2000.

Asked in a January 2011 interview with Performer Magazine if Social Distortion intended to record more albums for Epitaph, Ness replied, "I would suspect so, yes." Also in a January 2011 interview with Exclaim, Mike Ness said that there would not be another seven or eight year wait between Social Distortion albums. Ness stated, "Although this record is out, I'm going to continue the process of writing so maybe there won't be such a large gap between records. Even when the record's done, it doesn't mean the creativity of writing is." In his interview with Frank Turner, Ness stated that his goal was to make a new Social Distortion album in two years and wanted it to be different from Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes. In an August 2011, interview at his home in Los Angeles, Ness said that he did not want "too many years to go by before the next Social D record. I'm really trying to be a little bit more disciplined. That's really what it comes down to. It's not like it takes me eight years to write a record. Once I get out of that mode, I'm out of that mode completely. Then of course, it's hard to get back and write a record. This time, when this record was finished, the creative process didn't end just because the record was done." In May 2012, Ness stated that Social Distortion was expected to begin writing their eighth studio album in January 2013. Later that month, he said that he has been "reading and writing, and kind of wrapping my mind around the self imposed challenge that I've put on myself: that I've got to write the record of my career. So I've got to raise the bar. That's just something that I put on myself because I don't like to just go, 'Time to put out another record' and go through the motions." He also hinted at the band entering the studio in about six months. In an interview with Phoenix New Times, which also took place in March 2017, Ness stated that his goal was to be in the studio by fall, and added, "I have to write the record of my career right now. That's the pressure I put on myself." In a June 2018 interview with Edmonton Journal, Ness said, "I've put a few new songs in the set just to let people know that we're not sitting on our asses at home. It gets people talking, which is nice. But yeah, once we stop touring in November, we'll be ready. I'm thinking that by January we'll be pre production, but I don't want to rush something out just to get it out." In an interview with The Orange County Register in November 2022, Ness mentioned that, with over 40 50 songs written, Social Distortion has been working on two new albums, with the first to be released in 2023 and the second to be recorded a year later, and added, "That would make people faint. I want to do that, though. I'm going to try to do that. I want to shock people." On June 7, 2023, Mike Ness announced that he was diagnosed with stage one tonsil cancer and is expected to make a full recovery from surgery. The band's upcoming tour was postponed as was work on their upcoming studio album. Ness said of the album's delay: "While it will take a little longer, I promise you that it will be delivered and it will exceed your expectations". On December 12, 2023, Social Distortion announced that they would be doing a co headlining tour with Bad Religion in April and May 2024 and they will perform Mommy's Little Monster in its entirety to celebrate the album's 40th anniversary. Social Distortion will also do their own headlining tour in September and October 2024.

The band has consistently used as their logo a skeleton holding a cigarette and a martini glass. It was designed by Mackie Osborne, wife of Melvins frontman Buzz Osborne, as part of an invitation to a New Year's Eve party. It is frequently featured in live performances as well as album covers. Said Ness in an April 2011 interview with Rolling Stone: "At the time, I saw that, and it just felt like, 'That's it right there. It's life and death, it's celebration.' It just felt powerful."

Social Distortion has been described as primarily punk rock, cowpunk, hardcore punk, and melodic hardcore. Some critics have labeled the band as roots rock, pop punk, and alternative rock. Social Distortion have influenced bands such as Pennywise, Face to Face, Avenged Sevenfold, Rise Against, Black Veil Brides, Pearl Jam, Rancid, the Offspring, Volbeat and Thrice. The band began playing with fellow Orange County, California, bands such as the Adolescents, China White, Shattered Faith and T. S. O. L. The music was fast, angry and energetic. All of Social Distortion's songs are written and sung by Mike Ness. There is a common theme in most of his lyrics about "impulsiveness, its consequences and the hard struggle to overcome".