Craft Recordings to Reissue Three Classic Social Distortion Albums on Vinyl (Sept. 27)
1983 Debut Mommy's Little Monster,
2004’s Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll,
And Rarities Collection Mainliner (Wreckage from the past)
Punk Legends Just Launched Extensive North American Tour
Click here for online media kit (hi-res images enclosed)
Los Angeles, CA (August 14, 2019) —This fall, Craft Recordings will reissue three titles from Social Distortion’s independent catalog on vinyl. Set for a September 27th release, the LPs include the band’s 1983 debut, Mommy’s Little Monster, their 2004 studio album, Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll, and 1995’s Mainliner (Wreckage From the Past), which compiles early singles and rare B-sides. Celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, the enduring So-Cal punk icons just kicked off their extensive, two-month North American tour with Flogging Molly yesterday (8/13) in Dallas (full tour itinerary below).
Click to pre-order Mommy’s Little Monster, Sex, Love and Rock ‘N’ Roll, and Mainliner (Wreckage from the Past). Limited edition color variants also available via the official Social Distortion web store.
Social Distortion formed in Orange County, CA, with front man Mike Ness and guitarist Dennis Danell at the helm. With their distinctive blend of punk and primitive rock ‘n’ roll, the four-piece (whose bassists and drummers would fluctuate over those years) found equal influences in bands like the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and the Clash as well as the early country music of Hank Williams and the classic blues of artists like Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf and Lightnin’ Hopkins. Their 1983 debut, Mommy’s Little Monster was released on the band’s own label, 13th Floor Records. Full of raw vocals, powerful guitar-driven hooks, and plenty of attitude, the seminal album gained Social Distortion a national following and went on to inspire the likes of the Offspring, Rancid and many other well-known artists. Standout tracks include “The Creeps (I Just Wanna Give You)” and “Another State of Mind.”
The next two decades would bring the band continued lineup changes, a rehab stint for Ness—who has maintained his sobriety since 1985—a major label deal, some of their highest-charting singles (“I Was Wrong” and “Bad Luck”), and two Gold records (for 1990’s Social Distortion and 1992’s Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell). In the late ‘90s, the band returned to their indie roots and signed to Time Bomb Recordings.
2004’s much-anticipated Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll marked the group’s first studio album in eight years, following 1996’s White Light, White Heat, White Trash and two solo records from Ness. The band had also taken time to refocus after the sudden death of founding member Dennis Danell at just 38. Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll found a grieving Ness looking inward, but it also produced some of the band’s most acclaimed material. AllMusic called it “Potent, hard-hitting rock & roll with real heart and soul behind it.” Adding that Social Distortion had “Held onto what made them great while growing and changing in the best ways, and the result is one of the best albums this band has made to date.” Highlights include the opening track, “Reach for the Sky,” which became one of the band’s biggest hits, as well as the introspective "Live Before You Die," and the hopeful "Don't Take Me For Granted," written for Danell. Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll also featured a new guitarist, Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, who remains with Social Distortion today.
The final reissue, Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past, offers Social Distortion’s earliest singles and B-sides from 1981, the majority of which never appeared on any of the band’s full-length albums. Released in 1995, the compilation gives fans a peek into the group’s creative development, when they were still teenagers, with fan favorites like “1945,” “All the Answers,” and “Moral Threat,” plus a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb.”
With a current lineup of Mike Ness on vocals, guitarist Jonny “Two Bags” Wickersham, bassist Brent Harding, and Dave Hidalgo Jr. on drums, Social Distortion shows no sign of slowing down. With seven studio albums under their belt, the punk godfathers’ searing guitars and locomotive rhythm section sound as alive today as they did in the early ‘80s, as do Ness’ hard-luck tales of love, loss, and lessons learned. As Craft continues to celebrate the band’s immense 40-year (to date) legacy, stay tuned for more announcements coming soon.
Track Listings:
Mommy’s Little Monster
A1. The Creeps
A2. Another State of Mind
A3. It Wasn't A Pretty Picture
A4. Telling Them
B1. Hour Of Darkness
B2. Mommy's Little Monster
B3. Anti-Fashion
B4. All The Answers
B5. Moral Threat
Sex, Love And Rock ‘N’ Roll
A1. Reach For The Sky
A2. Highway 101
A3. Don't Take Me For Granted
A4. Footprints On My Ceiling
A5. Nickels And Dimes
B1. I Wasn't Born To Follow
B2. Winner And Losers
B3. Faithless
B4. Live Before You Die
B5. Angel's Wings
Mainliner (Wreckage From The Past)
A1. 1945 - Posh Boy Version
A2. Playpen - Posh Boy Version
A3. Mainliner
A4. Moral Threat
A5. All The Answers
B1. Justice For All
B2. Under My Thumb
B3. 1945 - 13th Floor Version
B4. Playpen - 13th Floor Version
B5. Mass Hysteria
2019 Tour Dates
Tues, August 13: Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Wed, August 14: Houston, TX @ Revention Music Center
Fri, August 16: Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheater
Sat, August 17: Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
Sun, August 18: Raleigh, NC @ Red Hat Amphitheater
Tue, August 20: Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Wed, August 21: Baltimore, MD @ MECU Pavilion
Fri, August 23: Virginia Beach, VA @ Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat, August 24: Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
Sun, August 25: New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17
Tue, August 27: Buffalo, NY @ Canalside
Wed, August 28: Boston, MA @ Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion
Fri, August 30: Westbrook, ME @ Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row
Sat, August 31: Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony Summer Stage
Sun, September 1: Lancaster, PA @ Freedom Hall
Tue, September 3: Toronto, Canada @ RBC Echo Beach
Wed, September 4: Cleveland, OH @ Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
Fri, September 6: Detroit, MI @ Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
Sat, September 7: Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
Sun, September 8: Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory
Tue, September 10: Des Moines, IA @ Water Works Park
Wed, September 11: Council Bluffs, IA @ Harrah’s Stir Cove
Fri, September 13: Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
Sat, September 14: Denver, CO @ Mission Ballroom
Tue, September 17: Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater
Wed, September 18: Nampa, ID @ Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Fri, September 20: Portland, OR @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sat, September 21: Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater
Sun, September 22: Eugene, OR @ Cuthbert Amphitheater
Tue, September 24: Sacramento, CA @ Papa Murphy's Park
Thu, September 26: Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre At UC Berkeley
Fri, September 27: Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Sat, September 28: Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events Center - DLVEC
Sun, September 29: Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheatre
About Craft Recordings:
Craft Recordings is home to one of the largest and most prestigious collections of master recordings and compositions in the world. Its rich and storied repertoire includes legendary artists such as Joan Baez, Ray Charles, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Vince Guaraldi, John Lee Hooker, Little Richard, Nine Inch Nails, Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, R.E.M. and Traveling Wilburys, to name just a few. Renowned imprints with catalogs issued under the Craft banner include Concord, Fania, Fantasy, Milestone, Musart, Nitro, Prestige, Riverside, Rounder, Specialty, Stax, Sugar Hill, Vanguard and Vee-Jay Records, among many others. Craft creates thoughtfully curated packages, with a meticulous devotion to quality and a commitment to preservation-ensuring that these recordings endure for new generations to discover. Craft Recordings is the catalog label team for Concord Recorded Music. For more info, visit CraftRecordings.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify.
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