Social Distortion
Greatest Hits

THE REVIEW

In 1978, Orange County (yes, the same one from O.C.) witnessed the birth of one of the most significant punk, or rather hardcore, bands in the entire American scene, Social Distortion.

Led by the exuberant frontman Mike Ness, they managed to carve out a substantial niche alongside legends like Germs and, especially, Black Flag. Despite the significant issues that plagued their history (rehabilitations, more or less temporary breakups, and the death of a member), the band succeeded in releasing six studio albums, finding great success mainly thanks to the 1989 LP "Prison Bound". After releasing a live album and a compilation, 2007 marked the year for a decidedly juicy and enjoyable greatest hits.

Following the timeline of their releases, the setlist features two of the most beloved tracks by Distortion fans, "Another State of Mind" and "Mommy's Little Monster," which clearly showcase the great influence, at least in this early phase of their career, of Sex Pistols and Ramones (more the latter, truth be told) with super fast riffs, incisive and lightning bass lines, and a voice that sometimes resembles a cross between Joe Strummer and Joey Ramone. The subsequent tracks, taken from the best-seller "Prison Bound", include the album's title track, "Story Of My Life," "Ball And Chain," and "Circle Of Fire." The evolution of the band's sound is evident, more mature and less tied to the most restrictive punk dictates, so much so that the duration of the songs is well over three minutes; a freedom that very few bands could afford, indicating a rare technical prowess among punk bands. The instrumental introductions now feature a pulsing and driving bass, with guitar counterpoints worthy of the best Mick Jones (as in the case of "Story of My Life") or a volley of guitars and bass as in the beautiful Johnny Cash cover. The spirit of the great crooner is evident in every single verse, every note of these tracks (if "Story of My Life" were slightly slower and with a banjo, it would be a great country piece). And it could not be otherwise, since Ness has always been a big fan of Johnny Cash (fun fact: the melody of "Circle Of Fire" is replicated exactly in a track from "Kerplunk!" by Green Day).

"Bad Luck", "I Was Wrong" and the beautiful "When The Angels Sing" return to us with an absolutely unstoppable impact force, with blistering solos of exquisite craftsmanship that bear no resemblance to the often clumsy solos of punk guitarists, but rather would not look out of place on a Screaming Trees album. Ness's voice, now more mature, is capable of hitting the most challenging notes, always maintaining excellent levels, revealing remarkable abilities in lyricism and melody. "Reach the Sky" is, instead, a very unique track, with guitars that wouldn't be out of place on a metal album and an accelerated chorus very reminiscent of 90s hardcore. By the way, the melody of the song is embarrassingly similar to "Montsegur" by Iron Maiden... it won't be that Harris and Dickinson might have borrowed a bit... on the other hand, it's also true that thinking negatively is a sin, but often you're right... Returning to the album, special mention must be made of the unreleased single recorded especially for the launch of the record, "Far Behind." It's a song that falls squarely within the band's strengths, which for the occasion decides not to experiment but to rely on the classic verse-catchy chorus-verse scheme that has served them so well in the past, thus producing a fresh and modern track that if recorded by any of the bands today claiming to be punk would be hailed as a miracle.

A good compilation that captures one of the most important and musically valid bands on the American underground scene should not be missing from your record collection.