Prison Bound
| Prison Bound | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 18, 1988 | |||
| Recorded | 1987 | |||
| Studio | Casbah Recording Studio (Fullerton, California) | |||
| Genres | ||||
| Length | 41:05 | |||
| Label | Restless[4] | |||
| Producers | Social Distortion, Chaz Ramirez | |||
| Social Distortion chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Prison Bound | ||||
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Prison Bound is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988.[5][6] It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece.[5][7] It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, Mommy's Little Monster (1983), by adding influences from country music and blues rock.[8]
Overview
[edit]Prison Bound took almost half a decade to materialize, with the initial attempt to record and release the follow-up to Mommy's Little Monster dating back to 1984.[9] The album was shelved for a few years, and it would not be re-recorded and completed until 1987, following frontman Mike Ness' recovery from drug addiction and Social Distortion's signing to then-independent Restless/Enigma Records.[10][11] Unlike many of the band's albums, no singles were released for this album, but the title track "Prison Bound" received some heavy rotation from commercial radio stations (particularly KROQ-FM),[12] and the song's success attracted attention from major labels, including Epic Records, to whom Social Distortion would sign in 1989.
The first track, "It's the Law", is a remake of "Justice for All", which appeared on the 1981 compilation album The Future Looks Bright (and later on the 1995 compilation album Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past). It also contains a cover version of "Backstreet Girl", originally recorded by the Rolling Stones. The album's title track references Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line".
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |  [8] |
| MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide | [13] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [14] |
Trouser Press wrote that "although Prison Bound lacks the all-out dynamics of Monster ... it’s still a maturely paced, knowing follow-up, and not just for punks."[4] Nick Robinson, reviewer of British music newspaper Music Week, noted band's adulting in comparison with early recordings. He found there "upright bursts of aggression, frustration and depression tell a vivid tale of growing up and blues and country influences add depth to this blunt, honest and thrilling account".[15]
Track listing
[edit]All tracks are written by Mike Ness, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "It's the Law" | 2:38 | |
| 2. | "Indulgence" | Dennis Danell, Ness | 4:34 |
| 3. | "Like an Outlaw (For You)" | Danell, Ness | 5:21 |
| 4. | "Back Street Girl" (The Rolling Stones cover) | Jagger–Richards | 4:22 |
| 5. | "Prison Bound" | 5:24 | |
| Total length: | 22:19 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No Pain No Gain" | 3:42 | |
| 2. | "On My Nerves" | Danell, Ness | 4:23 |
| 3. | "I Want What I Want" | Danell, Ness | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Lawless" | 3:21 | |
| 5. | "Lost Child" | 4:18 | |
| Total length: | 18:46 | ||
Personnel
[edit]- Mike Ness – lead vocal, lead guitar
- Dennis Danell – rhythm guitar
- John Maurer – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Christopher Reece – drums
References
[edit]- 1 2 Jeffries, Vincent. "Prison Bound Review". AllMusic. Retrieved April 11, 2025.
- ↑ Sachet, Andrew (July 29, 2020). "15 '80s punk albums that shaped the '90s/'00s pop punk boom". Brooklyn Vegan. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
- ↑ Starkey, Glen. "Social Distortion will play their self-titled third album in its entirety on Sept. 11 at Vina Robles Amphitheatre". New Times San Luis Obispo. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
- 1 2 "Social Distortion". Trouser Press. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
- 1 2 "Social Distortion | Biography & History". AllMusic.
- ↑ "POP MUSIC REVIEW : Social Distortion Appears Headed Straight for Championship Season". Los Angeles Times. January 15, 1988.
- ↑ Thompson, Dave (January 17, 2000). Alternative Rock. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306076 – via Google Books.
- 1 2 Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 7. MUZE. p. 588.
- ↑ "Social Distortion". Archived from the original on January 18, 2018.
- ↑ "Mike Ness Reflects on Social Distortion's Legacy". Loudwire. February 21, 2014.
- ↑ "The story of his life: Social Distortion's Mike Ness looks back". September 11, 2015.
- ↑ "KROQ Top 106.7 of 1988".
- ↑ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1999. p. 1045.
- ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 652.
- ↑ Robinson, Nick (February 4, 1989). "Review: Social Distortion – Prison Bound" (PDF). Music Week. London: Spotlight Publications Ltd. p. 22. ISSN 0265-1548. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021 – via American Radio History.
