thePULSERock-n-Roll Swagger at its Best
October 2005 –
I once came to the conclusion that every Social Distortion song could
be the greatest rock n’ roll song ever written. All the elements
are there ~ sleazy guitars, cold women and seedy bars. But what keeps
Social Distortion from becoming a parody of their own imagery is that
they have wholehearted conviction in every word and note they sing.
Sex, Love and Rock n’ Roll is Social Distortion’s first offering
since 1997’s White Light, White
Heat, White Trash. Their latest album takes a more optimistic look at
some familiar themes and during their current tour the band expresses
both the old and new material through their constantly evolving style.
But if you think any of their rock n’ roll swagger has faded with
time, fugetaboutit.
The band has gone through several line-up changes over the years ~ the
Social D crew currently consists of Charlie Quintana on drums, Jonny “2
Bags” Wickersham on guitar, Dan Magoo on organ, Brent Harding on
bass, and of course Mike Ness still in the driver’s seat. Social
Distortion’s new mix of musicians has created an even more bluesy
feel for a band that has always proudly shown its roots. “Country,
rockabilly, roots music and blues have been a part of the Social Distortion
sound since the late ‘80s,” Jonny explains.
“They’re as much a foundation for the band as punk.”
The combined talents of the new line-up
seem to bring this side through even more. Dan Magoo, a former touring
member of Tom Waits’ posse, adds some heartfelt piano to reworked
versions of “Prison Bound” and “When the Angels Sing”
that will surely leave you crying in your Pabst. Brent Harding worked
with Ness on his two solo albums which focused mainly on country, folk
and roots music. And as for Jonny? “I tend to play whatever’s
easiest,” he laughs. “I’ve been playing\ punk all my
life, I’m better at punk guitar, but I am a fan of old acoustic
delta blues, especially Lightin’ Hopkins.”
Although Social Distortion is often pigeonholed into the punk category
that has become somewhat opposed to the genres that the band embraces,
this take on the music has been readily “…accepted and appreciated
by every generation of Social Distortion fans,” according to Jonny.
“It’s a natural development for the band, and not a strange
move. We’re lucky to be able to explore different styles.”
And as for the newer punk bands embraced by the mainstream today, they
may have all the glitz but Social Distortion’s got all the glory.
And you’ll be hard up to find a musician who personifies this more
than front man Mike Ness, who falls in somewhere between Bruce Springsteen
and Hemingway’s Harry Morgan ~ with a voice heavy on theTom Waits
sandpaper and sporting am slight Bob Dylan wheez and a signature guitar
style that could make even Neil Young’s amp fear a distortion pedal.
So where does a band like Social Distortion, a band that has never sat
still in one genre long enough to be accurately categorized, fit in? Rock
n’ roll, plain and simple as that. Social Distortion is honest,
and as with all the greats, you’ll find just below the surface the
same asking for forgiveness for sins both named and unrecognized. Bill
Graham once described The Grateful Dead as a band that is “not the
best at what they do, but the only ones that do what they do,” and
the same can be said for Social Distortion. They take the energy of punk,
the honesty of
gospel and the spirit of the blues and make sure that when you hear them
you know the answer to the question, “Are they one of greatest rock
n’ roll bands ever?”
Who: Social Distortion
Where: The Palladium 261 Main Street Worcester, MA
When: October 7th (508) 797-9696 www.thepalladium.net
