Social Distortion

Mainliner: Wreckage From The Past (Time Bomb)
by J. Lianna Ness

It’s about time someone re-released all the early Social Distortion stuff. I still have the old singles and compilations these songs were on, but I played them so much that I wore them out. This CD is a godsend. It contains both the original and re-recorded versions of “1945” (the later version was their first “hit”). “Mainliner” and “Playpen” were released as a single by Posh Boy in 1981, when the original line-up featured Mike Ness on vocals and guitar, Dennis Danell on bass, and Carrot on drums. “All The Answers” and “Moral Threat” (from the Posh Boy cassette compilation The Future Looks Bright) were later re-recorded and surfaced on their first full-length Mommy’s Little Monster (on their own 13th Floor Records). In 1982, Derek O’Brien replaced Carrot on drums, and when a new bass player, Brent Liles, was recruited, Dennis switched to guitar. With two guitars buzzing, their sound became richer and fuller. Derek and Brent left the band in 1984 and Social D. went on hiatus while Mike kicked his heroin habit. They rebounded with Prison Bound (Epic) in 1988 and Social Distortion in 1990. Their last record, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, was released in 1992 and although they recently toured to promote and preview brand-new material, the new album has yet to be released. This disc is proof that the band’s old material has withstood the test of time. If you’re a fan of “melodicore” (or whatever they’re calling it these days), you should pick up Mainliner… This is where it all began.