Social Distortion - Musical Style, Influences, and Impact

Musical Style, Influences, and Impact

Social Distortion's musical style began as decidedly punk rock or hardcore punk when the band formed in the late 1970s. They are thought to be one of the pioneering bands of the original Southern California punk rock movement out of Orange County, California, and their style closely associated with The Dickies, The Germs, and other bands from that place and time. In the mid-'80s there was a notable change in their style of music – taking more from their country music and classic rock and roll roots. Mike Ness admits in the DVD commentary from Another State of Mind that he may have even tried too hard on the Prison Bound album. They did eventually find their niche, and the majority of their albums from the mid-80's on to the early '90s are considered to be cowpunk or rockabilly – a melodic punk sound that is distinctly – and distinctively – their own.

The music was mostly initially inspired equally by Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Eddie Cochran, and The Rolling Stones, as well as early punk bands like the Sex Pistols, The Clash and Ramones, and it has influenced various contemporary artists such as Alkaline Trio, Pearl Jam, Rise Against, Reno Divorce, Sum 41, The Offspring, Avenged Sevenfold, Superman Is Dead, Pennywise, Rancid, Thrice and Volbeat. The band began playing with fellow Orange County, California bands such as The Adolescents, China White, and Shattered Faith as part of the nascent hardcore movement. The music was fast, angry and energetic.

Most of Social Distortion's songs are written and sung by Mike Ness. There is a common theme in most of his lyrics about "impulsiveness, its consequences and the hard struggle for maturity". Other band members who have co-written Social Distortion songs are Dennis Danell ("1945", "Lude Boy", "Mass Hysteria", "Mainliner", "Playpen", "Another State of Mind", "Moral Threat", "All the Answers", "Anti-Fashion", "Hour of Darkness", "It Wasn't a Pretty Picture", "Telling Them", "The Creeps", "Indulgence", "Justice for All", "Like an Outlaw (For You)", "On My Nerves", and "I Want What I Want"); John "Carrot" Stevenson ("Playpen"); Jonny Wickersham ("Nickels and Dimes", "Faithless", "Angel's Wings", "Machine Gun Blues" and "Take Care of Yourself"); and John Maurer ("So Far Away").