Showing an admirable restraint considering their era's glut of
unnecessary best-of collections, Social Distortion waited nearly three
decades to release their first, and in true punk-rock form, they keep
it at a brief 11 tracks and include only the best. GREATEST HITS is a
lean affair as career retrospectives go, so hardcore fans may be a
little let down by the lack of deep cuts or rarities included. For new
or casual fans, there is no better place to start for this
radio-friendly SoCal punk institution.
With only two cuts from their
first record--"Mommy's Little Monster" and "Another State of Mind"--the
band seems to be downplaying their roots in punk ferocity and
concentrating more on their middle period when they ably combined
rockabilly and country sensibilities with three-chord punk. "Story of
My Life" and "Ball & Chain" are both included from their
self-titled 1990 LP, as is "Ring of Fire," a So-Cal punk reading of the
Johnny Cash classic that pits the band as Cash's heir. It is Ness's
charisma and world-weary baritone that manage to find comfort in simple
melodies despite life's ravages. Even on the later output--such as the
post-alternative explosion misstep WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT, WHITE TRASH
and SEX, LOVE AND ROCK 'N' ROLL--their first release after the death of
their original guitarist, Dennis Danell--Ness's voice cuts through the
sometimes tired by-the-numbers barrage simultaneously rattling and
soothing the listener's ear. GREATEST HITS includes the best of these
moments when Ness's intense vocal timbre and gifts as a storyteller
intersect.
Release Date - 06/26/2007
Label - Time Bomb Records
