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Mommy's Little Monster

© Ryan August

In twenty years, the Social Distortion legacy hasn't lost an inch of the momentum it's been building on since the start. Sure, they've had their low points during the span of their existence (Recently, the death of their rhythm guitar player, Mike Ness's drug abuse, not to mention, a few long spells without touring or recording), but that's expected when a band continues for such a length of time. You wouldn't expect that a band that has signed and dropped from a major to hold a sliver of street credibility, but the years of touring, hard work, and dedication have always backed up Social Distortion's name. It definitely helps that they continually release great albums and put on a hell of a show where ever they end up for the night.

"Mommy's Little Monster" was the start of it all. Even though this album was recorded in 1982, it continues to influence and inspire bands left and right today. It doesn't require a pair of rose colored glasses to understand how incredible these nine songs are. They hit you like a brick wall of sincerity, honest to the core. The lyrics reflect the hopeless feelings of youth, growing up, and the need to escape it all when the tension starts to drag you down. It's pessimistic, but it clings to a sense of hope. Hope that music can cure it all.

The album kicks off with "The Creeps", an uptempo song drenched in guitars and Mike Ness' mantra- "I just want to give you the creeps..." It's followed by the the Social Distortion classic, "Another State of Mind", which is also the title of the compelling tour documentary that contains footage of Ness writing the song...

Well, I'm in another state Another state of mind I'm wishing I could be there Right next to her This road leads to this And this one leads to that Her voice sends shivers down my spine.

The tone of the album is set with two songs. The angry, antisocial sentiments are always balanced by an unwavering vision of romanticism- Whether it's dreaming of the girl back home or putting another twist on the "down on your luck" motif that Ness has always seemed to cling to. It's not just anger brewing against sources of individual expression. It's anger that things can't be the way you envision them, that the world can't be your rock 'n roll paradise.

Every song on "Mommy's Little Monster" is a pleaser, from the youth anthem "Telling Them" to the dreary "Hour of Darkness". Nine songs just doesn't seem like enough, and the album ends far too quickly.

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