Social Distortion – Men In Black

Unoff. release.

Title: Social Distortion - Men in Black
Year/Genre/Sub-Genre/City: 1995, Punk, Cowpunk Roots Punk, Fullerton, California 8/26
Condition: New (BC) | Members: Social Distortion (N/A)
Cultural Facts:

1. Personal Struggle: Mike Ness became addicted to heroin while still young, and by the mid-1980s his drug use had contributed to arrests, jail time and Social Distortion nearly falling apart. Getting sober gave him a second chance, and his later writing increasingly dealt with consequences, regret and survival instead of romanticizing self-destruction.

2. Roots Lore: Men in Black collects Social Distortion material alongside songs associated with Johnny Cash and Hank Williams, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Ring of Fire” and “Alone and Forsaken.” Those choices reveal how deeply Ness's punk grew from older American outlaw and working-class music rather than punk alone. (loudpizza.com)

3. Collector's Note: Men in Black is an unofficial collection of live and acoustic recordings rather than a conventional Social Distortion studio album, pulling together performances from different sources and eras into a roots-heavy alternate portrait of the band. (loudpizza.com)