Chris Stelmak
Staff Writer
Review
Rock in its finest stage usually takes the form of live music in a small club setting. Social Distortion tries to package that feel in its new album, Live at the Roxy.
Most live shows do not make a good album. Usually the band cannot keep up with the quality of the original album. Some bands cannot reproduce the sound after all the mixing done in the studios.
Social Distortion does a good job on this album of taking its music to the stage. While the instruments are in sync and the vocals are sharp, both keep the gritty sound that makes the band popular. The crowd is loud between songs, but does not interfere with the music like it does on most cheap import bootlegs.
Social Distortion is best described as a punk band that has slowly accrued mainstream influences over the years. It seems to have helped the band develop and avoid being thrown into the cheesy, mainstream punk group with bands like Rancid.
Social Distortion also seems to have taken a few influences from country music as well. The tinny sounds to the music are highlighted by the twangs of the guitars.
Most of the country effects, however, are picked up by the vocals. They are not as harsh as other punk bands, but raspy and gritty yet still smooth and twangy. A drawback to the album is that the vocals seem to be overly loud compared with the volume of the rest of the band.
Despite those leanings, Social Distortion is still a punk band with the problems of a punk band. With basic rhythms, most of the songs blend together as the album wears on.
Unlike most live shows that draw mostly on songs from the band's most recent album and only reach back for the most successful songs, Social Distortion has provided a hearty mix from several albums. There are actually very few songs from the past couple of years.
Social Distortion has put together a great set of music. While the band runs into problems with its tunes sounding similar, the light influences with heavy music is a fairly original take for a punk band.
(Albums are rated on a one- to five-star scale.)
Social Distortion
Live at the Roxy
(BMG/Time Bomb Recordings)
**1/2