Mommy's Little Monster

Mommy's Little Monster

One of the true characters of L.A.'s first hardcore wave, Social D's frontman Mike Ness seemingly fancied himself a boot-boy Johnny Cash at the time of this 1983 release. The tales he spun--many of which were later borne out by stints in jail and drug treatment--blurred the line between American anti-hero and punk no-goodnik, between Cash and the Clash. And, unlike a lot of their Angeleno brethren, Ness and axeman Dennis Danell really knew how to write a song. Admittedly, this incarnation of the band is decidedly less accessible than the current edition. And while they may not be as anthemically inspiring as the more earnest work found on, say, <I>Prison Bound</I>, snotty proclamations like the title track and "It Wasn't a Pretty Picture" stomp along with authority to spare. <I>--David Sprague</I>