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, Prison Bound, snotty proclamations like the title track and "It Wasn't a Pretty Picture" stomp along with authority to spare. --David Sprague