After the release of Prison Bound, Social Distortion left Restless Records and signed with Epic. The band then returned to the studio around the summer/fall of 1989, with producer Dave Jerden, to begin recording their self-titled third album, Social Distortion, which was released in 1990. It was Social Distortion's first album that was not financed by the band.[2] The album includes the singles "Ball and Chain" and 'Story of My Life" as well as a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire". The self-titled album fared better than both Mommy's Little Monster and Prison Bound, and is often credited as Social Distortion's best known work, with sales continuing eighteen years after its release. It is also sometimes cited as among the best rock albums of 1990—the album is said to "split the difference between rockabilly and Ramones-style punk."[5]
Their fourth album, Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, was released in 1992. The album included two hit singles—"Bad Luck", and "When She Begins". Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell surpassed all their previous albums in popularity, and received some general radio play with the single, "Bad Luck".[6] The album has a similar sound to the previous, eponymous, album, said to be a blend of "punk, blues, country and rockabilly".[6] After the release of this album, drummer Christopher Reece left Social Distortion in 1994 and was replaced by Randy Carr. Carr toured with the band and played drums on live performances until he left in 1995.
The band took another hiatus after the release of Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, and did not return to the studio until 1995.[2] During the break Social Distortion released a compilation album, Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past (1995), featuring pre-Mommy's Little Monster cuts. It contains two versions of "1945" and "Playpen" from their two indie labels, 13th Floor, and Posh Boy, and also a cover of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb".
In June 1994, the band began demoing songs for their fifth album, [7] then returned to the studio in 1995 to record White Light, White Heat, White Trash, which was released in 1996.[2] The album is said to have taken on a harder sound than those preceding it,[8] and to not focus as much on their previous blues and rockabilly sound.[9] The single "I Was Wrong" received wide radio play and is said to resemble "the classic sound more than any other track on the album".[8] The album also features the singles "When the Angels Sing," which is said to be a tribute to Ness's grandmother, who was an avid supporter of the band,[8] and "Don't Drag Me Down". The album also included a re-recorded version of "Under My Thumb", a cover of The Rolling Stones, as a hidden track. Former Danzig drummer Chuck Biscuits joined the band between the recording and release of the album, and is credited in the liner notes although this album actually features session drummer Deen Castronovo.[9] White Light, White Heat, White Trash was the final Social Distortion album recorded with Dennis Danell before his death.
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