{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Prison Bound | type = Album | artist = Social Distortion | cover = Social Distortion - Prison Bound cover.jpg | alt = | released = January 18, 1988 | recorded = 1987 | studio = Casbah Recording Studio (Fullerton, California) | genre = * Punk rock<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/prison-bound-mw0000196195|title=Prison Bound Review|website=AllMusic|access-date=April 11, 2025|first=Vincent|last=Jeffries}}</ref> * cowpunk<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sachet |first=Andrew |date=July 29, 2020 |title=15 '80s punk albums that shaped the '90s/'00s pop punk boom |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/15-80s-punk-albums-that-shaped-the-90s00s-pop-punk-boom/ |access-date=July 18, 2022 |website=Brooklyn Vegan}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Starkey |first=Glen |title=Social Distortion will play their self-titled third album in its entirety on Sept. 11 at Vina Robles Amphitheatre |url=https://www.newtimesslo.com/arts/social-distortion-will-play-their-self-titled-third-album-in-its-entirety-on-sept-11-at-vina-robles-amphitheatre-2941281 |access-date=2025-04-12 |website=New Times San Luis Obispo |language=en}}</ref> | length = 41:05 | label = Restless<ref name=TP/> | producer = Social Distortion, Chaz Ramirez | prev_title = Mommy's Little Monster | prev_year = 1983 | next_title = Social Distortion | next_year = 1990 | misc = {{Singles | name = Prison Bound | type = studio | single1 = Prison Bound | single1date = 1988 }}}} '''''Prison Bound''''' is the second studio album by Social Distortion, released in 1988.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/social-distortion-mn0000038302/biography|title=Social Distortion | Biography & History|website=AllMusic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-15-ca-24300-story.html|title=POP MUSIC REVIEW : Social Distortion Appears Headed Straight for Championship Season|date=January 15, 1988|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> It was the first album with bass guitarist John Maurer and drummer Christopher Reece.<ref name="auto1"/><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZHP-r9-eqdAC&dq=prison+bound+social+distortion+1988&pg=PA639|title=Alternative Rock|first=Dave|last=Thompson|date=January 17, 2000|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9780879306076|via=Google Books}}</ref> It expands the punk rock sound of the band's first album, ''Mommy's Little Monster'' (1983), by adding influences from country music and blues rock.<ref name=CL/>
==Overview== ''Prison Bound'' took almost half a decade to materialize, with the initial attempt to record and release the follow-up to ''Mommy's Little Monster'' dating back to 1984.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Social Distortion | url=http://metallipromo.com/social.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118181016/http://metallipromo.com:80/social.html | archive-date=January 18, 2018}}</ref> The album was shelved for a few years, and it would not be re-recorded and completed until 1987, following frontman Mike Ness' recovery from drug addiction and Social Distortion's signing to then-independent Restless/Enigma Records.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://loudwire.com/mike-ness-reflects-social-distortion-legacy/ | title=Mike Ness Reflects on Social Distortion's Legacy | website=Loudwire | date=February 21, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ocregister.com/2015/09/11/the-story-of-his-life-social-distortions-mike-ness-looks-back/ | title=The story of his life: Social Distortion's Mike Ness looks back | date=September 11, 2015 }}</ref> Unlike many of the band's albums, no singles were released for this album, but the title track "Prison Bound" received some heavy rotation from commercial radio stations (particularly KROQ-FM),<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.rocklists.com/kroq-1988.html | title=KROQ Top 106.7 of 1988 }}</ref> and the song's success attracted attention from major labels, including Epic Records, to whom Social Distortion would sign in 1989.
The first track, "It's the Law", is a remake of "Justice for All", which appeared on the 1981 compilation album ''The Future Looks Bright'' (and later on the 1995 compilation album ''Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past''). It also contains a cover version of "Backstreet Girl", originally recorded by the Rolling Stones. The album's title track references Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line".
==Reception== {{Album ratings | rev1 = AllMusic | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="auto"/> |rev2 = ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' |rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="CL">{{cite book |last1=Larkin |first1=Colin |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music |date=2006 |publisher=MUZE |volume=7 |page=588}}</ref> |rev3 = ''MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide'' |rev3score = {{rating|2|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=1045}}</ref> |rev4 = ''The Rolling Stone Album Guide'' |rev4score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=652}}</ref> }} ''Trouser Press'' wrote that "although ''Prison Bound'' lacks the all-out dynamics of ''Monster'' ... it’s still a maturely paced, knowing follow-up, and not just for punks."<ref name="TP">{{cite web |title=Social Distortion |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/social-distortion/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=January 17, 2021}}</ref> Nick Robinson, reviewer of British music newspaper ''Music Week'', noted band's adulting in comparison with early recordings. He found there "upright bursts of aggression, frustration and depression tell a vivid tale of growing up and blues and country influences add depth to this blunt, honest and thrilling account".<ref name="MWreview">{{cite magazine|last=Robinson|first=Nick|authorlink=|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-02-04.pdf|title=Review: Social Distortion – Prison Bound|magazine=Music Week|date=February 4, 1989|access-date=November 4, 2021|page=22|location=London|publisher=Spotlight Publications Ltd.|via=American Radio History|issn=0265-1548|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102183251/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-02-04.pdf|archive-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing |all_writing = Mike Ness, except where noted | headline = Side one | title1 = It's the Law | length1 = 2:38 | title2 = Indulgence | writer2 =Dennis Danell, Ness | length2 = 4:34 | title3 = Like an Outlaw (For You) | writer3 = Danell, Ness | length3 = 5:21 | title4 = Back Street Girl | writer4 = Jagger–Richards | note4 = The Rolling Stones cover | length4 = 4:22 | title5 = Prison Bound | length5 = 5:24 | total_length = 22:19 }}
{{Track listing | headline = Side two | title1 = No Pain No Gain | length1 = 3:42 | title2 = On My Nerves | writer2 = Danell, Ness | length2 = 4:23 | title3 = I Want What I Want | writer3 = Danell, Ness | length3 = 3:02 | title4 = Lawless | length4 = 3:21 | title5 = Lost Child | length5 = 4:18 | total_length = 18:46 }}
==Personnel== * Mike Ness – lead vocal, lead guitar * Dennis Danell – rhythm guitar * John Maurer – bass guitar, backing vocals * Christopher Reece – drums
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Social Distortion}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:1988 albums Category:Social Distortion albums Category:Time Bomb Recordings albums