# Prison Bound

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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name         = Prison Bound
| type         = [Album](/source/Album)
| artist       = [Social Distortion](/source/Social_Distortion)
| cover        = Social Distortion - Prison Bound cover.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = January 18, 1988
| recorded     = 1987
| studio       = [Casbah Recording Studio](/source/Casbah_Recording_Studio) ([Fullerton, California](/source/Fullerton%2C_California))
| genre        = * [Punk rock](/source/Punk_rock)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/prison-bound-mw0000196195|title=Prison Bound Review|website=[AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)|access-date=April 11, 2025|first=Vincent|last=Jeffries}}</ref>
* [cowpunk](/source/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](/source/Restless_Records)<ref name=TP/>
| producer     = Social Distortion, Chaz Ramirez
| prev_title   = [Mommy's Little Monster](/source/Mommy's_Little_Monster_(album))
| prev_year    = 1983
| next_title   = [Social Distortion](/source/Social_Distortion_(album))
| next_year    = 1990
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = Prison Bound
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = Prison Bound
 | single1date = 1988
}}}}
'''''Prison Bound''''' is the second [studio album](/source/studio_album) by [Social Distortion](/source/Social_Distortion), released in 1988.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/social-distortion-mn0000038302/biography|title=Social Distortion &#124; 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](/source/John_Maurer_(Social_Distortion)) and drummer [Christopher Reece](/source/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](/source/punk_rock) sound of the band's first album, ''[Mommy's Little Monster](/source/Mommy's_Little_Monster_(album))'' (1983), by adding influences from [country music](/source/country_music) and [blues rock](/source/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](/source/Mike_Ness)' recovery from drug addiction and Social Distortion's signing to then-[independent](/source/independent_record_label) [Restless](/source/Restless_Records)/[Enigma Records](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Mainliner%3A_Wreckage_from_the_Past)''). It also contains a cover version of "Backstreet Girl", originally recorded by [the Rolling Stones](/source/the_Rolling_Stones). The album's title track references Johnny Cash's "[I Walk the Line](/source/I_Walk_the_Line)".

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic)
| rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="auto"/>
|rev2 = ''[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music](/source/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](/source/MusicHound)''
|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](/source/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](/source/Trouser_Press)'' wrote that "although ''Prison Bound'' lacks the all-out dynamics of ''[Monster](/source/Mommy's_Little_Monster_(album))'' ... 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](/source/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](/source/blues) and [country](/source/Country_music) 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](/source/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](/source/Mike_Ness), except where noted
| headline = Side one
| title1 = It's the Law
| length1 = 2:38
| title2 = Indulgence 
| writer2 =[Dennis Danell](/source/Dennis_Danell), Ness
| length2 = 4:34
| title3 = Like an Outlaw (For You) 
| writer3 = Danell, Ness
| length3 = 5:21
| title4 = [Back Street Girl](/source/Back_Street_Girl)
| writer4 = [Jagger–Richards](/source/Jagger%E2%80%93Richards)
| note4 = [The Rolling Stones](/source/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](/source/Mike_Ness) – lead vocal, lead guitar
* [Dennis Danell](/source/Dennis_Danell) – rhythm guitar
* [John Maurer](/source/John_Maurer_(Social_Distortion)) – bass guitar, backing vocals
* [Christopher Reece](/source/Christopher_Reece) – drums

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Social Distortion}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1988 albums
Category:Social Distortion albums
Category:Time Bomb Recordings albums

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Prison Bound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Bound) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prison_Bound?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.