Prison Bound

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.^[9] 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.^[10][11] 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),^[12] 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".

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Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[8]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[13]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[14]

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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."^[4] 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".^[15]

• Mike Ness – lead vocal, lead guitar
• Dennis Danell – rhythm guitar
• John Maurer – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Christopher Reece – drums