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Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes
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Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes Image
Metascore
71

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.2

Universal acclaim- based on 12 Ratings

  • Summary: Though it's been seven years since Social Distortion's last release, the newest album picks up where they left off with visceral, hard-driving rock songs about love and life.
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  • Record Label: Epitaph
  • Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Punk/New Wave, Hardcore Punk
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Top Track

Machine Gun Blues
Well I'm a gangster in 1934 Junkies, winos, pimps, and whores and all you men, women and kids best stay out the way I just left your town, took all... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Mojo
    Apr 12, 2011
    80
    Mike Ness and his men still have those rock 'n roll blues. [Feb. 2011, p. 106]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. PopMatters
    Jan 21, 2011
    80
    There's only one new member since Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, but it won't show, as all members play their part like well-taught theater kids in a Stephen Sondheim musical.
  3. The Boston Phoenix
    Jan 14, 2011
    75
    There aren't many punk stalwarts who can weave a tale of being down and out quite like Mike Ness, and for the most part he's in top form on this seventh studio release from Social D.
  4. Rock Sound
    Jan 14, 2011
    70
    This record manages the remarkable feat of balancing true integrity with universal appeal.
  5. Consequence
    Jan 14, 2011
    70
    It might not end up being one of the best albums of 2011, but it's still worth your time (and it was certainly worth six years to Ness).
  6. The A.V. Club
    Jan 18, 2011
    67
    Social D has tapped ever deeper into its Americana roots while giving Ness plenty of grease for his gruff, rough-and-tumble confessionals. Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes, the band's seventh album, doesn't poison that well--but it comes close to exhausting it.
  7. Slant Magazine
    Jan 18, 2011
    40
    Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is throwback after throwback, the album where the roots-rock traditionalism that has always been the counterweight to Ness's punk modernism finally comes crushing down on the whole Social Distortion enterprise.

See all 21 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. ricco94
    Aug 31, 2012
    10
    Another great worl by Social Distortion. Their music is wonderful, again, after the 2004 masterpiece Sex Love And Rock n Roll. Machine GunAnother great worl by Social Distortion. Their music is wonderful, again, after the 2004 masterpiece Sex Love And Rock n Roll. Machine Gun Blues and Bakersfield are absolutely great, and the rest is good stuff.
    I hope they'll release another album very soon. I'm sure it will be great, too.    … Expand
  2. JamesL
    Feb 23, 2011
    9
    I was really surprised by how good this record is. I had not expected much but it was great to hear some actual refinements in their sound. SoI was really surprised by how good this record is. I had not expected much but it was great to hear some actual refinements in their sound. So much better than their last effort. I will play this one repeatedly.… Expand
  4. DyingBreed
    Feb 1, 2011
    8
    Hard Times And Nursery Rhymes brings Blues-Influenced Punk music back to it's basics, stripped bare and re-imagined from those earlyHard Times And Nursery Rhymes brings Blues-Influenced Punk music back to it's basics, stripped bare and re-imagined from those early foundations. A terrific album, and a real stand out for the band.… Collapse

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