White Light, White Heat, White Trash
Encyclopedia
White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the fifth album by American
punk rock
band, Social Distortion
, released on September 17, 1996, by Epic Records
. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn
. White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the last Social Distortion album to feature guitarist Dennis Danell
who died on February 29, 2000, of a cerebral aneurysm
at the age of 38. It is also the band's last release on Epic Records. The album received Social Distortion's highest chart position at the time, entering the Billboard 200
album chart at #27. Stylistically, the album is harder and considered a return to their punk roots.
The title of the album is a play on the 1968 Velvet Underground
album, White Light/White Heat
. The Velvet Underground record is known for being one of the most original, and probably the heaviest, records of the time, just as White Light, White Heat, White Trash for Social Distortion has a harder sound than those albums preceding it.
-sounding punk to a more melodic Elvis/Johnny Cash
rockabilly punk sound. With this album, Social Distortion came full circle to a harder sound which some consider their strongest album thus far. It was named# 41 on Kerrang!
s 50 Greatest Punk Albums Ever. Some old-school fans were upset when the first single, "I Was Wrong", was widely played on the radio as record sales equals selling out
to some of the elitists; however, Social Distortion is something of a legend in the punk genre and continues to receive respect and support.
The lyrics on this album are as socially-conscious as most of their previous albums with "Don't Drag Me Down" and "Down Here (w/the Rest Of Us)". There are also reflective songs such as "I Was Wrong", "Crown of Thorns" and "Pleasure Seeker". There are a couple of more personal songs for Ness on the album like "Dear Lover" and "When The Angels Sing" which is said to be a tribute to Ness's grandmother.
"Don't Drag Me Down" featured on the soundtrack for the 2000 Acclaim
computer game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
.
"I Was Wrong" is a playable song in the 2008 game Rock Band 2
.
/puppet
taken by Leonard Myazinaki. On the back cover is another photograph by Myazinaki of religious statues. The inner liner is covered with small icons of religious and Americana
nature, illustrating the album's fusion of faith and punk rock with a 1950s influence. The iconography includes dice
, a 1950s-style automobile in front of a motel
, a pin-up girl
with angel wings and a halo
, a burning cross
and a Sacred Heart
.
unless otherwise noted.
'*' indicates a hidden track
.
(*) designates unordered lists.
Music of the United States
The music of the United States reflects the country's multi-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles. Among the country's most internationally-renowned genres are hip hop, blues, country, rhythm and blues, jazz, barbershop, pop, techno, and rock and roll. The United States has the...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band, Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, released on September 17, 1996, by Epic Records
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. The album was produced by Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn
Michael Beinhorn is an American musician and record producer.Beinhorn started his professional career as a musician, playing keyboards in Bill Laswell's Material during the 1980s...
. White Light, White Heat, White Trash is the last Social Distortion album to feature guitarist Dennis Danell
Dennis Danell
Dennis Eric Danell was the founding guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.Danell formed Social Distortion in 1979 with frontman Mike Ness while attending high school together...
who died on February 29, 2000, of a cerebral aneurysm
Cerebral aneurysm
A cerebral or brain aneurysm is a cerebrovascular disorder in which weakness in the wall of a cerebral artery or vein causes a localized dilation or ballooning of the blood vessel.- Signs and symptoms :...
at the age of 38. It is also the band's last release on Epic Records. The album received Social Distortion's highest chart position at the time, entering the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
album chart at #27. Stylistically, the album is harder and considered a return to their punk roots.
The title of the album is a play on the 1968 Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground was an American rock band formed in New York City. First active from 1964 to 1973, their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists. Although experiencing little commercial success while together, the band is often cited...
album, White Light/White Heat
White Light/White Heat
The album briefly appeared on the Billboard 200, although only peaking at number 199. Despite its poor sales, the distorted, feedback-driven, and roughly recorded sound on White Light/White Heat became a notable influence on punk and experimental rock...
. The Velvet Underground record is known for being one of the most original, and probably the heaviest, records of the time, just as White Light, White Heat, White Trash for Social Distortion has a harder sound than those albums preceding it.
Music and lyrics
Stylistically, the album signifies a shift back to Social Distortion's hardcore and punk roots. When this album was released, Social Distortion had been playing for 15 years. In that time, the music went from a hardcore RamonesRamones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
-sounding punk to a more melodic Elvis/Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
rockabilly punk sound. With this album, Social Distortion came full circle to a harder sound which some consider their strongest album thus far. It was named
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
s 50 Greatest Punk Albums Ever. Some old-school fans were upset when the first single, "I Was Wrong", was widely played on the radio as record sales equals selling out
Selling out
"Selling out" is the compromising of integrity, morality, or principles in exchange for money or "success" . It is commonly associated with attempts to tailor material to a mainstream audience...
to some of the elitists; however, Social Distortion is something of a legend in the punk genre and continues to receive respect and support.
The lyrics on this album are as socially-conscious as most of their previous albums with "Don't Drag Me Down" and "Down Here (w/the Rest Of Us)". There are also reflective songs such as "I Was Wrong", "Crown of Thorns" and "Pleasure Seeker". There are a couple of more personal songs for Ness on the album like "Dear Lover" and "When The Angels Sing" which is said to be a tribute to Ness's grandmother.
"Don't Drag Me Down" featured on the soundtrack for the 2000 Acclaim
Acclaim Entertainment
Acclaim Entertainment was an American video game developer and publisher. It developed, published, marketed and distributed interactive entertainment software for a variety of hardware platforms, including Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Game Gear, Nintendo's NES, SNES, Nintendo...
computer game Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX is a video game released in 2000 featuring Dave Mirra and other professional BMX riders. It was developed by Z-Axis Ltd. and published by Acclaim, and was released on the PlayStation, Dreamcast, Game Boy Color and the Windows PC...
.
"I Was Wrong" is a playable song in the 2008 game Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
.
Cover and liner art
The cover of White Light, White Heat, White Trash features a photograph of a ventriloquist dummyDummy
Dummy may refer to:*Military dummy:**dummy round—a cartridge that is inert, i.e. contains neither primer nor gunpowder**decoy—fake military equipment intended to deceive the enemy...
/puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
taken by Leonard Myazinaki. On the back cover is another photograph by Myazinaki of religious statues. The inner liner is covered with small icons of religious and Americana
Americana
Americana refers to artifacts, or a collection of artifacts, related to the history, geography, folklore and cultural heritage of the United States. Many kinds of material fall within the definition of Americana: paintings, prints and drawings; license plates or entire vehicles, household objects,...
nature, illustrating the album's fusion of faith and punk rock with a 1950s influence. The iconography includes dice
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
, a 1950s-style automobile in front of a motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
, a pin-up girl
Pin-up girl
A pin-up girl, also known as a pin-up model, is a model whose mass-produced pictures see wide appeal as popular culture. Pin-ups are intended for informal display, e.g. meant to be "pinned-up" on a wall...
with angel wings and a halo
Halo (religious iconography)
A halo is a ring of light that surrounds a person in art. They have been used in the iconography of many religions to indicate holy or sacred figures, and have at various periods also been used in images of rulers or heroes...
, a burning cross
Cross burning
Cross burning or cross lighting is a practice widely associated with the Ku Klux Klan, although the historical practice long predates the Klan's inception...
and a Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart
The Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
.
Track listing
All songs written by Mike NessMike Ness
Mike Ness is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band...
unless otherwise noted.
- "Dear Lover" – 4:43
- "Don't Drag Me Down" – 3:51
- "Untitled" – 4:45
- "I Was WrongI Was Wrong"I Was Wrong" is a song by the punk rock band, Social Distortion, originally released as a CD5 by Sony 550 Music in 1996. It then appeared on the studio release, White Light, White Heat, White Trash, followed by Live at the Roxy. The 2007 re-recording of this song is a playable track on Rock Band...
" – 3:58 - "Through These Eyes" – 3:15
- "Down on the World Again" – 3:22
- "When the Angels Sing" – 4:15
- "Gotta Know the Rules" – 3:28
- "Crown of Thorns" – 4:15
- "Pleasure Seeker" – 3:33
- "Down Here (With the Rest of Us)" – 4:19
- "Under My ThumbUnder My Thumb"Under My Thumb" is a song written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for The Rolling Stones. Its first appearance was as an album track on 1966's Aftermath...
" (Mick JaggerMick JaggerSir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
/Keith RichardsKeith RichardsKeith Richards is an English musician, songwriter, and founding member of the Rolling Stones. Rolling Stone magazine said Richards had created "rock's greatest single body of riffs", and placed him as the "10th greatest guitarist of all time." Fourteen songs written by Richards and songwriting...
) – 2:49 *
'*' indicates a hidden track
Hidden track
In the field of recorded music, a hidden track is a piece of music that has been placed on a CD, audio cassette, vinyl record or other recorded medium in such a way as to avoid detection by the casual listener...
.
Personnel
- Mike NessMike NessMike Ness is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band...
– vocals, guitars, art direction, mixing - Dennis DanellDennis DanellDennis Eric Danell was the founding guitarist for the Southern California punk rock band Social Distortion.Danell formed Social Distortion in 1979 with frontman Mike Ness while attending high school together...
– guitars - John MaurerJohn MaurerJohn Maurer was the long time bass guitar player for Social Distortion from 1984 to 2004. He was replaced by Rancid's Matt Freeman. He joined Social Distortion after the departure of Brent Liles....
– bass guitar - Deen CastronovoDeen CastronovoDeen Castronovo is an Italian American drummer who has played in various bands, including Kandles at Nine, Cacophony, Bad English, Journey, The Enemy, Wild Dogs, Dr. Mastermind, Hardline, Planet Us, Soul Sirkus, Social Distortion, and Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler's G/Z/R, as well as in...
– drums (uncredited session drummer) - Chuck BiscuitsChuck BiscuitsChuck Biscuits is a Canadian-born drummer, now a U.S. citizen, who is best known as an original member of the heavy metal/hard rock band Danzig. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion in the late 1990s...
– drums (credited as band member at the time of release, did not play on the album) - Michael Beinhorn – producer
- Kalynn Campbell – illustrations
- Jolie Clemens – art direction
- Giulio Costanzo – art direction
- George Marino – mastering
- John Travis – engineer, mixing
Album chart positions
All chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America).| Year | Album | Chart | Chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | White Light, White Heat, White Trash | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
#27 |
Singles chart positions
All chart positions from Billboard magazine (North America).| Year | Title | Chart | Chart Positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | "I Was Wrong" | Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
#4 |
| 1996 | "I Was Wrong" | Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
#12 |
| 1997 | "When The Angels Sing" | Modern Rock Tracks Modern Rock Tracks Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs... |
#33 |
| 1997 | "When The Angels Sing" | Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
#32 |
Singles information
Singles information gathered from SocialDistortion.com| Single cover | Single information | Music video |
|---|---|---|
| "I Was Wrong I Was Wrong "I Was Wrong" is a song by the punk rock band, Social Distortion, originally released as a CD5 by Sony 550 Music in 1996. It then appeared on the studio release, White Light, White Heat, White Trash, followed by Live at the Roxy. The 2007 re-recording of this song is a playable track on Rock Band... "
|
||
| "When the Angels Sing"
|
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to White Light, White Heat, White Trash is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blender Blender (magazine) Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities.... |
USA United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
500 CDs You Must Own Before You Die | 2003 | * |
| Rock Hard Rock Hard (magazine) Rock Hard is a heavy metal magazine originally released in Germany. It was founded in 1983 by Holger Stratmann and is dedicated to all styles of rock and heavy metal. The magazine has independent offspring with the same name in France, Greece, Italy and Spain.... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Top 300 Albums | 2001 | 123 |
| Rolling Stone Rolling Stone Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
The 500 Best Albums of All Time | 2004 | 170 |
| Visions | Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
The Most Important Albums of the 90s | 1999 | 31 |
(*) designates unordered lists.