the ’Zine

Social Distortion, Elvis Costello, Steely Dan and Disturbed DLC

Filed under: DLC News / Tags: social-distortion, steely-dan, elvis-costello, disturbed, punk, rock, classic-rock, nu-metal, 1970s, 2000s / 33 comments

Leading off this week's punk onslaught is a three-pack from one of Southern California's finest, Social Distortion. The fearsome, tattooed Mike Ness is long established as an underground hero, one who hit the brink of self-destruction and came back to tell the tale—The man even had part of his ear bitten off in a bar fight. . So who better to cover a Johnny Cash song? Social D caught the essence of Cash's classic "Ring of Fire," even if their version is a whole lot louder. From that same album (the self-titled 1990 disc) comes "Story of My Life," a six-minute epic that lays some of Ness' experience on the line. Hipper radio stations were all over that 1990 album, especially in California; but it took the next disc's "Bad Luck" to bring most of the country onboard. Just last month Ness made a small bit of history by playing this song live with Bruce Springsteen.

Remember when Elvis Costello was a punk rocker? Three minutes of pure snarl, "Radio Radio" has a still-timely theme related to lame commercial programming. And the song famously got Elvis into hot water when he was booked on Saturday Night Live to play another song ("Less Than Zero," whose lyric he figured US audiences wouldn't understand) and switched to "Radio Radio" on-camera. He made amends many years later, when he returned to the show and did "Radio Radio" with the Beastie Boys backing him up.

Not quite punk but hardly mainstream, Steely Dan have been going their eccentric way for decades now. If you finally mastered "Bodhisattva," try your hand at these two additions: "My Old School" features two of the niftiest guitar breaks in Dan history (courtesy of Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, who became a defense analyst for the Bush administration!). By the way, Steely Dan mentors Walter Becker and Donald Fagen met at Bard College—which despite the lyric is in New York City, not Annandale, NJ.

A slightly later Dan track, "Black Friday" takes a wry look at a forthcoming stock-market-crash…and remember, this song was released in 1975. Some things never change.

Lest metalheads start feeling left-out, wrapping up this week's package are two songs from the "Sickness" guys, Disturbed. The band hails from the South Side of Chicago—which as everybody knows, is the baddest part of town. "Stupify" was written as an anti-intolerance song, when singer David Draiman had a Latino girlfriend and felt that both their families were making too big a deal of it. The song originally had an emotional video in which Draiman connected with his wounded inner child, but we can't promise you a higher score for doing that.

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shadowracer...

Yay!!!! Disturbed, but they probaly could have added The Night Too, but oh well, maybe next time, it's cool though

Thursday, August 20, 2009

shorefun61...

Classic Elvis Costello! How about some Oliver's Army! Love the Steely Dan too!!!

Saturday, May 30, 2009

slayerback2007...

Social D great, what about Tiger Army next?! 8D

Saturday, May 30, 2009

rockbandrockinchic...

ohhh i like social Distortion and disturbed! BIG fan!!! yay new song's !!!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

crovax1...

Thanks for the Social D track pack. Bring more punk!

Monday, May 18, 2009

DominsWolf...

thanx for the disturbed and social distortion, i used to have stricken as my ringtone at one time now its Chop Suey! story of my life and ring of fire are amazing though i give u guys props... i wanna see some ska though like catch 22, streetlight manifesto, or rancid :D

Monday, May 18, 2009

Bassman23...

When is the album rust in peace going to be put on? that's one of Megadeth's best!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Bassman23...

Disturbed r awesome!!! "Stricken" is a gewd song, inside the fire is a gewd song, indestructible is a gewd song e.t.c.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Cleverpun...

Yeah, Elvis Costello.
I'll admit that "Stricken" is a good song, but I'm still mastering the other four Disturbed songs...
And hopefully this cover of "Ring Of Fire" is a portend of some Johnny Cash DLC: good cover, but I want Cash's cover of "Ghost Riders In The Sky" one of these days...

Sunday, May 17, 2009

drhunglo...

striken is not from the sickness cd it's off of "Ten Thousand Fists"

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Soldierone...

Sickness is already on rockband, so we only got one disturbed song...Can you please add more Godsmack!? Favorite band ever, wouldnt even mind seeing Rock Band Godsmack to be honest, would own GH Metallica! And Slipknot, man now that would be crazy!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Griymm...

I Really Don't Like Steely Dan And those kinda bands, they just are boring to me, when I play there kinda music I'm like when is this song gonna freaking end it's boring the crap out of me.

Friday, May 15, 2009

grungerocks2...

STEELY DAN! WHOOO HOOO. but no track pack? i like these tracks and how about some living colour or the smiths. other good stuff

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Griymm...

Yes I Got Some People To That We All Want Slipknot Too! We Want Slipknot In Rock Band, We Have Been Waiting For EVER To See Slipknot In Rock Band.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

drummah...

slipknot would be awesome you are correct

Thursday, May 14, 2009

TheDemonGoats-Cary...

SLIPKNOT!!!! WE DEMAND SLIPKNOT!!! I and 30 other ppl want Slipknot on Rock Band 2!!! Get to work on it plz!!

Thursday, May 14, 2009

drummah...

The next time you put Disturbed songs in a pack try "the night" "prayer" and "hell" or just an album like indestructible

Thursday, May 14, 2009

radical1...

disturbed is always good ... would've preferred ''the night '' over ''stupify'' though. would also like to see some more muse or u2 even. maybe someday

Thursday, May 14, 2009

TheDemonGoats-Cary...

Can anybody say..."Psycosoc- ial"?-

Thursday, May 14, 2009

TheDemonGoats-Cary...

Oh yeah, and Slipknot

Thursday, May 14, 2009

TheDemonGoats-Cary...

stupify? granted it's a good song but they're are better songs from the indestructible album. oh, and add some Killswitch Engage already! I'm getting tired of playing My Curse on G.H.III i can already 100% it! Get some stuff from HIM too. We need Kiss of Dawn and Razorblade

Thursday, May 14, 2009

EnergyCrisis...

Great job adding Stupify. Easily one of my fav tracks on that album. More metal is always good. Wouldn't mind seeing some 5 Finger Death Punch, Hellyeah, Pantera, or Slayer. Or maybe slow the pace down a little with some Bush, Chevelle, Collective Soul, or Candlebox. More Linkin Park would be nice but it'd be even better if you guys had the game set up for lead and back up vocals. That way Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda's vocal tracks could both make their way into the game. Something to think about for Rock Band 3 maybe?

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Sciochezze...

So when are you guys gonna put 3doors down and nonpoint and evanescene? i mean im waitng patiently and im sick of disturbed. =[ and some more soad only because they are awseome

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Hanzolebot...

i find it funny how everyone comments in "put this on here cause this ****s"

personally i like all the music that you put up, because i dont limit myself to a specific genre of music, so good job and keep up the good work. and look into bands like Shiny Toy Guns, People In Planes, We Are Scientists, and Vampire Weekend. they have some good songs that people may fancy :D

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

PBWPro5...

Thats great,
When are we going to get some GWAR on here!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

PBWPro5...

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

HeavyHorse...

I'm loving the recent variety in releases. Awesome selections too. Keep it up guys!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

HauntingYourKids...

JOUNGDEEZY, anyone with ears could have told you that. I can't tell if you're a Disturbed fan from the post, but just because you like a band doesn't mean that every single song they ever done would be good for Rock Band (see "Stairway to Heaven" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Good songs in their own right (...okay, "Stairway" is just... meh...), but there's only so much going on).

The_Voice777, 1990 called, it wants you to catch up. Listen to some STP and Incubus, trust me on this.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009