album were announced. The songs were "Road Zombie", "Winners and Losers", "I Wasn't Born to Follow", "Don't Take Me for Granted" and "Footprints on My Ceiling". "Don't Take Me for Granted" was the only known unreleased song that the band played at the When the Angels Sing benefit concert in 2000. In July 2001, in a Los Angeles Times article, Ness discussed the possibility of releasing the album in spring 2002 and mentioned an invitation from Johnny Cash to record together. In January 2002, an inside source reported that Social Distortion was planning to begin recording the album in March and began recording demos for the album in October, with an intended release date of spring 2003. In October 2003, the band announced on their official website that they were planning to enter a studio in Los Angeles, California, in November to finish work on the album. During a January 11, 2004, concert in Orlando, Florida, Ness revealed that the album was "three-quarters of the way completed" and mixing began in June. A January 2003 issue of a German magazine Visions conducted an interview with Ness. About the album, he says: "Definitely more glam and seventies influences and less country since I'm able to realize this part of me better by the Mike Ness Band. And certainly more hope and light than on White Light, White Heat, White Trash. You can't forever tell yourself and others that life's all bad. Apart from other things, punk rock also is about fun and loud guitars. Before doing the last album I went through a really hard time, and even if not all is great in my life, I'm much better now than at that time." On August 5, 2004, Social Distortion announced on their official website that the album would be called Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll and would officially be released on September 28. On the same day, it was announced that bass guitarist John Maurer, who recorded the album, had left the band to "in order to stay home and devote time to his wife and two children". On tour, Rancid's Matt Freeman joined as his replacement, then was himself replaced a few months later by Ness' touring bass guitarist for his solo project, Brent Harding. Reception Critical reviews of Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll were mostly positive. AllMusic's Mark Deming gave the album a rating of four