Mike Ness

Mike Ness - Under the Influences
As you might guess from the album's title, this one is a set of cover tunes, but unlike Cheating at Solitaire, Under the Influences is an homage to the vintage country music sound. It's a delight to hear Ness put his gravelly sneer to work on songs like Carl Perkins' weepy "Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing," a countrified take on rock nugget "I Fought the Law" and the story of an Old West gunfight that plays out in Marty Robbins' "Big Iron." Ness sounds like he's ready to cry in his beer on Harlan Howard's "A Thief in the Night" where Chris Lawrence ladles on sweet steel guitar riffs, and it's a down-home bluegrass fiesta when Ness tackles the Carter Family's "Wildwood Flower." To close the album Ness covers one of his favorite songwriters; himself. The album lopes back to the barn with a remake of Social Distortion's "Ball and Chain," done here as "Ball and Chain (Honky Tonk)." Now when fans play their Social D records they can listen for hints of the non-punk influences that Ness has always loved. Get it here.

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