Cheating at Solitaire (oh mike ness)

One of the things that always set Social Distortion apart from the rest of the '80s California punks was their incorporation of twangy country/rockabilly into their driving sound. They wound up covering everything from "Ring of Fire" to Jimmy Work's "Making Believe" without sacrificing a bit of sonic fury. With Social D. frontman Mike Ness' solo debut, it becomes apparent that most of those country leanings came from him.

On CHEATING AT SOLITAIRE, Ness is freed to further explore his rootsy Americana influences, from straight country and bluegrass treatments of original tunes to covers of "Long Black Veil," Hank Williams's "You Win Again" and Dylan's "Don't Think Twice." Naturally, Ness attacks much of this material with the same punk-inspired brute force and unflinching lyrical realism that made Social Distortion a success, and it makes CHEATING AT SOLITAIRE an intriguing chapter in Ness' continually unfolding musical story. (x)

Cheating at Solitaire - Mike Ness

(buy)

1. "The Devil in Miss Jones" – 3:49
2. "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (Dylan) – 3:47
3. "Misery Loves Company" – 3:47
4. "Crime Don't Pay" – 3:31
5. "Rest of Our Lives" – 3:44
6. "You Win Again" (Williams) – 3:11
7. "Cheating at Solitaire" – 3:53
8. "No Man's Friend" – 4:57
9. "Charmed Life" – 3:38
10. "Dope Fiend Blues" – 5:17
11. "Ballad of a Lonely Man" – 3:25
12. "I'm in Love w/My Car" – 4:41
13. "If You Leave Before Me" – 4:19
14. "Long Black Veil" (Dill/Wilkin) – 4:04
15. "Send Her Back" (Ferrier) – 2:57

*** edit: Also, Suburban Terror has got up the other Mike Ness solo album, Under the Influences.