MIKE NESS - Cheating at solitaire

MIKE NESS Cheating at solitaire cd 1999 320 kbps

The devil in miss Jones / Don't think twice / Misery loves company / Crime don't pay/ Rest of our lives / You win again / Cheating at solitaire / No man's friend / Charmed life / Dope fiend blues / Ballad of a lonely man / I'm in love with my car / If you leave before me / Long black veil / Send her back.

Produced by James Saez & Mike Ness.

Mike Ness : vocals , guitars / James Saez : guitars , percussion & keyboards / Josh Freese : drums / Veikko Lepisto : bass / Chris Lawrence : pedal steel & guitar /Tom Corbett : mandolin / Mando Dorame : tenor sax / Jamie Muhoberac : keys and B3 organ.

The frontman for punk survivors Social Distortion, singer/guitarist Mike Ness was born April 3, 1962, in Stoneham, MA. Raised primarily in Orange County, CA, he was kicked out of his parents' house at age 15 and spent the years which followed in and out of jail and experimenting with drugs; after forming Social Distortion in 1979, Ness' struggles with addiction deepened, and after recording the now-classic "Mommy's Little Monster" in 1983, his self-destructive lifestyle (vividly captured in the 1985 documentary Another State of Mind) nearly broke up the band. After getting clean and sober, Ness reconvened Social Distortion for 1988's rootsy "Prison Bound", followed in 1990 by the group's self-titled major-label debut, which launched the hit "Ball and Chain." After 1992's "Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell", however, the band went on an extended hiatus, not resurfacing until "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" four years later. In 1999, Ness made his solo debut with "Cheating at Solitaire". A covers collection, "Under the Influences", followed later that same year.

In one sense, it seems a little strange that Mike Ness would choose to record a solo album since he always appeared to be the driving force behind Social Distortion. On the other hand, Social Distortion is a full-fledged rock band, which means they're a democracy -- and that might have gotten a little constricting after nearly 20 years in the same outfit. Hence, Ness decided to take a solo detour in 1999 with "Cheating at Solitaire". The title slyly hints at the fact that he didn't do this alone, and there are a stunning array of guests on the album, including contributions from Brian Setzer, Bruce Springsteen, and members of the Royal Crown Revue. Even if the record is loaded with cameos, it remains very much the work of Mike Ness, emphasizing his love of American roots music. Sure, there's hard, punky rock & roll on the record, but things get really interesting when he goes for straight country, blues, rockabilly, and folk. He's dabbled with these genres before, but he's never quite been as straightforward as this, nor has he been as successful. Occasionally, it may sound like he's tackling too much at once, but that's refreshing in a time when most rockers are playing it safe. And that is certainly one thing "Cheating at Solitaire" never does. Allmusic