"Cheating at Solitaire" gives you a new perspective on where punk gets its roots. Recording without his band Social Distortion for the first time in nearly 20 years, singer-songwriter Mike Ness has released a record that's designed to offend the fair-weather fan. But for the legions of Social devotees, it's a long-awaited must-have. He tackles Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice," and in my opinion, makes it his own. (Old Bob better be looking over his shoulder.) The greased-up punk-rocker "I'm in Love With My Car" chronicles bad-boy Ness getting chased down the freeway by the cops in his '54 Chevy (complete with police radio chatter).
Ness recruited a host of legends to help him out. Bruce Springsteen sings and plays guitar on "Misery Loves Company." Brian Setzer breaks out the Gretsch for a very swingin' rockabilly number ("Crime Don't Pay" ). Ness has come a long way since "Mommy's Little Monster," and I'm sure this isn't the last we'll hear from him.
