http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5360&rws=%2Fmike-ness%2Fmusic-videos.rssSocial Distortion leader Mike Ness fuses Punk's fury with the sound and style of country and blues; his direct influences seem more the Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash than the Sex Pistols or the Ramones. Ness was only seventeen at the start of Social Distortion's nearly-twenty-year career; his early musical efforts were simple, rebellious anthems that celebrated hard living. In 1982, the group released the successful <i>Mommy's Little Monster</i> LP, which established the group's sound with its ferocious guitar attacks, undaunted backbeats and sincere, telling lyrics. A short jail stint and Ness's subsequent sobriety seemed to fuel him even more, and '90s self-titled LP, recorded for Sony, was a major hit. And Ness's formative influences, especially Cash, snuck back in to the group's sound -- Social Distortion even covered Cash's "Ring of Fire" on that LP. With his latest solo set, Ness has elected to produce a stripped-down record, without the trademark wall of sound. But Ness's intensity is still palpable. - Mike ClowardOld School Punken720Sat, 19 Dec 2009 02:04:51 -0800 http://static.realone.com/rotw/images/logo_rhapsody_113x22.gif http://www.rhapsody.com/goto?rcid=art.5360&rws=%2Fmike-ness%2Fmusic-videos.rss Social Distortion leader Mike Ness fuses Punk's fury with the sound and style of country and blues; his direct influences seem more the Rolling Stones and Johnny Cash than the Sex Pistols or the Ramones. Ness was only seventeen at the start of Social Distortion's nearly-twenty-year career; his early musical efforts were simple, rebellious anthems that celebrated hard living. In 1982, the group released the successful <i>Mommy's Little Monster</i> LP, which established the group's sound with its ferocious guitar attacks, undaunted backbeats and sincere, telling lyrics. A short jail stint and Ness's subsequent sobriety seemed to fuel him even more, and '90s self-titled LP, recorded for Sony, was a major hit. And Ness's formative influences, especially Cash, snuck back in to the group's sound -- Social Distortion even covered Cash's "Ring of Fire" on that LP. With his latest solo set, Ness has elected to produce a stripped-down record, without the trademark wall of sound. But Ness's intensity is still palpable. - Mike Cloward