Exploring His ‘Influences’

Punk godfather Johnny Rotten laid out one of the cornerstone philosophies of punk-rock back in 1977 when he sang, “Don’t know what I want, but I know how to get it.”

Orange County punk godfather Mike Ness knew exactly what he wanted--and how to get it--one day last week after elaborating on some of his own cornerstone philosophies over lunch in downtown Orange.

What Ness sought this day had nothing to do with punk’s anything-goes credo: On his way to lunch in the antique district, he’d spotted a circa-1910 Arts and Crafts walnut coatrack with bronze hardware and a revolving crown--perfect for the early 20th century house in South Pasadena he’s just moved to and is starting to restore.

“It’s really solid,” the leader of veteran O.C. punk band Social Distortion said, eyeing the piece up and down before plunking down a credit card on his $95 find.

Ness has collected classic American furniture for years and said he’s pored over antique guides for so long that he’s developed “a pretty good eye for stuff. I call it ‘flea-market eye’: At flea markets I can spot stuff in the distance just by the colors.”

That “flea-market eye” extends to his musical vision as well, evident on his new solo album, “Under the Influences,” a collection of mostly vintage country songs, some nearly as old as his newly acquired hat rack.

The album is one way that Ness is, in effect, restoring his musical home, after two decades pounding out some of the fiercest and rawest punk rock anywhere.

He took his first step away from Social Distortion last spring with “Cheating at Solitaire,” his solo debut combining blues and country-rooted original material with covers of songs by such music titans as Hank Williams and Bob Dylan. Last week it topped sales of 100,000, according to the SoundScan monitor ing service.

“Under the Influences,” which carries the tag “Vol. I” to let fans know he’ll continue poking through the nooks and crannies of his musical upbringing, is a companion piece that extends his roots explorations.

Ness said he has no plans to remove any of the nicks and bruises the coatrack had picked up over the decades. Likewise, songs he’s chosen for his new album are full of the bruises and bumps of real life so commonly sanded out of contemporary country music. His characteristically gritty vocals add a few notches of his own to those songs.

“I really wanted to bring the dirt back into country,” Ness, 38, said between bites of the rock shrimp pasta dish he usually orders at the California-eclectic eatery he frequents. “When I wrote [the songs for Social Distortion’s 1996 album] ‘White Light White Heat White Trash,’ I wanted to bring some of the passion back into punk music that was missing. I think a lot of blues music has lost its blues.

“I just want the real thing,” he said.

The “real thing” in country is epitomized on “Under the Influences” by Ness’ cover of “Wildwood Flower,” the signature song of country music’s first family, the Carters.

“I went to bed every night almost hearing my dad play ‘Wildwood Flower’ on his acoustic guitar,” Ness said, his raspy-but-steady, singsong voice softening, almost in counterpoint to the imposing raft of tattoos that cover his muscular arms and torso. “And ‘The Legend of Bonnie and Clyde’ or Johnny Cash stuff. That’s where I got my country stuff.”

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Ness’ take on country won’t be confused by anyone with Alan Jackson’s new, coincidentally titled “Under the Influence,” a respectful hommage to some of the mainstream country star’s favorite artists and records. In the liner notes, Jackson wrote: “I wasn’t trying to make these songs my own . . . I wanted to record [them] as a tribute to the original artists and musicians who made them.”

To Ness, who slashes and tears through songs by Hank Williams, Carl Perkins, George Jones, Marty Robbins and other country artists famous and obscure, repeating the original records’ arrangements “would be boring to me.” And, in the case of those sung by vocal giants such as Williams and Jones, impossible for Ness, who is the first to concede that his buzz-saw singing puts raw emotion above any niceties of vocal style.

“One of my favorite records growing up was David Bowie’s ‘Pin Ups,’ ” the 1973 album in which the British rocker radically revamped other artists’ hits. “He took those songs and made them all his own. That was a big influence on my record as far as an approach to doing cover songs.”

The overlap of the British art rock and classic American country shouldn’t surprise any longtime Social Distortion followers. Those elements and more--from blues and roots rock to ‘60s British rock, and ‘70s American and British punk--have always swirled through Ness’ songs for the band.

Social Distortion’s musical intensity, as well as the brutal honesty of Ness’ songwriting, has won him and the band friends in high places over the years, from Neil Young, who tapped the band as an opening act in the early ‘90s, to Bruce Springsteen, who contributed a duet vocal and some guitar work to “Misery Loves Company” on Ness’ first solo album.

Going solo, while still keeping Social Distortion as the forum for his most sonically explosive music, has simply given Ness an expanded musical palette to work with.

“My whole point of doing a solo record was to show people other sides to me,” said Ness, whose schedule has been packed between moving out of his longtime home in Costa Mesa--”Orange County is just turning into strip malls,” he said by way of explanation, “I can’t watch this”--and finding a new bassist in time for this week’s concerts (Eric Wood, of Fullerton garage-psychedelic band Busstop Hurricanes).

“I mean, I love what I do with Social Distortion. But I also love this other stuff,” he said. “I’ve started to write for the new Social Distortion record, and I really feel there’s a balance creatively because of going out and doing this [solo work], and knowing that from here on out I can do that.

“Whenever I get bored with Social Distortion, I can go and make a Mike Ness record. And whenever I get bored with that, I can go and make a Social Distortion record. I’s really the best of both worlds.”

Those worlds mingle in the countrified version of Social Distortion’s “Ball and Chain,” which closes “Under the Influences.”

“ ‘Ball and Chain’ was much more of a cryin’-in-your-beer country song [when I wrote it]. But that was 10 or 11 years ago. Back then--it’s funny--I noticed when we covered “Ring of Fire” and we did ‘Ball and Chain,” people were going ‘Social Distortion is doing country?’ Now it’s like a greaser’s starter kit: they’ve got to get a Johnny Cash record and a can of Pomade. It’s become a standard. That’s pretty neat to see.

“But I couldn’t do it this way 10 years ago,” he said. “It has to be very natural. I try not to pay attention to what’s popular at the time, but I know if I’d done a song like ‘I’m in Love With My Car’ [from ‘Cheating at Solitaire’] five or six years ago, no one would have gotten it. Now, the same thing is happening: Everyone wants an old car. It’s weird. Sometimes it’s kinda cool to sometimes wait and catch up.”

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Whether one of his solo albums or the next Social Distortion record ever connects with a mass audience a la the Offspring, the breakthrough O.C. punk band whose members cite Social Distortion as a key influence, isn’t Ness’ top priority.

“My attitude is that I’m grateful for what I have instead of [worried about] what I don’t have,” he said. “Someday I’d like to know what it’s like to have a platinum record. But I’ve come to grips with the fact that I may be one of those artists [who doesn’t sell millions]--like Tom Waits, who makes great records, but the masses would rather hear Pat Boone.”

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Playing Tonight

* Mike Ness and the Road Kings play tonight at the Coach House, 33157 Camino Capistrano, San Juan Capistrano. 8 p.m. Also 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday. $20-$22. (714) 496-8930.