Ness sounds right at home singing Marvin Rainwater's "Gamblin' Man" and Jones's "Once A Day," adding gritty distortion to the original frame of the songs. Still, though these reproductions obviously come from the heart of a true fan, they often aren't terribly compelling. "I Fought the Law" seems as much a tribute to the Clash as to Bobby Fuller. And for all it's gut-wrenching sincerety, Ness's voice isn't a very flexible instrument. Ness's growl, which bolsters so many of these other tunes, is a bit distracting on the slower tunes. Some great fiddle playing and pedal steel saves an otherwise pedestrian pass through Carl Perkins' "Let the Jukebox Keep on Playing." "Ball and Chain" caps off the album well, though, making me wish I hadn't already heard it. It's a trusty, well-worn but rollicking tune that seems to sound more the same every time someone tries to change it. Like most of "Under the Influences," and like Mike Ness himself.