Dave Meniketti

Dave Meniketti - On The Blue Side - 1998 - Blue Moon Music

Like the Foghat "Return Of The Boogie Men" album on this blog, it's always great to hear artists you normally associate with heavy metal rock, geting back to the blues, and record albums like "On The Blue Side". This is a great album from Y&T's Dave Meniketti. He has written nine of the tracks here, and also covers three blues classics, "Man's World", "Loan Me a Dime", and "Parchman Farm". Although the album occasionally drifts into Dave's more heavy metal side, it never gets too overpowering, and remains essentially a very good blues rock album. Dave's guitar work is scintillating. Buy his "Meniketti" for more great blues rock.

TRACKS

Man's World - Brown, Newsome
Angel On My Shoulder
Can't Do Nothin' Right
Loan Me a Dime - Robinson
Until the Next Time
Just Coastin'
Bad Feeling
Say Goodbye
Parchman Farm - Allison
Take It Like A Man
Baby Blues
Mister Blister

All songs composed by Dave Meniketti, except where stated

MUSICIANS

Dave Meniketti - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals, Multi Instruments
Myron Dove - Bass
Joe Heinemann - Keyboards
Jimmy DeGrasso - Drums
Ron Wikso - Percussion, Drums

REVIEW

Despite being best known as the guitar slinger for Bay Area pop metallists Y&T, Dave Meniketti has always had a fondness for the blues, as heard throughout his first-ever solo album, 2000s On the Blue Side. Although it's not new for a metal guitarist to rediscover their blues roots (Gary Moore successfully reinvented himself as a bluesmen in the early '90s), Meniketti gets to show off his blues chops throughout. Included is an album-opening cover of James Brown's "Man's World," while Meniketti does a pretty darn impressive Billy Gibbons impersonation on "Angel on my Shoulder." He pays tribute to Stevie Ray Vaughan on "Just Coastin'," and pours out his heart and soul on "Until Next Time." Those who have Meniketti pegged as merely a heavy metal guitarist will certainly change their tune after hearing On the Blue Side. © Greg Prato, All Music Guide

BIO (Wikipedia)

Dave Meniketti (born December 12, 1953) is a lead guitarist and singer/ songwriter for 70's/80's Hard rock/Blues/Heavy metal band Y&T. Dave Meniketti has also done two individual solo efforts, which are more blues-oriented, but is touring with Y&T on an off and on basis. Dave Meniketti was born and raised in Oakland, California where he has been an icon for guitar players worldwide and a San Francisco Bay Area vocal and guitar legend for over two decades. Perhaps it is the diversity of the artists that influenced him as a kid (Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Sammy Hagar, James Brown, Led Zeppelin) that is responsible for his varied expressions in both his singing and guitar playing. As the lead singer/lead guitarist with Bay Area Rockers Y&T, Meniketti has sold over 4 million records worldwide, recorded 17 albums and toured across the United States and around the world. His style has influenced some of the major stars in rock and over the years he's been asked to join many top bands including Ozzy Osbourne and Whitesnake. Secret Chiefs 3 and former Mr. Bungle guitarist Trey Spruance said in an interview with Kerrang! Magazine, 1991, that "... of course, I owe it [his guitar playing speed] all to Y&T. Dave Meniketti is my god." While Y&T took a break from recording and performing, Meniketti built his own recording studio in his home, and proceeded to record his first solo album titled ON THE BLUE SIDE which represented his passion for the blues. He would later release a follow up album simply titled, MENIKETTI.