by Greg PratoDespite 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.