Search - .38 Special :: 38 Special

A Southern Rock Classic Re-Issued And Remastered.

James Diggs | USA | 07/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Why A&M Records here in the good old U.S. (well it ain't nearly as good as it used to be) can't get off their butts and re-issue this cd is beyond me (it was available on cd in the late eighties for a short time - then deleted). I remember buying this album back in 1977 after a friend told me it sounded alot like Lynyrd Skynyrd. Well, being a big Skynyrd fan I bought it and low and behold no wonder it sounds like Skynyrd, Donnie Van Zant (Skynyrd singer Ronnie Van Zant's younger brother) is doing most of the vocals and he sounds alot like his older brother. Also, the dual lead guitars of Don Barnes and Jeff Carlise are reminiscent of the same guitar attack Allen Collins and Gary Rossington of Skynyrd utilized. I remember buying the eight track too and would play "Long Time Gone", and "Gypsy Belle" over and over again in my car. Thirty Eight Special's sophmore release "Special Delivery" produced by ex-Edgar Winter Group bassist/singer Dan Hartman and released in 1978 is even better and like this self titled release it was available in the late eighties for a short time as well. One reviewer mentions this cd doesn't sound like the .38 Special of the eighties. Basically, the band went commercial (sold out) and left alot of their southern roots behind opting for a more pop rock sound. Not that this was a bad thing, the band certainly became hugely successful due to MTV playing their videos and had songs featured on soundtracks (ex. Revenge Of The Nerds Part 2 includes "Teacher Teacher"). But I always liked .38 Special when they were playing Southern Rock and this was at a time when this genre of music was losing it's steam due to the upcoming punk/new wave movement. Think about it, there weren't many bands playing Southern Rock in 1979 except Blackfoot (who had a couple of hits from their Blackfoot Strikes album namely "Train Train" and "Highway Song") , Molly Hatchet (who's album "Flirtin' With Disaster" produced the hit of the same name) and The Charlie Daniels Band (who had a surprise hit with "The Devil Went Down To Georgia"). I'm giving this cd five stars which it certainly deserves."

.38 Special's Debut Is Tied For Their Best

The Footpath Cowboy | Kingston, NY United States | 12/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

".38 Special's debut is tied with ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT, WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS, and SPECIAL FORCES as the band's best album ever. On this album, the group sounds like a cross between the Allman Brothers Band circa BROTHERS AND SISTERS and the music on the Outlaws' BEST OF THE OUTLAWS: GREEN GRASS AND HIGH TIDES, pointing the way to the band's future fusion of Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Outlaws. The best songs here are "Long Time Gone", "Gypsy Belle", "Four Wheels", "Tell Everybody", and "I Just Wanna Rock And Roll." If you love Skynyrd, Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, or the Outlaws, you'll really enjoy this CD."