.38 Special

Ronnie and Donnie Van Zant may have shared a last name, but the two brothers' respective
bands couldn't have been more different. On Tour de Force, 38 Special sound less like
Lynyrd Skynyrd than Journey. Strip away the Sixties rock garb and the Southern-boogie
instrumental lineup (dual guitars and drums), and you have a closet West Coast AOR band.
Forget any grittiness or sweaty, good-time rocking; this album is downright polit... More >

The function of the catchy nothing-but-love-songs on this skillful but otherwise derivative slice of boogie is to enable Don Barnes to show the would-be hellions in his audience, all of whom have to betray their rowdy principles if they're to keep their jobs and get on with their lives, just exactly how a good old boy acts sincere. Gauge its potential usefulness in your own life accordingly. (Grade - C+)