.38 Special delivers softer sound with Rock and Roll Strategy
Departure of Don Barnes leaves huge void for southern rockers
After Lynyrd Skynrd’s frontman, Ronnie Van Zandt was killed in a plane crash, .38 Special kept the southern rock movement alive throughout much of the 1970s and 1980s. And, once the Allman Brothers had left the scene, (at least temporarily) Molly Hatchet and the Marshall Tucker Band simply faded away.
But .38 Special just kept churning out hits and dominated airwaves until 1987. It was then that the band released Flashback, which was a career-spanning compilation that included “Take Me Back to Paradise,” the theme song from Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise.
Don Barnes, who co-wrote (along with Jeff Carlisi and Donnie Van Zant) left the group following the release of that single. He had provided the majority of the lead vocals on many of the band’s signature tunes. He was replaced on guitar by Danny Chauncey, (himself a decent songwriter) and vocalist Max Carl. Carl also played keyboards.
This line-up graced fans with Rock & Roll Strategy in 1988 and this LP, despite having a few bright moments, is nothing short of a colossal disappointment. Carl is no Don Barnes and Ronnie’s vocals are wimpy and simply lack any power at all.
This LP, which featured the band’s last single to significantly chart in “Second Chance,” proves one thing and one thing only. And that’s just how bad the band misses Barnes, both as a songwriter and a vocalist. He was and remains the group’s heart and soul.
In this work, the southern rock roots are faintly present with cuts like “Little Sheba and “Hot ‘Lanta,” which were ironically co-written and sung by Carl.
The album is perhaps a must-have for the band’s die-hard fans. Perhaps history treats it more kindly as .38 Special transitions from southern rock and arena titans to an adult-contemporary group.
It certainly didn’t work in 1988, and the album is largely ignored in the band’s more recent live shows. Perhaps that’s because Carl, Carlisi and Van Zant are now gone.
The band now tours with Barnes, Chauncey, keyboardist Bobby Capps (who always sings “Second Chance”), drummer Gary Moffatt and bassist Barry Dunaway. They can still pack venues but Rock & Roll Strategy is dated and remains one of the group’s weakest efforts.
