.38 Special

THIS IS GREAT "JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA" "SOUTHERN ROCK"!!! THIS IS 38 SPECIAL, WITH 18 OF THEIR GREAT SOUTHERN ROCK CLASSICS!!! ONE OF RONNIE VAN ZANT'S YOUNGER BROTHERS, DONNIE IS ONE OF THE LEAD SINGERS AND A GUITAR PLAYER IN THE BAND. THE OTHER LEAD SINGER AND GUITAR PLAYER IS DON BARNES. THE BAND CONSISTS OF 6 MEMBERS. THIS BAND AND THIS CD ROCKS!!!

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: "ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT", "HOLD ON LOOSLY", "WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS", "FANTASY GIRL", "CAUGHT UP IN YOU", "CHAIN LIGHTIN'", "YOU KEEP RUNNIN' AWAY", "TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX", "BACK WHERE WE BELONG", "TEACHER TEACHER", "SOMEBODY LIKE YOU", AND "TAKE ME BACK".

THIS CD IS PROBABLY THE BEST CD TO HAVE OF 38 SPECIAL, BECAUSE YOU GET ALL THEIR CLASSICS ON ONE CD!!! THIS IS SOUTHERN ROCK AT ITS BEST!!! I RECOMMEND THIS ONE AND THEIR DVD THAT WAS FILMED AT THE STURGIS MOTORCYCLE FESTIVAL (SEE MY REVIEW OF THE DVD 38 SPECIAL LIVE)!!!!

This Southern rocker will take you 48 miles down the road in no time at all. A real crowd pleaser! "Fantasy girl" is worth $9 alone. ROCK!

If you get one disc of .38 Special's hits this is the one to get! It has all you could want of them (well maybe die-hards would want more), but the casual to moderate fan will be very happy with this compilation. All of the great hits and more! Great sound, too. I definitely recommend this to anyone that loves classic rock and/or .38 Special.

I am getting a lot of enjoyment out of this CD! Buy one; you won't regret it!

I'm really just a radio fan of 38 Special. But I decided to take a chance with this "best of" collection. And I came out golden on this one. Every single song is at least as good as the handful that you hear on the radio now.
Personally, I tend to go for the harder bands. So I'm often having to enjoy my music in a semi-voluntary semi-solitude while pretty much everyone else plugs their ears and runs away. But this is catchy, very nice, and lively while somewhat softer rock and roll, with a more general appeal--something that the whole family can kind of enjoy together. I would probably compare 38 Special to the Eagles, for beat, intensity and overall listenability.
So far it has a 5-star average rating, and I wouldn't mess with that.

.38 Special were always a great link in the Southern Rock band era which spawned, Skynyrd, Hatchett, Blackfoot, Jessee Bolt etc. A 2 cd set, put em' in and hit random, pour a shot n' a beer and krank it up!!!

While .38 Special's "Anthology" contains all of their biggest hits, it has so much more in store for the listener. Most casual fans are familiar with tunes like "Rockin' Into The Night," "Hold On Loosely," "Fantasy Girl" and "Caught Up In You," but I'm sure that many of them haven't heard the bulk of the other tunes on this album. Like most classic and southern rock acts, .38 Special has such a large catalogue of songs to pick for airplay that many of them are rarely or never played on the classic rock station. Songs like "Teacher, Teacher" and "Chain Lightnin" don't draw as much attention as the previously listed songs. Still, they are excellent tunes in their own right.

What makes .38 Special so appealing to music lovers, in my opinion, is the fact that they can crank out a legitimate southern rocker like "Deja Voodoo" and then turn around and play a pop-tinged rocker like "Back To Paradise" or a full-on arena rock ballad like "Second Chance." This gives them a much broader audience than Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, Boston, Styx or any of the other big acts that were around during their peak. While they may never be considered one of the greatest acts in any of the other listed bands' genres, they will always be remembered as a band that could play tunes from just about any genre and do it well.

.38 Special deserves any and all accolades that they've received over the years. This compilation gives the listener their greatest hits as well as an excellent dose of tunes from all of their albums up into the mid-90's. I recommend this album to fans of southern rock, arena rock, hard rock and country, as well as all those folks who, like me, are suckers for a good rock ballad. Highly recommended.

A very good option to enjoy the music of one of the best groups ever.Don't miss it!

If you love 38 Special, then this is THE CD for you. It has so many great songs. My husband is a huge fan (we fight over the CD); even my daughter likes a lot of the songs, and she's only 8.

If you like .38 Special you will love this album. It contains all of the well known hits and some great hits that aren't as famous...
A total Compilation of .38 Special...

This was the last great .38 album (and tour!). The albums that followed, unfortunately, were increasingly consumed by the 80s pop radio format. Regardless, this is a must-have for any southern rock fan.

Besides the top 20 hits, I feel that "See Me in Your Eyes" and "One of the Lonely Ones" are fantastic. No bad songs on this album, just some are better than others. Should be part of your collection if you like this type of music. Love Don Barnes' lead vocals!!!!!!!!!

I have always been a great fan of Southern Rock. From Skynyrd to Blackfoot. 38 Special is no exception, with members from Donnie Van Zant to Jeff Carlisi, Don Barnes n the rest of the crew. 38 Special are truly a great rock band. Hits like Back Where You Belong n If I'd Been The One. It just doesn't get any better then that! If you like Southern Rock you gotta check this out. Get the party started with the Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and enjoy.

.38 Special is a six-men band featuring twin bass guitars and twin drums often what southern rockers are like. Their sixth album in 1983 may be a bit too defined to be southern rock but is one of the finest albums during that time. Despite the lack of songwriting genius Jim Peterik of Survivor, they could make the greatest song collections with also great songwriting pair Don Barnes and Jeff Carlisi. This album produced two top 20 hits IF I'D BEEN THE ONE and BACK WHERE YOU BELONG. Actually these songs were the very reason why I became a 38 Special fan. These hits were well received by Japanese yogaku (western music) fans during the winter of 1983/84. I just started listening to yogaku program and I instantly liked these songs. The rest of the album is also great with Don Barnes' melody-driven mellow vocal. ONE OF THE LONELY ONES, TWENTY CENTURY FOX and ONE TIME FOR OLD TIME are also the highlights of this album.

Recommended for 80's pop rock fans, particularly Foreigner and Survivor fans.

If the whole CD were as good as the first two songs ("If I'd Been the One" and "Back Where You Belong") this would have been a superb CD. As it is, the other seven songs tend to blend together, as many of their others do. However there is nothing here that is terrible, just not as noteworthy as the first two songs. If you are a fan of 38 Special or Southern Rock, this will fit in well with your collection.

This is a very decent album. I am not a huge fan, but this album and Special Forces are true classic rock albums. There is not a bad track on this CD. And some of these are some really good rockers!!!

Unfortunately, this was the last good album .38 Special made.

I have been a huge fan of .38 Special for a long time. This album, "Strength in Numbers" has been my favorite. I have the album and cassette but not the CD. This album has the best of the songs they have released.

"Strength in Numbers" is the 1986 album release from Southern Arena rockers 38 Special. At the time, the band was at the peak of a winning streak crafting albums of upbeat melodic pop-rock with a slight Country tinge. This album is no exception. It's a fantastic album from beginning to finish and displays the band's tight musicality and hook-filled songwriting at its best.
Guitarist Don Barnes is mostly up front on lead vocals here while main lead singer Donnie Van Zant takes a step back from the microphone until the very end of the album bringing it to a dynamic finish on its final two tracks.
Tracks such as the hits "Somebody Like You" and "Like No Other Night" were all over the airwaves when this album was released. Other standouts such as "Last Time", "Just A Little Love", "Hearts On Fire" and "Against The Night" are impossible to dislike and contain enough hooks to have you humming in no time. The slower tracks ("Once In A Lifetime" and "Has There Ever Been A Good Goodbye") are equally enjoyable and shows the band tackling ballads as effortless as their trademark rock numbers.
With all this said, "Strength In Numbers" is a great album and a wonderful trip down memory lane. The album also marked the end of an era for 38 Special. Two years later, the band regrouped with a new line-up without guitarist/singer Don Barnes. Barnes did return to the band a decade later bringing back its signature sound.
If you can find a copy of "Strength In Numbers" (as I was fortunate enough to find), pick it up. It's worth it.

In many ways, it's a mix of their early 80s hard Country tinged rock, and the arena pop/rock of their next album "Rock & Roll Strategy."

1) Somebody Like You -- Energy packed arena rock minor hit with a slight southern sound. A heartbreak and break-up song these guys do so well. I'm still amazed this didn't become a huge hit.

2) Like No Other Night -- Another small hit. Similar to the first song, but not quite as poppy or catchy.

3) Last Time -- Melodic, only slightly less heavy pop tune about this being the 'Last Time' his girl will get another chance again. I don't think it was actually a hit, but I very vaguely *think* I might have heard it played on the radio. (Keep in mind, I was only about 4 years old when this came out). It's also worthy of being a big hit.

4) Once in a Lifetime -- The first song to be a semi ballad. Not as good as the first three tunes, but another underrated pop masterpiece. Just another reason to pick this entire album up, even if you have a hits package.

5) Just A Little Love -- More of a Country sounding mid tempo rocker, about how 'Just a little love can go a long way.'

6) Has There Ever Been A Good Goodbye -- A good question. LOL. A slightly uptempo southern rock ballad which begs this very question. One of the more pop songs of the album.

7) One in a Million -- Just about the most underrated song in their catalogue. A true ballad, with an '80s poppy, melodic sound. Could have easily been a huge hit. A precursor to what would be on their next album.

8) Hearts on Fire -- A tougher edged mid tempo rocker sure to please fans of the bands' earlier, heavier work. It's less pop and the most Country sounding song on the album, but it still fits in.

9) Against the Night -- A masterpiece which never deserved to be just an album track! Melodic, hard pop/rock arena anthem that's just a lot of fun. As an analogy, imagine Journey or Loverboy performing southern fried rock.

10) Never Give an Inch -- Back to a more basic, mid tempo southern sound. This time, about not giving in. A good, but not great album closer.

I'm not sure if this CD is even in print anymore. If you're into Eddie Money, Georgia Satellites, Lynyrd Skynard; 80 music; or even Country and you see this somewhere, pick it up! The best songs are actually the non-hits.

This was also my first 38 Special CD (actually it was an album), and everytime I play it, it ends too soon. Not a bad cut on this CD. There may have been stronger individual songs on their earlier stuff, but there was a big drop off in effort after that one or two songs, where the rest of the CD was not up to the same quality. Don Barnes had a hand in writing seven of the ten cuts here, and he is usually involved in their better songs. Rarely does he write one alone, but even on Flashback (a greatest hits CD), he was involved in eight of the fourteen cuts there. Not trying to put down the others in the band, but I personally enjoy his stuff the most. The song "Like No Other Night" is my personal favorite, but from beginning to end if you are looking for 38 Special's best that is not on a Greatest Hits package, this is the one you want to start with. The only drawback to buying this one first is that you will never be as pleased with any of the others from beginning to end. I have all but their live CD, and have never regreted having any of them.

Aside from the killer classic "Hold On Loosely", this album kicks some serious butt with "First Time Around", "Hittin and Runnin" and Bring It On. These songs make me smile and tap my feet. Brings back great memories from my wilder days. Needs to played at high volume. Don Barnes' lead vocals give me chills.

FIVE STARS AFTER DRINKING WHISKEY!!!!!!!!!!
.38 SPECIAL were the southern rock band that made it into the eighties with numerous hit songs. Fronted by Donnie Van Zant, the brother of Skynyrds Ronnie Van Zant, these guys were a hard rockin' tail chasin' bar band, that really cooked up some hot chops. Not as kick ass as Skynyrd, but what kind of a*hole compares. They have a totally different sound. Actually, they are closer to sounding like Journey than they are like Skynyrd, but I love this stuff, when I'm way drunk at the bar. I like to select this album on the Online Jukebox, especially if theres a fine looking floozy bendin' over the pool table. HOLD ON LOOSELY, they always start shakin' it! BACK ALLEY SALLY is a sure fire pleaser too! The title track and pretty much the whole thing is good. ROCK AND ROLL!

.38 Special's fourth album in 1981 excellently blends southern rock vibe with melodic hard rock. Jim Peterik known as Survivor's keyboardist and songwriter was instrumental in adding melodic hard rock vibe penning HOLD ON LOOSELY which became their first major hit and FANTASY GIRL second single which became a minor hit. Jim Peterik also co-wrote HITTIN' AND RUNNIN' and WILD EYED SOUTHERN BOYS, the title track. HOLD ON LOOSELY is one of my all time favorite songs among the excellent songs Jim have created so far including Survivor. At the latter part Lynard influenced nice southern rock can be tasted. Essential for early 80s pop rock fans.

WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS was .38 Special's second great album in a row. The first two cuts- "Hold On Loosely" and "First Time Around", as well as "Hittin' And Runnin'"- are downright cautionary in their lyrical content; the title track is pure boogie heaven; and "Fantasy Girl" is simple Southern pop-rock. A few songs are filler, but the great ones make this album worthy of 5 stars.

This CD has the classic .38 Special sound before they went top 40. Nothing fancy here---just some good old southern rock 'n roll. "Hold on Loosely" is hands down the best song they have ever recorded.

Four years ago, I began a heavy weight training program at the high school I teach at; this mainly due to the onset of some health issues at age 56 I decided to fight. Four years down the road, I not only work out with the high school athletes but find myself in charge of operating the Weight Training room! We needed music and the current "music" is not only offensive to me but to many of the athletes as well. From my late 80's weight training I had many cassette tapes of the "Hair Bands" of that era. Problem was, the tapes were getting old and the equipment that is around to play them is getting scarce. Also, on a good system, the cassette sound quality is lacking. So, I came to Amazon looking to replace some of my old cassettes with the same album on CD. I have found and purchased a few from some of the businesses associated with Amazon, and this .38 Special Album:"Flashback", is one of those. I have had a pretty good reaction to this music in the weight room. I caught one of the guys singing the lyrics to one of the songs on this album and asked him if he was singing to 'my' music! He smiled and said he was and I asked him how he knew the lyrics to this 'old' music? He simply said, "I know the lyrics"! One staff member a bit younger than myself told me to play the disc again! Told me it brought back some nice memories. So, in closing, this disc was the genuine article, sealed and original from the mid-80's! Don't know how it lasted that long, but I have found others by Ratt, Poison, and Dio and I will be looking for more! Working with Amazon associated businesses is quick and easy and a great value.

...you can still like this. These guys have a lot of really good songs, and most of them are on this CD. It's got a great full sound.

I love this CD... good old fashioned straight forward upbeat, optimistic, good times forward looking Southern Rock.

Worth every penny.

38 SPECIAL-FLASHBACK: 38 Special was one of the more pop oriented (and most successful) Southern rock outfits, due more to co-lead singer/guitarist Don Barnes' ability to pen and sing righteous hooks than to the contributions of Donnie Van Zant (he of the famed trio of Van Zant brothers, two of which have anchored Lynyrd Skynyrd at opposite ends of that band's career). On early classics ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT and WILD EYED SOUTHERN BOYS the two shared vocal duties, but the group soon fared better chartwise (losing some of their edge in the process) when Barnes took over as frontman, leaving Van Zant with little to do but look on. Resulting big hits FANTASY GIRL, CAUGHT UP IN YOU, and HOLD ON LOOSELY, while top notch Top 40 fare, began to all sound alike, and soon enough Barnes dealt the gang a crushing blow by quitting their ranks for a still-born solo career. This necessitated the addition of capable but mellower songwriter/vocalist Max Carl, who played a keyboard instead of an axe (later Carl also "subbed" for the irreplacable Mark Farner in a faux Grand Funk)...38 Special's cheesey prom anthem, the syrupy SECOND CHANCE (thankfully not included here), proved to be their last chance. The inevitable return of Barnes couldn't rescue the group from endless "Flashback" tours and hits repackagings. That said, this original anthology remains far and away their best, even if those Southern Boys ain't quite as wild as they used to be. RATING: FOUR BULLETS

.38 Special delievers in spades....These wild-eyed southern rockers put the "raunch"in the guitar licks that ordinary rock groups can't capture...This six man "knock-your-socks-off" group,lead by Donnie Van Zant is clear,distinctive and deliver their potent sound on every cut....never disappointing...When's the last time you could say that about an album,hum?PS. the guys are still doing it at the "House Of Blues" around the country....A sound that never gets old or dated....The result of great mucisians who are true to their roots>>>>>Glenn,La.

We love this CD. I think Halleluiah this Christmas should be considered a Christmas classic and played on the radio every year.

I have always been a 38 Special fan - and a big fan of Christmas music - so this was perfect for me. "Wild Eyed Christmas Night" is pure 38! "That Old Rocking Chair" reminds me of my Grandmother - and that gets me everytime. Every song on here, done in 38 Special style, is wonderful.

If the goal at your Christmas party is to get people up and moving on the dance floor, this album is a must! Though there are great high-powered covers of "Jingle Bell Rock" and "Santa Claus Is Back In Town", the core of the album's charm lies in the band's original compositions - the smokin' "A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night", the anthem-like "Hallelujah! It's Christmas", the slow-dancin' "It's Christmas and I Miss You", and even the sentimental "That Old Rockin' Chair". If you try to stay still while listening to this collection you'll hurt yourself!

Made in CAN in 2001, Serial# 06076-86314-2, Playing Time 36:42

Album #13 for the boys... When I was in high school, math was one of my strengths, but I can't figure this one out:

Premise 1: I like .38 SPECIAL

Premise 2: This CD is from .38 SPECIAL

Conclusion: I DON'T like this .38 SPECIAL CD!

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against Christmas music (I've got about 20 CDs of it!), but this CD lacks what CDs like "Merry Axemas" presented: originality, and perhaps more importantly, creative interpretations.

"Wild-Eyed Christmas Night" combines 6 "covers" and 4 "originals", and the quality of the former, especially "Jingle Bell Rock" and "O Holy Night" far exceed that of the latter (especially "That Old Rockin Chair".)

As a follow-up to the "Live At Sturgis" album, this one falls short of delivering the goods and the usual enthusiasm that makes .38 SPECIAL well, special.

Their discography deserves the same fate as floors in a building: skip #13!

are songs thAt you CAN sway to..(AND hold a babY to..VeryAmmonia AvenueisH..).."Hold On Loosely" is the song I could pick out on my guitar with no proble m with "Caught Up in You" as being ("SaturdAy Night Special" is kind of the same way by Lynrd Skynrd..Then (ROCK!)agaiN Donnie Van Zant is Ronnies brother!)the same..

If your looking for greatest hits collections, the Millenium Collection is one of the finest. I have about four of these CD's featuring different artists and none disappoint. The clarity and detail are great! I am not an overly big fan of .38 Special, but I'm glad I picked it up. There are some really great tracks on this CD and if you mix and burn your own, this is good a one for making your own rock CD's! I know I will!

the guys in this band have a sound with size-12 shoes. if you like this band, I suggest you try the Allman Bros., Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. standout tracks are
Rockin Into the Night, Hold On Loosely, Wild-eyed Southern Boys,
Fantasy Girl, Caught Up In You, If I'd Been The One, Back Where You Belong, and Like No Other Night. the question is: where is this band? it's awesome. they need to make a comeback.

This cd was good for what i paid but if your looking for real southern rock stick with skynyrd or the allmans heres the run down the first 4 songs are good then it gets soft but all in all good if you want a sample

I wanted the big hits, at a budget price. This disc delivers. It has all the hits I wanted (Hang On Loosely, Caught Up In You, Fantasy Girl, Rockin' Into The Night, Wild Eyed Southern Boys). And all of the songs that were new to me are solid, too, no filler in this collection. Couldn't ask for more!

Great album for this Southern/Rock Band. All great songs but my favourites are the titletrack, "The Love That I've Lost" and "Turn It On".

Absolutely one of my all-time favorite albums. Not a clunker on it, in my opinion. Play it loud and often.

Southern melodic pop rocker f38 Specialfs third album in 1979 features the title track that became their first smash hit. ROCKINf INTO THE NIGHT is also the first successful hit since 70s for Jim Peterik, co-founder of Survivor. It is said that this song was originally prepared for Survivorfs debut. 38 Special guys loved it and used this for their album. Some of the tracks in this album such as Stone Cold Believer and You Got The Deal are really rocking hard sounding closer to Foreigner. Yet this album also has good old southern rock vibe as seen in Money Honey. This album might have been a turning point not only for 38 Special but also for Survivor that made their music more melodic and hard as shown in Premonition.

Recommended for late 70s rock fans, Survivor, Allman Brothers, and Lynard Skynard fans.

Deep Lyrics man, I'm getting a lot out of this... But just wait for the next record when you'll get "Hold On Loosely!"

ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT is the second-best album by the great .38 Special. The title track is great, as is almost everything else, but by far the best song here is the keep-your-head-and-health number, "You're The Captain", which today's kids could learn a bundle from. A couple of cuts are second-rate, but this album gets 5 stars for all the rest.