Remember when we did the “Best Rock Bands” cage matches, and pitted nominated bands against one another to try and whittle it down to the all-time best rock band?
It was very clear that our audience was partial to 70s and 80s rock… and a lot of it was rock with American southern roots.
A band that did very well in those cage matches was 38 Special.
Even in New York you couldn’t go into a club in the 80s without a deejay playing them. (Hold On Loosely, as well as a few others from their hit list, are still in heavy rotation on any classic rock station in the country.)
Where am I going with this?
Recently I read that, back in the day, the great Don Barnes (founder/singer/songwriter/guitarist/power of 38 Special) recorded a solo album, but the album got caught up in all sorts of corporate contractual mumbo jumbo and sadly ended up in limbo, left unreleased.
But eventually the cream rises to the top. Some things just can’t be contained.
After all these years, Ride the Storm has been officially released, and 38 Special/Don Barnes fans are saying this is his best work. Digitally remastered, it’s more power laden today than it was when it was recorded 28 years ago.
Where can you get the album?
You can go to 38 Special.com to order and to listen to the single Ride the Storm
This album will be a blast for the 38 Special fans in your life, and proof that you can go home again.
(And I just read that 38 is STILL out there doing 100 cities a year. Unbelievable staying power. I’m thinking of dropping in to see them in Daytona this May.)
Enjoy.
Ah yeah, I remember that song. Always thought they were saying, Hold on Lucy. LOL
I love Barnes & Barnes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-K2DZojWi0
Um, possibly not the same.
‘Hold On Loosely’ … great song penned by Barnes
still can’t remember if he sang it, or Donnie Van Zant (brother of Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd) did it … think it was Van Zant
… could be wrong ……………. as usual 😉
LCD,
Now, would I go to Daytona to see THAT????
Barnes sang Hold on Loosely.
Still does.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMuTOHhoX6s
38 Special? The kings of AM Southern Rock? Are you kidding me? I guess that contest was before my time. Here’s the National Anthem of Southern Rock boys and girls. Nuff said.
https://youtu.be/sMmTkKz60W8
just checked the yougoob video … it looks like Barnes did the lip-syncing
Hopefully they will do The Rock Boat one of these years.
It’s a ton of fun cruising with a bunch of bands.
I think they occasionally do the Epcot series of festivals.
@Brad ~ agreed … the Kings of AM Southern Rock was definitely Skynryd
… the Kings of Southern Rock was the ABB
I’ve only purchased three albums solely based on the cover art without having a clue what the music sounded like. They were Dream Theater’s “Images And Words,” Pendragon’s “The World,” and Amon Amorth’s “Surtur Rising.” This would be the fourth album I’d purchase solely based on that spectacularly bitchin’ album cover alone. I forgot what a rich and full 38 Special has. A friend of mine asked me to play some of their old stuff on YouTube and they sounded killer. I’d go see them live!
sorry Fur, didn’t see your post before I posted (does that even make sense?)
… haven’t followed 38 in a long, … long time
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
You’re talking about two completely different time frames. Considering your previous post, where do the Outlaws fit in? Especially compared to 38 special.
But the Allman Brothers were the best. No question.
Ohhh wait a minute, now. I just realized who they were. I know a lot of the songs but I didn’t know they sang them. lol.
mid to late 80’s!!! I was living overseas and they were played a lot where I lived.
@Jerry M ~ did the same w/ ‘Molly Hatchet’ …. love Franzetta’ work … every young (& old) man’s fantasies
Worthless round. Just sayen.
This one I don’t know.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCq4EkzLlQM
.
You can’t take the Southern Rock story seriously without giving credit to the Muscle Shoals Studio.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ELoa0lPW35o
@Brad ~ unfortunately for the Outlaws they didn’t have a lot of AM success (at least as much as Skynyrd), except for a lot of FM play w/ ‘High Tide’ … Hughie Thomasson was such an underrated talent .. along w/ the tragic Billy Jones … those boys rocked!
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
I saw the Outlaws at the Cow Palace. They opened for Foghat. And they literally blew Foghat off the stage. The best group I’ve ever seen play. Bar none.
I’m laughing my ass off reading MJA’s posts. Somebody please catch are little darlin up.
@joe6 ~ Duane Allman was a studio musician at Muscle Shoals before he founded the ABB. recorded w/ Wilson Pickett, Aretha Franklin, Boz Scaggs, King Curtis, Herbie Mann & many others at the Shoals
Bad Brad, what the fuck are YOU going on about? The post is about .38 Special. Oh and you know what? I’m not a fan of the Skynyrd. Over played, cliche, and how many times are we going to have to listen to FREE BIRD? Until Yoko Ono finally kills it?! Oh and the Allman brothers. Which genius was fucking Cher, again? LOL.
Good night.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Never lived in the South. I admire the people. But let me say in Northern California Skinards Simple Man was like a National Anthem for a lot of us back in the day. Weak as that may be. Sweet Melissa didn’t have the same impact here.
Molon, and he was great! This is my favorite.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv60Dz9hUPo
“Bad Brad, what the fuck are YOU going on about?”
Well, that will teach me for not drinking. Holy crap.
But then again she does raise a good point about the Cher. I need to ponder the rest of this.
Ah, the comforting familiar guitar styling from the 80’s! I’ve tried and tried to break out of my music rut- but I always go back to classic 80’s rock and pop (and punk). I’m happy to hear that 38 Special is still touring! 👍😊
@joe6 ~ one of my favs too! … fantastic soulfulness throughout
… you can’t get into this groove … you just can’t get into music
@Brad & MJA ~ there was a lot of drugs involved … jus’ sayin’
“Back then, I did a lot of drugs & I married Cher … I don’t recommend either to anyone”
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ
Snap Out Of It!
LOL
That’s a lot of fucking drugs pal.
This is southern rock…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzZcBceUZJw&list=RDBCNOZwS5x7o&index=5… 38 special? Hell, this is 44 mag…
OK, since someone brought it up, Foghat was OK, but a couple guys from Savoy Brown started Foghat, and Savoy Brown was a good band. Check out out Hellbound Train and Street Corner Talking.
This is why we can’t have nice things.
I leave for a second, come back, and the lamp is broken and we’re talking about Freebird and Cher.
How about that Ride the Storm?? Betcha the peeps doing the talking on this thread didn’t listen –>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhleALkMNfc
I love the Doors. LOL.
We weren’t talking about Free Bird and Cher….MJA was. She broke the lamp and gave Bad Brad broken glass to play with….
Brad, I’m glad you brought that up. How can you beat LA Woman and Morrison Hotel? Those were good days.
“We weren’t talking about Free Bird and Cher….MJA was. She broke the lamp and gave Bad Brad broken glass to play with….”
Man I need to start using the same mushrooms as Willy. And MJA.
This is feeling like a bad episode of Twin Peaks.
Good Night.
“Brad, I’m glad you brought that up. How can you beat LA Woman and Morrison Hotel? Those were good days.”
LOL, This is the end. I mean it. LOL
Well……
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAgZxbB-p_8
I listened to “Ride The Storm.” What a rocker!
38 special was good, but not remotely in the same league of the Allman’s, Skynyrd or Marshall Tucker. For me, it’s a huge drop off from the Allman’s to any other southern rock band. Not even close.
Keep playin’ SR cause The Boss is a bitch.
“Rockin’ into the night” is on my “top driving songs evah!” list.
38 Special kicks ass and Don Barnes has a great set of pipes.