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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
38 Special's "Drivetrain", August 30, 2004
38 Special has returned with "Drivetrain", their first studio album of all new material since 1997's "Resolution". While the album does include some of the band's trademark hook-filled Southern rock, "Drivetrain" mostly points the band in an entirely different direction altogether. Here, 38 Special delivers a raw, dirty hard rock sound that borders between grunge and metal. Upon hearing the album first time around, the band's new sound may be (and has been) bewildering to some listeners. However, after several listens, "Drivetrain" can really grow on you.
Tracks such as "Something I Need", "Make Some Sense Of It", "The Squeeze" and the album's first single "Hurts Like Love" display a hard-hitting in-your-face style while "Haley's Got A Harley", "Quick Fix" and "Bad Looks Good On You" shows off a slight hint of the band's early days with a certain Southern sass and Donnie Van Zant's snarly vocals. "Hiding From Yourself" offers a style closer to the band's heyday period while the closing story-song "Sheriff's County Line" is a true standout recalling the glory days of Lynyrd Skynyrd.
The only real weak track on this album is "Jam On". With an overproduced drumbeat, boyband chorus vocals and a corny "we all can change the world" message, this track is completely out of character musically, lyrically and stylistically for a band like 38 Special. It may have been better to have left this track off the album altogether.
Apart from this, "Drivetrain" is a strong album which shows that even though the band is older, 38 Special is still not afraid of taking new musical challenges. Most people (including myself) would love to see the band return to the riff-heavy ear-catching pop-rock that made the band famous so many moons ago. However, one must give them credit for trying something different.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Welcome back, guys!, February 5, 2005
I was excited to hear these guys were coming out with something new after seven years...I was even more excited when I heard the album. Not content to rely on what people have come to expect, they hit the pedal straight to the floor on this one...straight ahead rock & roll that loses none of their impact from the days when you could hear them on something besides classic rock radio. The new stuff benefits from the fact that Jeff Carlisi still writes with the band and is still friends with them, and the current lineup still kicks ass in concert, and they're not afraid to show off the new tunes in a live setting, MUCH to their credit. Some other reviewers are disappointed that the band didn't stick right to the "old formula" stuff...well, that's not how a band grows and it's not how a band improves with age. These guys took a chance and it paid off. Thanks guys for a rock solid effort that's just as good as the old stuff, and we'll be there when you come through New England this year with Styx! Now just don't wait so long to do the next album of new material!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Built from the ground up, September 10, 2004
What's good about it?
Despite its silly title "Haley's Got a Harley" is sparked by a fuzzy blues riff and some great slide guitar. It tells the tale of a woman liberated from a bad relationship who revamps herself as a bad biker chick. 38 Special convey the message that we can change the World without violence on "Jam On". Classic area rock riffs are combines with sing-along lyrics to make this a powerful anthem. A slow chugga-chugga riff is the center of "Quick Fix". We learn there's nothing simple that can satisfy the craving for this woman. "The Squeeze" is how the Government and corporations keep the working man down. It has a nice southern rock groove and catchy repetitive lick.
"The Play" is a powerful ballad that reminds us that the whole World is a stage; it all revolves around how we act in the play. Funky guitar licks dominate "Bad Looks Good on You". She's a good girl by day and a bad girl by night; guess which one he prefers. The super-charged riffs and lyrics of a police officer with a chip on his shoulder are easily relatable on "Trooper with an Attitude". Not too many people have managed to avoid this rouge. The subject of law enforcement is explored once again on "Sheriff's County Line". This multi-tempoed track is delivered in a story-like format; it's about forbidden love in a southern town.
Anything bad?
Nope.
Bottom Line
38 Special's albums from the eighties were like a brand new car right of the assembly line; the best production money could buy, crafted to perfection, and plenty of polish. Drivetrain on the other hand is like a restored classic car; built from the ground up, no time restraints, and done the way you want it. It may not have all the bells and whistles that are on the newer model, but it's something you did yourself that you can be proud of. When you really listen to the lyrics, you realize how keen the songs are. They're simple, yet smart.
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