Flashback: Best of

.38 Special | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: 1987
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000002GFH
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #64,108 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Despite notable flaws, their best single-disc collection., November 19, 2004

By 

oldschooler1981 (San Jose, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flashback: Best of (Audio CD)

38 Special rose from the ashes of 70's classic rockers Lynyrd Skynard - leader Donnie Van Zant's brother, Ronnie's band (who, sadly died with many other members in a 1977 plane crash).

At first, Donnie's band started out with a soundalike, southern boogie rock sound. As they hit the mainstream, they became southern/hard arena rock, then slowly transitioned into a more pop/rock band as the 80's progressed (peaking with their biggest hit--1988's lite pop/power ballad "Second Chance", which came out after this was released in 1987). All three areas are covered on this collection, though it focuses most heavily on the 2nd one.

1979's ROCKIN' INTO THE NIGHT only features the title track, which has traces of their early pure-southern rock sound, but clearly shows their beginnings as a pop band.

1981's WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOYS:
-Hold On Loosely
-Fantasy Girl

This was their breakout. These two were the biggest hits from the album, (and, the first, of their career) so I can't complain about their inclusion at all. Though there were other worthwhile songs, like "First Time Around" or "Hittin' and Runnin'."

1982's SPECIAL FORCES:
-Caught Up in You

This was their first of the more slightly power ballad-laden pop hits that would turn them even more into the mainstream. Though this is a great song, "Back On the Track" and especially the lost hit "You Keep Runnin' Away" should've made the cut!

1983's TOUR DE FORCE:
-If I'd Been the One
-Back Where You Belong

I'll definitely say these two songs - which aren't unlike "Caught Up" in sound - are the best from the album, but it had alot more to offer too, especially the southern-sounding ballad "One Time for Old Times," another hit.

1986's STRENGTH IN NUMBERS:
-Like No Other Night

Okay, this was a GREAT album - further going into 80's style arena rock. The best of the ones featured. I can't believe it only got one track. This one is also a mid tempo (slightly) southern pop/rocker, but it sounds a little too like the previous hits. The high-energy, charged "Someone Like You" or the nice ballad "One in A Million" would've been way better choices.

LIVE TRACKS:
-Stone Cold Believer (1979, ROCKIN INTO THE NIGHT)
-Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981, same album)
-Rough-Housin' (1982, SPECIAL FORCES)
-20th Century Fox (1983, TOUR DE FORCE)

Okay, these certainly aren't bad renditions, but this really bugs me about collections sometimes. These were great choices as studio songs that would've represented their correspinding albums, and improved the quality of the collection quite a bit. Why did they have to use live versions instead!? That's what "Live" albums are for. Oh well, that's life.

SOUNDTRACK SONGS:
-Teacher Teacher (1984, TEACHERS)
-Back to Paradise (1987, REVENGE OF THE NERDS II)

This (almost) makes up for the songs not included. The former is a sillier, energetic pop/rock number. The latter is especially good - a happy rocker, that's sound is almost a mix of the previous year's STRENGTH IN NUMBERS and the following year's even more poppish ROCK & ROLL STRATEGY albums.

NEW SONGS:
-Same Old Feeling

This is another reason to pick this up, as it's the only place I know of to get this song. Again taking the SIN album's general sound, they give us another winner with this mid paced, Journey-esque lite arena rock love song.

Overall, this is still the best single disc collection of theirs. I would still recommend all their 80's studio albums, though, to get a better idea of their sound. I can't stress SIN and R&R STRATEGY enough (even though many people hate the latter for its pop sound).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars TAKING THEIR BEST SHOTS, January 7, 2006

By 

Jukebox Dave (RECORD TOWN, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flashback: Best of (Audio CD)

38 SPECIAL-FLASHBACK: 38 Special was one of the more pop-oriented Southern rock outfits, due mostly to co-lead singer/guitarist Don Barnes' ability to pen and sing righteous radio-friendly hooks, rather than the grittier contributions of Donnie Van Zant, brother to Ronnie and Johnny of Lynyrd Skynyrd reknown. On rough housin' 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 their main frontman. Resulting big hits FANTASY GIRL, CAUGHT UP IN YOU, and HOLD ON LOOSELY were all streamlined, nearly interchangable pop singles that steered clear of stereotypical redneck sentiments. This original anthology is the casual fan's bet, stoked with rebel rousin' fun...even if those Southern Boys ain't quite as wild as they used to be.

RATING: THREE SLUGS

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars CLassic music from a classic band...., December 31, 2000

By 

M. B Evans "Fusionman" (Madison, Mississippi United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Flashback: Best of (Audio CD)

38 Special is probably the best SOUTHERN ROCK band that came out of the late 70's-80's. Their hard driving vocals and guitars on all their songs is unmistakable. They have a unique sound, unlike other so called Southern Rock Bands, they seem less REDNECK, there, I said it.... Anyway, their songs have been on many movie sountracks. Remember Spring Break, Teachers, and other 80's movies? I highly recommend this recording. Its just good time, feel good music, the way it should be....