Customer Reviews

Van Zant II

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

These songs touch your heart and your very soul. This is music with lyrics that mean something. Johnny Van Zant is king. He has so much emotional depth. Music is part of the Van Zant family. They live and breath it. Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote about family loss with the song "Tuesday's Gone". It took a long time for Johnny to feel right about performing with Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Brickyard Road" was a very personal writing by Johnny. Van Zant II is dedicated to Marion Virginia Van Zant, who is not here to swing on the front porch swing any longer. The emotion in this CD is unreal. It starts with OKLAHOMA, a very powerful song about a part of our country that has endured tragedy, survived, and overcome. GET WHAT YOU GOT COMIN' and WHAT'S THE WORLD COMING TO are classic southern flavor Lynyrd Skynyrd style "fed up with the way things are today" rock & roll. HEART OF AN ANGEL and IMAGINATION are just amazing musical writings that have to be of Marion's influence, and are proper tributes. All the songs are great. My personal favorite is ALIVE. This song reminds us all what it really means to be alive and to cherish each and every day we have, despite our problems. I really don't what else to say, I just bought this CD today and - I am still in AWE of what I've heard. Anyone who doesn't like this music couldn't really be alive and can't possibly know what family is all about. I've recomended this CD to a young friend and business associate of mine. He's into "Rage Against The Machine", "Tool", and "Incubus". And though it may seem strange for me to make this recomendation to him, I wanted him to listen and hear the depth, the emotion, and experience the soul touching that this music, music from the Van Zant family, could provide. I don't know if he'll listen or not, but I hope you will. Please do yourself a favor and lose yourself in the world of Van Zant. You will feel alive like you've never felt before.

Comes this exceptional CD. Oklahoma, Get What You Got Comin, At Least I'm Free are great rockers. Heart of An Angel and Alive are just beautifully put together. No this is not Second Helping or Special Forces, but so what. This shows the depth of these brothers writing abilities. These songs do fit with Skynyrd and Special in that they tell a story and have such a positive energy. My wife is a country music fan and when she saw the band in Atlanta fell in love with the music and bought additional copies for her and my son. As you can tell I just love this music and these guys. They did themselves proud!

First of all, let me say this is not the exact same stuff we've come to expect from Lynyrd Skynyrd or 38 Special...but if it were, what would be the point of putting a different name on it? These guys get together every so ofetn to show us what ELSE they can do...and it's a very interesting side to their abilities. Great rock & roll, first and foremost, but also a chance to see other sides of these performers. Years ago Robin Zander of Cheap Trick did a solo album and it didn't sound just like every other Cheap Trick project...this is a GOOD thing...no, a great thing. The songs on this CD grab your attention and make you feel welcome, and if we're lucky, another volume of music from southern rock's most famous brothers will be out someday! Don't compare it to Skynyrd (and half of you out there, learn to spell their name PLEASE)...don't compare it to 38 Special...just listen, enjoy and appreciate...that's what it's there for...you won't be disappointed!

VAN ZANT II is the same sound as BROTHER TO BROTHER, once again combining the influences of the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Outlaws, and .38 Special. "At Least I'm Free" and "Is It For Real" are about betrayal and selling out; "Get What You Got Comin'", "Oklahoma", and "Alive" call for faith and perseverance, and "What's The World Comin' To" expresses anger at modern society. The only weak cuts are "Imaginaton" and "Wildside." Overall, however, this is a great album, and the Van Zants' belief that the young Australian tourist jailed in Indonesia since 2005 for drug-smuggling was unjustly convicted makes II an essential purchase for both your ears AND your conscience.

I had the privalge to see both .38 and Skynard this year at the Route 66 Music Festaval. They were in true greatness and this CD proves they can do it by themselfs also. While yes this is not a ture Southren Rock type album it is abosluty great. In todays age how many times can you say that you have a CD in which EVERY SONG is great, how many times can you say that every song on the cd has a message and it is not the message most of todays pop music sends. This is a great cd that everyone who is a fan of .38 Special of Lynard Skynard whould love.

This is the second album from Donnie (38 Special) and Johnny (post-crash Lynyrd Skynyrd) Van Zant. I don't think it's quite as strong overall as their first disc (Brother to Brother), but it's still very good. It's great hearing these guys sing together, too bad oldest brother Ronnie (original Lynyrd Skynyrd) couldn't be part of the team!! Most of the album is outstanding, especially "Oklahoma", "Get What You Got Comming", "Imagination" and "At Least I'm Free". "Wildside" is just OK, and doesn't seem to fit in so well with the rest.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd cameos on "Get What You Got Coming" and "At Least I'm Free", and adds some nice licks, but this album is about the VanZant boys, so it's not as guitar oriented as your average Skynyrd album. At least one VanZant is co-author on each song, Robert White Johnson is co-autor on all but 1....

Musically, very similar in tone to "new" Lynyrd Skynyrd, without as much musical virtuoso. Good Stuff.

I just cant get over how well i can relate to the songs on here, and the song "Alive" oh my so so great a tune. You are sure that Van Zant's heart and soul is with this. almost personal.It is listed #10 on this CD and it is a 10! love this CD.

First of all I would like people to NOT pay heed to the first reviewers opinion. Seneless review. Now let's pose the question? how many families can you name that three sons have left a mark in Rock music?? Like the First Brother to Brother both Johnny and Donnie step away from what made them famous and step into what they feel is what they want to do? Come on! Why typecast yourself in following the Southern Rock aspect? Step out and explore. Change is good and vocals couldn't be better. Oklahoma gives a good idea how the rest will go soring vocals. granted there are a couple of week songs in Wildside. Imagination gives the missing feeling And heart of a Angel is a true Gem. Before you go passing Judgement on the Brothers Van Zant? Check the track record and ask one special question if you had ever follow this talented family??? If Ronnie was alive? Could there been a Van Zant #3??? I would think so. Call it whatever you want? I call it long over due.

Van Zant is what I call a great example of rockin country. These guys have allot of attitude mixed with pure southern roots!

THIS IS THE SECOND OF FOUR VAN ZANT CD'S THAT HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY JOHNNY VAN ZANT (OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD) AND DONNIE VAN ZANT (OF 38 SPECIAL), BOTH BROTHERS OF THE LATE RONNIE VAN ZANT (THE ORIGINAL LEAD MAN FOR LYNYRD SKYNYRD). THIS ONE SEEMS TO BE MORE "POLISHED" THAN THE DEBUT CD.

YOU GET A GREAT GUEST MUSICIAN "KENNY WAYNE SHEPHARD", HE IS AN EXCELLENT BLUES GUITARIST. HE PERFORMS ON "GET WHAT YOU GOT COMING", AND "AT LEAST I'M FREE". There are several other professional musicians on the alblum also.

THIS ALBUM (CD) IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MARION VIRGINIA VAN ZANT (SISTER). SHE IS JOHNNY, DONNIE AND RONNIE'S MOTHER. THEY INCLUDE A POEM ABOUT HOW SPECIAL SHE WAS, AND SHE WAS GOD'S GIFT FROM HEAVEN. "WE LOVE YOU MAMA!"

IT CONSISTS OF 10 SONGS:

Oklahoma
Get What you Got comin'
Heart of an Angel
Is it for REal
Imagination
At least I'm free
Baby get Blue
What's the world Coming to
Wildside
Alive

THIS IS A VERY GOOD ENJOYABLE CD TO LISTEN TO. IF YOU LIKE SOUTERN ROCK, AND THE VAN ZANT'S, YOU SHOULD LIKE THIS ONE. I ENJOY IT AND THEREFORE I RECOMMEND IT.