Search - 38 Special :: Live at Sturgis

HARLEYS, INDIANS, TRIUMPHS AND SOUTHERN ROCK ! (the Wild-Eye

ol' nuff n' den sum | the Virginia coast, USA | 03/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

".38 Special Live At Sturgis (1999) features the southern rockers at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, where over 500,000 bikers meet annually for a week of motorcycle activities and biker fun.



The music here is great stuff, something any .38 Special fan would want to own. It's like a greatest hits done live set; Rockin' Into The Night, Twentieth Century Fox, Back Where You Belong, If I'd Been The One, Fantasy Girl, Caught Up In You, Wild-Eyed Southern Boys and Hold On Loosely are all here and sound as good as ever (some even better than the studio versions).



There are some new treats here, too; Fade To Blue from their then current album, Resolution, and Just One Girl, a new studio track that's tacked on at the end. Both sound remarkably good.



My favorite moment here is Rebel To Rebel, Donnie Van Zant's tribute to his brother, Lynyrd Skynyrd legend Ronnie Van Zant.



As I lie awake I swear I heard a song in the wind

In the southern breeze I can hear the strummin'

Of a six-string just outta tune

And a whiskey-soaked voice singing 'bout places he's been



The song is quite emotional, runs a little over six minutes and includes a simulated Free Bird jam. It gets a huge response from the crowd, probably the most enthusiastic of the concert.



Everything sounds pretty close to the studio versions here, so if you're looking for an album with all the hits, this could work for you. There are a few differences, including the intros, so if you're looking to add to your .38 Special collection this could definitely work for you, too. In all, a good album of well-performed songs from one of the major players in the southern rock movement of the 1970s and 80s.



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