38 NOT SO SPECIAL

“STRENGTH IN NUMBERS.” 38 Special. A&M.; Long hair and two drummers aside, this veteran band bears little resemblance to its Southern predecessors the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Keith Olsen’s production has given this album a smooth sound that comes closer to current ZZ Top, but without that band’s unique qualities. Neither the toned-down guitars nor Van Zant’s vocals brand the material with any distinctive character. Many of the songs are good--even catchy--but as presented here, they’re also faceless and quite forgettable.