Get Right With the Man

Barnes & Noble

Deeply soulful and hard edged, the music made by brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant -- leaders of Lynyrd Skynyrd and .38 Special, respectively -- echoes past glories of southern rock even as it looks ahead. Get Right with the Man may well be regarded as the best record either Van Zant has ever made. Snarling, serpentine twin lead guitars and thundering percussion have always been bedrock sounds for both Van Zants, and here the soundscape is further energized by a gospel-rooted female chorus (heard to rousing effect on the stomping "My Sweet Mama," a sizzling slice of prototypical southern soul) and the brothers' own muscular vocalizing. The richly textured "Help Somebody" advances some hard-won real-world wisdom in the lyrics, and the Van Zants sing it out with gripping conviction, bolstered by an amen chorus. Roiling and majestic, the thunderous "Things I Miss the Most" is an effective exercise in nostalgic remembrance as an escape from current drudgery. The crunching, hard-rock manifesto "Lovin' You" extolls the refocused life, complete with sassy gospel choristers and a celebratory ambiance. Kicking off with a rustic banjo riff, "Been There Done That" opens out into an elaborately constructed showcase number in which an urgent gospel chorus, a surly wah-wah guitar, a tasty church-style organ, and a screeching fiddle frame a powerhouse testimony from Donnie about leaving behind his youthful indiscretions and indulgences. Examine the lyrics, and you'll hear the Van Zants aging gracefully; feel the fury of the music, and you know they're ready to go ten rounds if you cross 'em. David McGee

All Music Guide

When brothers Johnny and Donnie Van Zant get together, it's not just another record in the country-rock world, it's an event. The instantly identifiable voices of .38 Special and Lynyrd Skynyrd are teaming up for the first time under their own surname (just Van Zant) -- and the results are nothing short of a modern southern classic. Leaning more on the country side of things than rock is a big risk, but one that pays off. The themes of the 11-song showcase tread familiar waters: love, loss, heartache, family, being homesick, and partying -- all make their grand appearances in here in one fashion or another. But the real gem of Get Right with the Man is the sincerity with which these topics are treated. Never have the brothers sounded so relaxed behind a microphone, and the results are a pure southern barnburner of a good time from start to finish. Rob Theakston