Van Zant – Get Right With The Man
The third release by the Van Zant brothers, their first on a major label, is being marketed as a country record — no surprise, perhaps, since much of it sounds as if they are trying to emulate Montgomery-Gentry. To be fair, Montgomery-Gentry has always sounded like they are trying to emulate Lynyrd Skynyrd, so it goes full circle. Most of Get Right With The Man is basically an updating of southern rock, with the occasional addition of a steel guitar.
It’s the rockers that are the highlights here. “Sweet Mama” and “I’m Doing Alright”, both sung by Donnie, put you right back in 1973, sitting in the high school parking lot with the speakers blaring. Younger brother Johnny, who has been filling in for his late brother Ronnie in Skynyrd Lite, is the featured vocalist on most of the tracks, especially the country-leaning ones, but Donnie, who has been fronting .38 Special for the past 30 years, has the better voice.
Maybe it’s time for the stake to be driven into the heart of Skynyrd Lite. This is what Lynyrd Skynyrd should sound like.