Returned to the Scene of the Crime

In a slight departure on the bumpy road back to Gary Rossington's rightful place in Lynyrd Skynyrd, the guitarist and his wife, Dale Krantz-Rossington, formed this group after the dissolution of the Rossington Collins Band. As expected, the guitars remain the anchor of the group, but the raw power that drove most of the Skynyrd sound is nowhere to be found. In its place is the slick, overly chorused commercial sound that slowly evolved through the mid-'80s, giving this Wounded Bird reissue a very dated feeling throughout. The ferociousness that defined Southern rock is nowhere to be found on "Honest Hearts," a synth-driven song that sounds like an emulation of Heart's commercial chart-toppers, while the title track has a level of melodrama that wouldn't be out of place on a Bonnie Tyler record. It's not bad as far as material from this era goes, and lead vocalist/wife Krantz-Rossington has capable, passionately sincere vocal chops that complement the music well. Those looking for a treasure containing Southern-fried rock & roll will be disappointed, but fans of emotion-packed anthemic rock will be well served by checking this out.