38 SPECIAL – Bone Against Steel [Japan SHM-CD remastered] (2018), MP3+FLAC

Japanese music market did it again: all the best 38 SPECIAL albums finally have been remastered, a fresh sonic treatment using the original U.S. analog master tapes and pressed on high quality SHM-CD. It’s all done in a wonderful cardboard sleeve mini LP replica, which also faithfully replicates the OBI design of the Japanese first pressing LP.

And now we have here in exclusive 1991’s “Bone Against Steel [Japan SHM-CD remastered]“, another 38 Special fav. of us with that amazing 1990-91 type of lush production.

Recorded 1990 and released the following year, “Bone Against Steel” is a distinctive early Nineties U.S. Rock album. This year was quite unique in terms of sound design for rock music in America – and some of the greatest melodic hard rock albums of all time appeared this year.
The overall ‘glammy / hair metal / AOR’ spark from 1987-1989 was replaced by a more rootsy rock style still retaining the gloss and crystal clear production. Take as example Damn Yankees, Bad Company’s ‘Holy Water’, Cinderella’s ‘Heartbreak Station’, etc.

38 Special always has been bluesy based, and this perfecly fit the ‘rootsy factor’, so their new album only needed the ‘gloss and crystal clear production’. But the band was also looking for a more ‘classic American’ melodic songwriting, and called an expert for it: Survivor’s Jim Peterik. Peterik co-wrote 3 songs for “Bone Against Steel”, but also provided a general orientation.

“Bone Against Steel”, while still faithful to 38 Special bluesy / southern style, sounds and feels melodic hard rock 1990. It’s not strange that opener “The Sound of Your Voice” was a major hit, and one of three songs co-written by Peterik. The song, with a vocal hook in the chorus very reminiscent of Survivor’s ‘I Can’t Hold Back’, reached #2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.

Another of the Peterik songs, “Rebel To Rebel”, also did it well in the chart, and it’s one of the CD highlights. “You Be the Dam, I’ll Be the Water” was co-written by the great Van Stephenson, a wonderful tune.

Call me nuts but tell me if “Don’t Wanna Get It Dirty” doesn’t sounds like one of Damn Yankees’ debut deep cut, and it’s not surprising at all to hear Jack Blades providing background vocals. Also on the album there’s Bad Company’s Brian Howe contributing backing vocals, another of the aforementioned comparisons.

One of the reasons we like 38 Special “Bone Against Steel” so much is the strong melodic songwriting, but essentially, its 1990 sound production. Think Damn Yankees’ debut, Bad Company’s ‘Holy Water’ or even Survivor, just bluesier.
The original CD release always has sounded very good to me, however this out of print Japanese remaster on SHM-CD is a step above, fuller.

01 – The Sound Of Your Voice
02 – Signs Of Love
03 – Last Thing I Ever Do
04 – You Definitely Got Me
05 – Rebel To Rebel
06 – Bone Against Steel
07 – You Be The Dam, I’ll Be The Water
08 – Jimmy Gillum
09 – Tear It Up
10 – Don’t Wanna Get It Dirty
11 – Burning Bridges
12 – Can’t Shake It
13 – Treasure

Donnie Van Zant – vocals
Jeff Carlisi – guitar
Danny Chauncey – guitar
Max Carl – keyboards, vocals
Jack Grondin – drums
Larry Junstrom – bass
guest musicians;
Jack Blades – background vocals
Brian Howe – background vocals
Robert White Johnson – background vocals
Michael Hoskin, Larry Jackson – horns
Scott Meeder – percussion, cymbals
The Six Groomers – background vocals

turbo FLAC