.38 Special: A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Following in the steel-toed footsteps of his brother, who fronted Lynyrd Skynyrd's raucous "Christmas Time Again," Donnie Van Zant's .38 Special have put out their own holiday record, dubbed Wild-eyed Christmas Night. While not as edgy as the title claims, these aging Southern rockers do manage to light a fire under some hard-worn classics and give them new life, transforming "Jingle Bell Rock" into a goofy, speed-metal anthem, while turning "Santa Claus Is Back in Town" inside-out. Their bluesy, libidinous riffs elevate most of these musty holiday chestnuts to new heights. The band, which has been in the saddle since 1975, hits new highs tackling "Little Drummer Boy" -- which has been covered by everybody from Perry Como to Joan Jett -- with a surprisingly light-handed touch. Oddly, this once and future boogie band is at it's best on an instrumental version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman," a symphony of subtle sounds and effects that rivals anything Mannheim Steamroller has ever released. (

JAAN UHELSKI
(December 11, 2001)