Gary Rossington - Returned to the Scene of the Crime (CD)

All Music Guide

A slight departure in the bumpy road back to his rightful place in Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gary Rossington and wife Dale formed the group after the dissolution of the RossingtonCollins group. 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 middle eighties; 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 auspiciously like an emulation of Heart's commerical chart toppers, while the title track has the melodrama that wouldn't be out of place on a Bonnie Tyler record. As the material from this era goes it's not bad, and lead vocalist/wife Dale KrantzRossington has able, passionately sincere vocal chops that complement the music well. Those looking for a treasure containing southern frie...d rock and roll will be disappointed, but fans of emotionpacked anthem rock will be well served in checking this out. - Rob Theakston, All Music Guide Read more Less