Care to construct a Mount Rushmore of Southern rock bands? Well, you probably wouldn\u2019t get a clear consensus. But we\u2019re guessing you\u2019d be in good company if you chose The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, and ZZ Top.<\/p>\n
We think of those bands as hard-rocking types. But the following four songs, one by each of them, proved that they could handle a delicate ballad with ease.<\/p>\n
\u201cMelissa\u201d by The Allman Brothers Band<\/p>\n
Gregg Allman wrote this song well before the Allman Brothers first gained notoriety. Right off the bat, his brother Duane liked it. Gregg finally had the chance to properly record the song on the 1972 album Eat A Peach, which came after Duane\u2019s death. The excellent reception that \u201cMelissa\u201d received proved that the band didn\u2019t need to go on long instrumental excursions to wow their audience. The song put a spotlight on Gregg Allman\u2019s soulful vocals. It\u2019s a lived-in performance. He could clearly relate to the tale of someone whose life is spent out on the road, even as his heart is pulled back again and again to that one special person.<\/p>\n
\u201cSimple Man\u201d by Lynyrd Skynyrd<\/p>\n
We\u2019re guessing you thought we were going to pick \u201cFree Bird\u201d as Lynyrd Skynyrd\u2019s entry, didn\u2019t you? Truth be told, that song is only a ballad for about half its running time. \u201cSimple Man\u201d is much better for what we\u2019re seeking here. Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington wrote it. The simplistic structure has made it a standard for bar bands and solo acoustic guitarists pretty much since it was released. But they all come up short of the original. Skynyrd\u2019s rhythm section just sinks into that groove until it sinks into you as the listener. And Van Zant sings the stuffing out of the song, segueing from subtle sadness to deep passion.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecond Chance\u201d by 38 Special<\/p>\n
Upon hearing this song for the first time in 1989, you\u2019d be forgiven if you never gleaned that it was 38 Special as the performers. It doesn\u2019t really sound much like the Southern-tinged arena rock that led to big hits like \u201cHold On Loosely\u201d and \u201cCaught Up In You\u201d. By the time \u201989 rolled around, it appeared that the band was past its sell-by date in terms of its chances of making the pop charts. That\u2019s when new keyboardist Max Carl revived \u201cSecond Chance\u201d, fittingly, considering the title. The song had been started years earlier by guitarist Jeff Carlisi and Cal Curtis. Carl helped finish it and assumed lead vocal duties on the track, which turned into the biggest pop hit of the band\u2019s career.<\/p>\n
\u201cRough Boy\u201d by ZZ Top<\/p>\n