Rock & Roll Strategy

Rock & Roll Strategy is the eighth studio album by the southern rock band 38 Special, released in 1988.^[2] It was their final album for long-time label A&M Records. The album contained the group's last top 10 hit, "Second Chance", which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It's also the name of the first song, release as a lead single.

Rock & Roll Strategy
Studio album by 38 Special
Released	September 1988
Recorded	1987–1988
Genre	Southern rock
Length	50:58
Label	A&M
Producer	Rodney Mills
38 Special chronology
Flashback: The Best of 38 Special (1987) Rock & Roll Strategy (1988) Bone Against Steel (1991)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[2]

Rock & Roll Strategy single cover

Production

The album was the first with vocalist and keyboard player Max Carl, who wrote "Little Sheba", about women wrestling in jello.^[3]

Track listing

Comin' Down Tonight cover

1. "Rock & Roll Strategy" (Max Carl, Donnie Van Zant) – 4:34
2. "What's It to Ya?" (Robert White Johnson, Michael Lunn, Van Zant) – 4:30
3. "Little Sheba" (Carl) – 4:54
4. "Comin' Down Tonight" (Carl, Jeff Carlisi, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:26
5. "Midnight Magic" (Mark Baker, Carlisi, Cal Curtis, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:21
6. "Second Chance" (Carl, Carlisi, Curtis) – 5:04
7. "Hot 'Lanta" (Carl) – 5:42
8. "Never Be Lonely" (Carl, Danny Chauncey) – 4:39
9. "Chattahoochee" (Johnson, Lunn, Van Zant) – 4:11
10. "Innocent Eyes" (Carl, Carlisi, Chauncey) – 4:17
11. "Love Strikes" (Carlisi, Johnson, Van Zant) – 4:31

Personnel

.38 Special

• Max Carl – keyboards, lead vocals (1, 3, 4, 6-8, 10) background vocals
• Donnie Van Zant – lead vocals (2, 5, 9, 11) background vocals
• Jeff Carlisi – guitars, steel guitar
• Danny Chauncey – guitars
• Larry Junstrom – bass
• Jack Grondin – drums

Additional musicians

• James Stroud – Synclavier programming, LinnDrum programming
• Robert White Johnson – percussion, backing vocals
• Edd Miller – percussion, vibraslap
• The Noise Gator – horns
• The Six Groomers (the band) – backing vocals

Production

• Rodney Mills – producer, engineer, mixing
• Edd Miller – engineer, mixing
• Thom "TK" Kidd – mix assistant
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Mark Rogers – production coordination
• Norman Moore – art direction, design
• Chris Cuffaro – photography

Studios

• Recorded at Soundscape Studios (Atlanta, Georgia).
• Mixed at Cheshire Recording Studios (Atlanta, Georgia).
• Mastered at Masterdisk (New York City, New York).

Charts

Album

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[4]	61

Single

Chart (1988)	Peak position
US Billboard Hot 100[5]	67
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[6]	5