Fans looking for a smart, economical, and sharp-sounding overview of radio-friendly Southern rockers .38 Special will find much to love in the Very Best of the A&M Years (1977-1988). “Hold on Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” “If I’d Been the One” and “Rockin’ into the Night” are all present, as well as deeper cuts such as “Take Me Back” and “Wild-Eyed Southern Boys.” Listeners who require more from their collections would be better off picking up Hip-O’s monster, two-disc, 34-track Anthology. – James Christopher Monger