FEATURE:
A Buyer’s Guide
Part Sixty-One: Lynyrd Skynyrd
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FOR this A Buyer’s Guide…
PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
I am recommending the best work from the legendary American band, Lynyrd Skynyrd. If you are not aware of who they are and the impact they have had, then AllMusic’s biography gives details regarding a classic act:
“Lynyrd Skynyrd is the definitive Southern rock band, fusing the overdriven power of blues-rock with a rebellious Southern image and a hard rock swagger. Skynyrd never relied on the jazzy improvisations of the Allman Brothers. Instead, they were a hard-living, hard-driving rock & roll band. They may have jammed endlessly on-stage, but their music remained firmly entrenched in blues, rock, and country. Throughout the band's early records, frontman Ronnie Van Zant demonstrated a knack for lyrical detail and a down-to-earth honesty that had more in common with country than rock & roll. During the height of Skynyrd's popularity in the mid-'70s, they adopted a more muscular and gritty blues-rock sound that yielded the classic rock standards "Sweet Home Alabama," "Simple Man," "What's Your Name," "That Smell," "Gimme Three Steps," and "Free Bird." The group ceased operations after the tragic deaths of Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and backup singer Cassie Gaines, who were killed in an airplane crash on October 20, 1977. Skynyrd re-formed in 1987 with Ronnie's younger sibling Johnny Van Zant on vocals, and guitarist and co-founder Gary Rossington, who would serve as the group's sole constant member over the years. In 2018, after decades of performing and recording, the band embarked on a farewell tour, which was chronicled on the 2020 concert LP and film Last of the Street Survivors Tour Lyve!
(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)While in high school in Jacksonville, Florida, Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Allen Collins (guitar), and Gary Rossington (guitar) formed My Backyard. Within a few months, the group added bassist Leon Wilkeson and keyboardist Billy Powell, and changed their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd, a mocking tribute to their gym teacher Leonard Skinner, who was notorious for punishing students with long hair. With drummer Bob Burns, Lynyrd Skynyrd began playing throughout the South. For the first few years, the group had little success, but producer Al Kooper signed the band to MCA after seeing them play at an Atlanta club called Funocchio's in 1972. Kooper produced the group's 1973 debut, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd, which was recorded after former Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined the band. The group became notorious for their triple-guitar attack, which was showcased on "Free Bird," a tribute to then-recently deceased Duane Allman. "Free Bird" earned Lynyrd Skynyrd their first national exposure and it became one of the staples of album rock radio, still receiving airplay decades after its release.
"Free Bird" and an opening slot on the Who's 1973 Quadrophenia tour gave Lynyrd Skynyrd a devoted following, which helped their second album, 1974's Second Helping, become its breakthrough hit. Featuring the hit single "Sweet Home Alabama" -- a response to Neil Young's "Southern Man" -- Second Helping reached number 12 and went multi-platinum. At the end of the year, Artimus Pyle replaced drummer Burns and King left the band shortly afterward. The new sextet released Nuthin' Fancy in 1975, and it became the band's first Top Ten hit. The record was followed by the Tom Dowd-produced Gimme Back My Bullets in 1976, which failed to match the success of its two predecessors. However, the band retained their following through constant touring, which was documented on the double-live album One More from the Road. Released in late 1976, the album featured the band's new guitarist, Steve Gaines, and a trio of female backup singers, and it became Skynyrd's second Top Ten album.
Lynyrd Skynyrd released their sixth album, Street Survivors, on October 17, 1977. Three days later, a privately chartered plane carrying the band between shows in Greenville, South Carolina and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and his sister Cassie, one of the group's backing vocalists, died in the crash; the remaining members were injured. (The cause of the crash was either fuel shortage or a fault with the plane's mechanics.) The cover for Street Survivors had pictured the band surrounded in flames; after the crash, the cover was changed. In the wake of the tragedy, the album became one of the band's biggest hits. Lynyrd Skynyrd broke up after the crash, releasing a collection of early demos called Skynyrd's First and...Last in 1978; it had been scheduled for release before the crash. The double-album compilation Gold & Platinum was released in 1980.
Later in 1980, Rossington and Collins formed a new band -- naturally named the Rossington Collins Band -- that featured four surviving members. Two years later, Pyle formed the Artimus Pyle Band. Collins suffered a car crash in 1986 that killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed; four years later, he died of respiratory failure. In 1987, Rossington, Powell, King, and Wilkeson reunited Lynyrd Skynyrd, adding vocalist Johnny Van Zant and guitarist Randall Hall. The band embarked on a reunion tour, which was captured on the 1988 double-live album Southern by the Grace of God: Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Tour 1987. The re-formed Skynyrd began recording in 1991, and for the remainder of the decade, the band toured frequently, putting out albums occasionally. The reunited Skynyrd frequently switched drummers, but it had little effect on their sound.
During the '90s, Lynyrd Skynyrd were made honorary colonels in the Alabama State Militia, due to their classic rock staple "Sweet Home Alabama." During the mid-'90s, Van Zant, Rossington, Wilkeson, and Powell regrouped by adding two Southern rock veterans to Skynyrd's guitar stable: former Blackfoot frontman Rickey Medlocke and ex-Outlaws Hughie Thomasson. With ex-Damn Yankee Michael Cartellone bringing stability to the drum chair, the reconstituted band signed to CMC International for the 1997 album Twenty. This lineup went on to release Lyve from Steel Town in 1998, followed a year later by Edge of Forever. The seasonal effort Christmas Time Again was released in fall 2000. Although Wilkeson died one year later, Lynyrd Skynyrd regrouped and recorded Vicious Cycle for a 2003 release. The concert film and LP Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour followed a year later, 2006 saw the release of Face to Face, and 2007 brought Paper Sleeve Box. But death continued to haunt the band, and the lineup continued to change, as much from attrition as anything else. Wilkeson, Skynyrd's bassist since 1972, died in 2001 and was replaced by Ean Evans that same year (Evans, in turn, died in 2009). Thomasson left the band to re-form his band Outlaws in 2005, dying two years later in 2007. His spot in Skynyrd was taken by Mark "Sparky" Matejka, formerly of Hot Apple Pie, in 2006. Original keyboardist Powell died at the age of 56 at his home near Jacksonville, Florida in 2009. That year also saw the release of a new studio album, God + Guns, on Roadrunner Records. Live from Freedom Hall was released on the same label in 2010. A new studio album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, produced by Bob Marlette, recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, and featuring a new bass player, Johnny Colt (formerly a bassist for the Black Crowes), appeared in 2012. In April 2015, original Skynyrd drummer Bob Burns died in a single-car accident in Bartow County, Georgia. After battling lung cancer, guitarist Ed King died in Nashville, Tennessee in August 2018. That same year saw the group announce their farewell tour. Last of the Street Survivors Tour Lyve!, a concert album and film documenting the tour, was released in 2020”.
To celebrate the work of Lynyrd Skynyrd, I have recommend the four essential albums, the underrated gem, their latest studio album - I have also recommended a book that makes for useful reading. Here are the very best albums from…
THE amazing Lynyrd Skynyrd.
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The Four Essential Albums
Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd
Release Date: 13th August, 1973
Label: MCA
Producer: Al Kooper
Standout Tracks: Tuesday’s Gone/Gimme Three Steps/Simple Man
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70569&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3THuBNp86ScbTXwpTmAbdw?si=OOa23mnsRSmbi8LfcPkQ1Q&dl_branch=1
Review:
“The Allman Brothers came first, but Lynyrd Skynyrd epitomized Southern rock. The Allmans were exceptionally gifted musicians, as much bluesmen as rockers. Skynyrd was nothing but rockers, and they were Southern rockers to the bone. This didn't just mean that they were rednecks, but that they brought it all together -- the blues, country, garage rock, Southern poetry -- in a way that sounded more like the South than even the Allmans. And a large portion of that derives from their hard, lean edge, which was nowhere more apparent than on their debut album, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. Produced by Al Kooper, there are few records that sound this raw and uncompromising, especially records by debut bands. Then again, few bands sound this confident and fully formed with their first record. Perhaps the record is stronger because it's only eight songs, so there isn't a wasted moment, but that doesn't discount the sheer strength of each song. Consider the opening juxtaposition of the rollicking "I Ain't the One" with the heartbreaking "Tuesday's Gone." Two songs couldn't be more opposed, yet Skynyrd sounds equally convincing on both. If that's all the record did, it would still be fondly regarded, but it wouldn't have been influential. The genius of Skynyrd is that they un-self-consciously blended album-oriented hard rock, blues, country, and garage rock, turning it all into a distinctive sound that sounds familiar but thoroughly unique. On top of that, there's the highly individual voice of Ronnie Van Zant, a songwriter who isn't afraid to be nakedly sentimental, spin tales of the South, or to twist macho conventions with humor. And, lest we forget, while he does this, the band rocks like a motherf*cker. It's the birth of a great band that birthed an entire genre with this album” – AllMusic
Choice Cut: Free Bird
Second Helping
Release Date: 15th April, 1974
Labels: Sounds of the South/MCA
Producer: Al Kooper
Standout Tracks: Don't Ask Me No Questions/The Ballad of Curtis Loew/Call Me the Breeze
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70584&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/54V1ljNtyzAm053oJqi0SH?si=rgmxKg1pQ6CCSfVgef0MBA&dl_branch=1
Review:
“The album kicks off with “Sweet Home Alabama”, a simple song has become indelible over its 40 years of existence. Unlike everything else on the album, this track was recorded in Georgia in late 1973 with just King, Wilkeson, and drummer Bob Burns laying down the basic backing track (with full band overdubs to follow later). The famous opening riff was one of the first King developed after switching from bass to guitar. With a great locked-in bass line, fantastic dual guitars, and plenty of other sonic candy, Van Zant’s vocals tell stories of contemporary and historical importance, including both tributes and scorns. One of the more famous comes at the beginning of the second verse with a literal calling out of Neil Young in response to his songs “Alabama” and “Southern Man”, which Van Zant (a close friend of Young’s) felt unfairly indicted a whole culture and region.
The moody “I Need You” is like a continuation of the “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Simple Man” tracks from the 1973 debut album. This long and slow blues ballad contains screaming and whining guitar leads by the trio of guitarists. “Don’t Ask Me No Questions” is direct rocker with a crisp, blended guitar riff, composed by Rossington. Kooper added some horns for effect on this popular track with a great and direct hook that is easily catchy. The original first side winds down with “Workin’ for MCA”, which seems at once to be a tribute and indictment of the group’s record label. This jam-based rocker literally tells story of group’s signing two years earlier and features a great electric piano lead by Billy Powell, followed by trade-off leads by each of the three guitarists.
The original second side of Second Helping starts with one of the best tracks on the album, “The Ballad of Curtis Loew”. This touching tribute to an unsung blues man contains calm and moody country guitars by Collins and, although the song gradually builds with more rock-oriented arrangement, it maintains its pure vibe all the way along until the slowing slide guitar in the outro. While the song is based on a composite of people, it paints a vivid picture of Van Zants’ original neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida and the inspiration to play music. “Swamp Music” is pure Southern blues, with an upbeat, underlying rhythm, This song never really deviates from its basic structure and contains good, short jams with vocals mocking the guitar licks. “The Needle and the Spoon” may be the weakest song on the album, as it sounds like a shallow knock-off of “Sweet Home Alabama” in riff, rhythm, and melody but probably could have developed into something better if it had been given the time to grow. The only cover on the album is J.J. Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze”, which worked out to be a really good fit for Lynard Skynard. Powerful double riffs, the return of the horns, an upbeat rhythm by Wilkeson and Burns, blues-based jamming by all three guitarists, and a honky-tonk piano Powell all shine on this upbeat album closer.
Second Helping reached #12 on the Billboard album charts and was certified Gold within a few months of its release, eventually reaching Platinum status. This turned out to be the high-water mark of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s commercial success. Subsequent years were marked with lineup shifts and personal tragedy, making these few years of the band’s original existence all the more precious and important” – Classic Rock Review
Choice Cut: Sweet Home Alabama
Nuthin' Fancy
Release Date: 24th March, 1975
Label: MCA
Producer: Al Kooper
Standout Tracks: Railroad Song/Am I Losin’/Made in the Shade
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70581&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/6SIQDipZD7xtkwnlS5FvQx?si=Bnv-SmJ0Suyl9vjBSJ817w&dl_branch=1
Review:
“The opening cut, "Saturday Night Special," revives the moral-based songs the band had done on occasion ("The Needle And The Spoon"). A powerful rocker, Van Zant and crew take a stand against handguns, especially the type the song was named after. The triple-guitar team of Ed King, Gary Rossington and Allen Collins is as powerful as ever on this one.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250
But Lynyrd Skynyrd dare to explore different mixes of rock and country on Nuthin' Fancy, leaning more towards the country/folk side of their roots. "Railroad Song" has a touch amongst the electric guitar work, and Pyle's drumming is absolutely incredible. The song is an enjoyable epic of life riding the rails - by choice, no less - and experiencing the joys and perils of hobo life along the way. "Am I Losin'" sounds like it could have been written for Burns, an acoustic song akin to the Marshall Tucker Band about the loss of a friendship. (The only negative on this one is a rehash of the guitar lick from "Sweet Home Alabama.")
The return to roots is most evident on "Made In The Shade," featuring not electric guitars, but foot stomps, dobro, and a down-home feel to the track that makes it pleasurable - even for those who hate country music.
In fact, the country roots are so well explored on Nuthin' Fancy that the rockers suffer a bit. Sure, "Saturday Night Special" is a great track, but "I'm A Country Boy" fails to light the speakers on fire, while "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller" is an improvement. "On The Hunt" could have been a great track, but it lacks the Skynyrd magic that turned older songs like "Workin' For MCA"and "Call Me The Breeze" into classics.
That leaves us with one other song, "Cheatin' Women," which again takes Lynyrd Skynyrd into a different musical vein - that of pop. Billy Powell's organ work adds an AOR flavor to the track, while Van Zant drawls the magic into the song. Slow enough to be dropped as a rock song, fast enough to not be classified as a ballad, this may be the only real time Lynyrd Skynyrd delved into the pop world - pity, for they captured the moment well.
Nuthin' Fancy may not have the oversaturated radio tracks the newer fans are looking for, but has something even more important - substance, as well as a little attitude. The record's back cover used to feature a member of the band giving the finger to the photographer as the band walked past - which captures the spirit of Lynyrd Skynyrd perfectly” – The Daily Vault
Choice Cut: Saturday Night Special
Street Survivors
Release Date: 17th October, 1977
Label: MCA
Producers: Tom Dowd/Jimmy Johnson & Tim Smith (track 3)
Standout Tracks: What’s Your Name/That Smell/I Never Dreamed
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=70586&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3cEeuCHkW291w1PGd4f3cM?si=Vf7S8vf5ScC8ne2YWap0pg&dl_branch=1
Review:
“In 1977, Lynyrd Skynyrd was enjoying a rejuvenation of sorts. Van Zant had cleaned up his act after the birth of his daughter, guitarist Gary Rossington was in the process of straightening up his life following a car crash the previous year, and Steve Gaines, who had just joined the band (replacing original guitarist Ed King), was providing a creative spark the band had been missing on their last studio outing, Gimme Back My Bullets. While Lynyrd Skynyrd would always be Van Zant's baby, he graciously allowed Gaines the freedom to kick in his own influences - and even take over lead vocals on occasion.
This turned out to be an excellent decision for the band. Gaines' two songs (and two co-writing contributions) were the kick in the ass that began shifting Lynyrd Skynyrd from a Southern boogie band to a group that could be appreciated at all levels by all sorts of fans. In this manner, my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250Street Survivors succeeds on all levels.
Most everyone knows the song "What's Your Name" off this album, as it has been beaten to death by classic rock stations. It still is a very enjoyable track, both for the humorous look at groupies and the renewed triple-guitar attack of Gaines, Rossington and the late Allen Collins. I don't remember their playing ever to be this fluid and crisp - incredible!
"That Smell," another song latched onto by rock radio, is still one of the most powerful substance-abuse songs I've ever heard. A song that took its basis from Rossington's 1976 car crash ("Oak tree, you're in my way"), it was the newly clean-and-sober Van Zant's wake-up call to Rossington. (When you hear Van Zant say in the background of one of the guitar solos, "You know I've been there before," you know that this message is sincere.)
Possibly one of the most surprising and most beautiful moments on Street Survivors is "One More Time," a song which began to break Lynyrd Skynyrd out of the boogie band classification. Flowing, stacatto guitar lines, impressive trap work by drummer Artimus Pyle and Van Zant sounding the best he ever had behind the microphone make this one a forgotten classic in my book.
In the same vein, the Van Zant-Gaines collaboration "I Never Dreamed" breaks the band out of the good-ol-boy mode, creating a song which is both gentle and powerful at the right times. Van Zant wisely delivers his vocal more softly than he might have normally, and the track clicks.
Gaines' influence is felt with the rollicking blues number "I Know A Little," which not only shows off some fancy guitar work (and what sounds like a dobro lead to me) but also the bass work of Leon Wilkerson, which often took a backseat to both guitar lines and Billy Powell's piano. Wilkerson shows how good he is on the bass here. Gaines also shows off his pipes by trading vocals with Van Zant on "You Got That Right" and taking over the microphone on "Ain't No Good Life," featuring Powell on roadhouse piano (a little out of tune, but that just added to the track). The only cover, that of Merle Haggard's "Honky Tonk Night-Time Man," is the only weak link on the album - and even that's a halfway decent track due to the fancy guitar work.
When you realize the revitalization that Lynyrd Skynyrd was going through in 1977, it makes the plane crash all the more tragic. This was a band that was at the top of their career when the unthinkable happened; one is left to wonder what new plateaus they would have reached had they been given the chance to follow Street Survivors up. (The surviving members finally reunited in 1980 as the Rossington-Collins Band. Collins later formed his own band which recorded one album in 1983; he was paralyzed in a car crash in 1986 and died four years later.)
I don't want to knock the present-day incarnation of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but Street Survivors is a high I don't think they will ever be able to reach again. This is one album that is a must-own for music fans of all styles and ages”- Daily Vault
Choice Cut: You Got That Right
The Underrated Gem
Vicious Cycle
Release Date: 20th May, 2003
Label: Sanctuary
Producers: Ben Fowler and Lynyrd Skynyrd (except 15)
Standout Tracks: That's How I Like It/The Way/Lucky Man
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=235318&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/3NbApvN5mjC9Pa6G0WG1ly?si=8vWTgkSzTsSsCuBm-wNlCA&dl_branch=1
Review:
“Having endured the loss of yet another bandmember with the passing of original bassist Leon Wilkeson, Skynyrd picks up the pieces yet again and delivers the goods the way only it can. Lyrically, the band hasn't stretched out its list of topics in any new directions, but quite honestly, who cares? This is Skynyrd. This isn't music to study to or scratch your chin by -- this isn't the soundtrack to relaxing nights sipping instant coffee and talking about deep feelings. This is homegrown music that's about partying and rock & roll, with a little bit of contemplative soul-searching mixed in for good measure. The music is still top-notch, probably the best it's been since the early '90s. And while the obvious absence of Ronnie VanZant will forever haunt the group like a bad plague, his brother has more than adequately been up to the task -- filling those giant shoes with the same passionate dirt and grit in his vocals as Ronnie did all those years ago. The band is the same, still rocking harder than most even after all these years. And for once the phrase "bonus track" lives up to that title; a duet of "Gimme Back My Bullets" between Skynyrd and nu-metal spokesman of the moment Kid Rock is simply the icing on the cake. Easily Skynyrd's best work in years and a welcome return to form for one of rock's most treasured asset”– AllMusic
Choice Cut: Red, White, & Blue
The Latest Album
Last of a Dyin' Breed
Release Date: 21st August, 2012
Labels: Roadrunner Records/Loud and Proud Records
Producer: Bob Marlette
Standout Tracks: Last of a Dyin' Breed/Homegrown/Nothing Comes Easy
Buy: https://www.discogs.com/sell/list?master_id=506679&ev=mb
Stream: https://open.spotify.com/album/7K0F8oeNuBaN9NBSlBX9VO?si=8tEPh-QPSACL2f4JgfwTkw&dl_branch=1
Review:
“Lynyrd Skynyrd place one foot in their past and one in the present, with mostly positive results, on their new album 'Last of a Dyin' Breed.'
Let's face it, any album from the modern-day Skynyrd, with only Gary Rossington remaining from the group's original roster, has to be graded on a curve. To compare 'Last of a Dyin' Breed' to 'Second Helping' or 'Street Survivors' would do a disservice to both eras of this legendary band.
Besides, for 25 years now, the Rossington and Johnny Van Zant-fronted lineup has been keeping the music of Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Bob Burns and company alive in a very reverent and respectable manner. 'Last of a Dyin' Breed' just might be the most comfortable they've ever seemed at both living up to their famous name and expressing their own vision.
After a gritty slide guitar opening from Rossington, Van Zant kicks off the album with a quick lyrical tribute to his departed brother -- "Learned from the best, he taught me well" -- before vowing to keep on keeping on as the band storm along behind him: "I hear that highway a-calling / Oh feel the breeze / An open highway's all I'll ever need / ...Last of a dyin' breed."
The confident, well-paced strut of 'One Day at a Time' arrives next, and exemplifies what's good about much of this record, with clear, muscular production showcasing strong riffs and oversized, crowd-friendly choruses. Occasionally, such as on 'Homegrown' and 'Good Teacher,' the band treads too far into chugging Nickelback-style modern radio territory, but for the most part they stick to modernized (and yes, sometimes over-polished) variations on their bread-and-butter Southern rock style.
Highlights include the impressively heart-tugging power ballad 'Ready to Fly,' on which an elderly mother tells her son she's ready to join her loved ones in the great beyond, and the swampy, dynamic 'Mississippi Blood,' which features Van Zant trading vocals with former Blackfoot frontman (and sixteen-year Skynyrd veteran) Rickey Medlocke to fantastic effect” – Ultimate Classic Rock
Choice Cut: One Day at a Time
The Lynyrd Skynyrd Book
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Complete Recordings Illustrated
Publication Date: 24th March, 2021
Authors: Paul Howard/Andrew Sparke
Publisher: APS Publications