Lynyrd Skynyrd

[GuitarGeek]

The guitarists, bassist, and piano player were all great. You can't deny Skynyrd. They were fantastic! I always thought it weird that the guitarist from Strawberry Alarm Clock, Ed King, was a member. He posted on Facebook a lot and was a really nice guy. He had a heart transplant or something and died a few years ago. In the early days, Skynyrd opened for Strawberry Alarm Clock, and Ed King became friends with Ronnie Van Zant.

I read an interview with Ed back in 1987, when they did the first reunion tour. Ed was actually from LA. He said he wasn't really sure how he ended up Strawberry Alarm Clock, but said it was one of those "growing up" things. I guess when the Legend tour got to LA, he reconnected with an old friend who wanted to show him a bunch of SAC videos he had, I guess of them on TV shows or whatever, and Ed said he was so embarrassed by that stuff, he couldn't watch any of it.

But yeah, apparently one of Strawberry Alarm Clock's last tours, they played through Florida and the surrounding area, and Skynyrd opened a few shows for them. After SAC broke up, Ed said he moved to Florida, because he "wanted to be the next Duane Allman", his older self apparently admitting that was more than a little overly ambitious of him. Anyway, so he basically begged his way into Skynyrd, basically talking his way into playing bass on most of the first album, before being told by Ronnie that Ed was "the worst bassist I've ever heard, but we like you as a person" so they kept in him in the band, talked Leon Wilkinson into rejoining (he had quit just before they recorded Pronounced...) and switched Ed over to playing guitar.

I also remember Ed saying many times that Incense And Peppermints was "stolen" from him. As I recall, he and one of the other band members had come up with this instrumental, and their producer wrote lyrics to it, and under whichever circumstances hijacked the publishing from them. So anyway, Ed also said many times that the guitar solo in Sweet Home Alabama came to him in a dream, which he felt was "payback" for the Incense And Peppermints situation.

[GuitarGeek]

Back in the 80s, I was getting into classic rock and heard "Truck Driving Man" on the radio. I really dug it and thought it was a new tune by LS. So I went to the mall and bought the cassette of Legend, which apparently is a compilation album. I never knew that. So that was essentially my first LS album, although the cassette is now long gone. That tune is excellent btw...I would like to know more about those tracks on Legend but can't find a lot of info online.....

Legend is a "best of the leftovers" collection, mostly outtakes and single B-sides. I can't remember which category Truck Driving Man actually fell into, but I do remember it getting a smattering of airplay when Legend came out.

[chalkpie]

Legend is a "best of the leftovers" collection, mostly outtakes and single B-sides. I can't remember which category Truck Driving Man actually fell into, but I do remember it getting a smattering of airplay when Legend came out.

Was this released in conjunction with the big reunion gig?

[chalkpie]

Both Ed and Steve were phenomenal players, and they brought something different to the already incredible core team of Gary and Allen. I never paid attention to the guitars like I have now - these guys kill. Gaines could kill it on both Strat and Paul - so good. When you see his flow, you know this guy is the real deal. Those 76 and 77 videos on YT are total gems.

Here's a question: I know that Ronnie wanted the solos played verbatim every night (see Alex Lifeson), but it seems like Gaines is really improvising on a few of those Knebworth tunes. At least to me it seems like those are not preconceived solos? Anybody know?

[pb2015]

Was this released in conjunction with the big reunion gig?

I think yes, Legend came out around the same time as the Skynyrd reunion double live album. The latter had the version of "Free Bird" mentioned above where Johnny Van Zant had the audience sing it. It came out well on the album but I remember an article in Creem where the writer claimed that when they tried it at the show he saw everyone just stood around.

[GuitarGeek]

Was this released in conjunction with the big reunion gig?

The tour was more or less to promote the album, but yeah, the two were connected.

[GuitarGeek]

I think yes, Legend came out around the same time as the Skynyrd reunion double live album. The latter had the version of "Free Bird" mentioned above where Johnny Van Zant had the audience sing it. It came out well on the album but I remember an article in Creem where the writer claimed that when they tried it at the show he saw everyone just stood around.

Legend came out about a year before Southern By The Grace Of God. The tour was to promote Legend. The original intention was for them to do the one tour and then everyone was supposed to "go back to what they were doing before the tour". But of course the live album came out, then they had to tour for that. I remember when Southern By The Grace Of God came out, Ronnie's widow sued the band, because she had only agreed to let them use the Lynyrd Skynyrd name for the 1987 tour, but then they put out the live album and did another tour the following year, and I gather that pissed her off. Of course, they kept going after the 1988 tour, doing more albums, more tours, replacing people, even after most of the core guys either dropped out (Ed and Artemus) or died (Leon and Billy).

[Zappathustra]

Fantastic band - and a huge name in the little country I live in, Greece. While they tend to get categorized as a "southern rock" band, or a "blues rock" band, they managed to create their own, instantly identifiable sound that sets them apart from other bands of the era and they kept a very peculiar edge to their music, a raw and dirty element, swamp music. Ronnie's voice certainly added a lot in that respect.
I love the double live album, I consider it pretty characteristic of what the band was back in the days.

[bobert]

While they tend to get categorized as a "southern rock" band, or a "blues rock" band, they managed to create their own, instantly identifiable sound that sets them apart from other bands of the era and they kept a very peculiar edge to their music, a raw and dirty element, swamp music. Ronnie's voice certainly added a lot in that respect.

I completely agree with this.

[the ferret]

Great band.

I'm in the (small) camp that regards the post-crash albums to be as essential as the '70s ones. Indeed, I think some of their very best records are the later ones.

The Johnny & Donnie duo albums are excellent too.

[chalkpie]

Great band.

I'm in the (small) camp that regards the post-crash albums to be as essential as the '70s ones. Indeed, I think some of their very best records are the later ones.

The Johnny & Donnie duo albums are excellent too.

Nice....what specific later albums do you really dig?

[SteveSly]

Well, if Freebrird' live version is fantastic, I don't find the rest all that good.

But, all of those southern bands never really rang a bell with me, except for the Duane-time ABB.
Hatchet, .38, Outlaws, Daniels, Marshall, Blackfoot, etc... all those didn't do a thing for me.
Never really thought of ZZTop as southern rock, though.



There is a live version where the singer refuses to sing and lets the crowd do it (well recorded). it's bloody fantastic and still sends me some major spine chills every time I hear it.


h.

I think that the live version without the vocals was recorded after the band got back together with Johnny Van Zant. On that first tour, they used to do Free Bird without any vocals as a tribute to the guys they had lost. I know their is a live album from that period with an all instrumental version of the song on it (although I don't own it).

[pb2015]

The live double from the 80's Southern By The Grace Of God had the version of "Free Bird" where Johnny Van Zant had the crowd sing it. For a bit of prog content, it also had Steve Morse playing a solo on one track.

[happytheman]

If you've seen the movie Muscle Shoals you know the story about their "first" album that was never released.. it's available via Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Skynyrds-Firs...%2C270&sr=8-19

[SteveSly]

If you've seen the movie Muscle Shoals you know the story about their "first" album that was never released.. it's available via Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Skynyrds-Firs...%2C270&sr=8-19

Was Ricky Medlocke in this version of the band?

[chalkpie]

Was Ricky Medlocke in this version of the band?

Yes, and Greg T Walker.

[SteveSly]

Yes, and Greg T Walker.

[Trane]

I think that the live version without the vocals was recorded after the band got back together with Johnny Van Zant. On that first tour, they used to do Free Bird without any vocals as a tribute to the guys they had lost. I know their is a live album from that period with an all instrumental version of the song on it (although I don't own it).

The live double from the 80's Southern By The Grace Of God had the version of "Free Bird" where Johnny Van Zant had the crowd sing it. For a bit of prog content, it also had Steve Morse playing a solo on one track.

There must be another version circulating around in Benelux radios, probably tampered with as the crowd singing is much mire audible. This version (below) isn't as poignant as the one I always seem to encounter via the radio while driving on the freeway.

[the ferret]

Nice....what specific later albums do you really dig?

The three that might make my top five Skynyrd list would be:

The Last Rebel
Edge Of Forever (probably my favourite release by the band)
God & Guns

But really, with the possible exception of Vicious Cycle, which I've never found, there is plenty to enjoy on all of them.

[SteveSly]

The three that might make my top five Skynyrd list would be:

The Last Rebel
Edge Of Forever (probably my favourite release by the band)
God & Guns

But really, with the possible exception of Vicious Cycle, which I've never found, there is plenty to enjoy on all of them.

I would add "Twenty" to that list. It is really solid all the way through. "God & Guns" is inconsistent for me, but the good song on it are really good.

[the ferret]

I would add "Twenty" to that list. It is really solid all the way through. "God & Guns" is inconsistent for me, but the good song on it are really good.

Agreed on Twenty. Very solid. As are Endangered Species and Last Of A Dyin' Breed.

It's a real shame that so many fans keep their ears closed when it comes to the posy-crash band because they really have been very good, indeed.

[Vic2012]

Been on a Southern Rock binge. It started with Molly Hatchet.....and I ended up on Eagles. Eagles are Southern Rock too. They're from Southern California.

[Vic2012]

Billy Powell was the secret sauce of Skynyrd. The guitars were great, Rossington, Collins, Ed King (RIP, all of them), but Billy (RIP) made them swing.

[Guitarplyrjvb]

Seems like there's a spectre chasing all of these Southern Rock bands. Motorcycle and airline crashes, drugs, general misbehaving...It's almost Gothic. Anybody a fan of the post-Skynyrd group Rossington/Collins band? The first record is pretty good. The second, I need to spend some more time with.

Following on to the Outlaws discussion, those guys are still kicking it. There's a wealth of great material between them, the Henry Paul Band, and Blackhawk although Blackhawk are more on the country side of things.

[Vic2012]

Seems like there's a spectre chasing all of these Southern Rock bands. Motorcycle and airline crashes, drugs, general misbehaving...It's almost Gothic. Anybody a fan of the post-Skynyrd group Rossington/Collins band? The first record is pretty good. The second, I need to spend some more time with.

Following on to the Outlaws discussion, those guys are still kicking it. There's a wealth of great material between them, the Henry Paul Band, and Blackhawk although Blackhawk are more on the country side of things.

Never heard Rossington- Collins but I'll search 'em on Youtube. Today I'm gonna listen to the third album by Molly Hatchet .....Beatin' The Odds. This may sound silly but Hatchet sounds like a redneck, American version of Thin Lizzy.