Latest Release
- 4 OCT 2024
- 12 Songs
- Second Helping · 1974
- Pronounced' Leh-'Nerd 'Skin-'Nerd · 1973
- Pronounced' Leh-'Nerd 'Skin-'Nerd · 1973
- Second Helping · 1974
- Street Survivors · 1977
- Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd · 1973
- Nuthin' Fancy · 1975
- Second Helping · 1974
- Second Helping · 1974
- Street Survivors (Deluxe Edition) · 1977
Essential Albums
- No one better defined Southern Rock in the 1970s than Lynyrd Skynyrd. Spearheaded by singer-songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, a three guitar attack, and a rhythm section that could play a tight, crunchy groove, a foot-stompin’ back porch shuffle or a lazy, wasted vibe without losing their personal identity, Lynyrd Skynyrd had an abundance of weapons at their disposal. But in the end it’s their songs that have enabled their legend to live on. Second Helping is, as its title implies, the group’s second album. It doesn’t stray much from the hard rocking foundation of the debut, Pronounced Leh-Nerd Skin-Nerd. Both were produced by Al Kooper, who discovered the group, and feature no nonsense arrangements that ensure tunes such as “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Workin’ For MCA” and J.J. Cale’s “Call Me the Breeze” have a timeless, undated quality. The band could also be counted on for affecting adult tales (“The Ballad of Curtis Lowe,” “The Needle and the Spoon”) that showed Van Zant’s empathy towards his fellow man. Bonus editions of the album feature an essential demo version of Van Zant’s haunting “Was I Right or Wrong,” in case anyone needed further convincing of his extraordinary songwriting talents.
- Southern rock staples Lynyrd Skynyrd hit the scene with their phonetically titled 1973 debut. Befitting the band's Florida roots, there's a thick, swampy funk vibe that runs through these hard-rocking cuts. The cocksure guitar lines and pounding drums of "I Ain't the One" and "Gimme Three Steps" set a backdrop for Ronnie Van Zant's wry, everyman lyrics. But it's the epic closer, "Free Bird", that takes the spoils, as it builds from a soulful ballad into a frenetic, guitar-driven rave-up.
- 2009
- 2024
Artist Playlists
- They burned down the borders between rock, country and blues.
- Their Southern sound blended bluesy gusts with heavy rock.
- Their late-‘80s return packed as much punch as their initial run.
- Worshippers at the altar of fiery Southern rock sagas.
Singles & EPs
About Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd didn’t invent Southern rock, but they defined it with the five albums they released in the ’70s. Combining bluesy riffs, a touch of country twang and a three-guitar rock ’n’ roll onslaught, they perfected the template. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarists Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, and drummer Bob Burns started playing together around their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964. Bassist Leon Wilkeson and keyboardist Billy Powell were aboard when producer/musician Al Kooper discovered Skynyrd in 1972. Kooper produced their 1973 debut album, adding Ed King to the band’s signature “guitar army”. While Skynyrd lived up to their bluesy, boozy swagger, there were deeper levels to be discovered, like the reflective balladry of “Tuesday’s Gone” and “Gimme Three Steps”, in which the narrator does his damnedest to talk his way out of a bar brawl. Skynyrd found swift success, but 1974’s Second Helping really made them rock stars via “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird”, the “Star-Spangled Banner” and “America the Beautiful” of Southern rock. The epic, 10-minute-plus, jam-frenzied live version of "Free Bird" released in 1976 became one of the most ubiquitous anthems in the classic-rock canon. The band seemed to be peaking on 1977’s Street Survivors, but fate had other ideas. Days after its release, Skynyrd’s plane crashed in Baton Rouge, killing Van Zant, new guitarist Steve Gaines, backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve’s sister) and several others, and severely wounding the rest of the band. In 1987, most of the surviving members reunited to tour, with Van Zant’s little brother Johnny as the singer. Johnny’s vocal and visual resemblance to his brother helped revitalise the band, who released a new album in ’91. Skynyrd Mk. II continued to record and tour for decades.
- GENRE
- Rock