Obviously, he was doing a little drinking at the time. Whatever he was living at that particular moment went into the song. Ronnie took so many songs straight from life. The band’s cover of this JJ Cale song became another bar band staple during the seventies and remains one today. Heavily influenced by British bands like Cream, “On The Hunt” is Skynyrd at their hard rocking best. Ronnie’s shout at the Billboard charts following a slump in Skynyrd’s chart standings. This is another of Skynyrd’s best loved songs.Ī timeless tribute to the corner store musicians in Van Zant's old Jacksonville neighborhood, it’s a classic story of loving music, anti-racism and the innocence of childhood.Īllen Collins and Gary Rossington rock out sixties-style on the guitars that follow an instantly recognizable high-hat and guitar riff opening segment. Van Zant's beautiful and inspirational tribute to his grandmother is a a tribute to all mothers. Trivia note: Robert Nix of Atlanta Rhythm Section is the drummer on this track. My personal all-time favorite Skynyrd song, it has been included on numerous soundtracks, including those of Happy Gilmore, Dazed and Confused, My Name is Earl, and others. Ronnie Van Zant shines as a songwriter, and on this one he positively glows. “Hand guns were meant for killing, they ain’t no good for nothin’ else.” Ronnie takes a political stance. Skynyrd’s anti-handgun song off their 1975 LP Nuthin' Fancy doesn’t mince words. It’s all about the lyrics in this Ronnie Van Zant country song that talks about his concern for the urbanization of the rural South and the whole tearing down historic buildings to build a new mall kind of thing. Everybody knows the Neil Young story, so I will spare you the rehash.Ī true fan favorite, this anti-addiction song is musically remarkable, with soaring guitar work from Allen Collins and passionate vocals from Ronnie, and let’s not forget the all-important backing vocals of The Honkettes, JoJo Billingsley, Cassie Gaines and Leslie Hawkins. Ed King’s opening riff from "Alabama" is instantly recognizable, even if you don’t count the KFC commercial, and it is probably one of the most-covered songs in the world. The lead track off Skynyrd's second album Second Helping, remains one of the most recognizable songs in Southern rock. I’ll share it with you sometime.) has become an ongoing joke, the song remains the all-time classic Southern Rock song. to The Tommy Talton Band (Tommy had the best response I ever heard. After all, they are both in the Hot Lists of all time best rock and roll songs by most journalists, and while “Freebird” has been driven into the ground by classic rock radio and made into the butt of many a joke, and while yelling “Fee Bird!” at shows by everyone from R.E.M. Picking the top two Skynyrd songs is a no-brainer. To match those 4 minutes though, Powell needed only 12 seconds.And now, my choices for the 25 all-time best songs recorded by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Well, except maybe the fairly notable moment at the end of the last verse of ‘Freebird’ before it transitions into 4-plus minutes of more characteristic, and historically significant, unrelenting guitar jamming…which wasn’t too bad either. I could listen to it a thousand times (and I believe I have), and I can’t think of another time where a Lynyrd Skynyrd song has changed direction so quickly, transformed its mood so radically, and altered the entire memory of a tune so completely. The last 3 seconds are really just a cool down. Starting at 2:27 on this audio clip, Powell pounces in and just eviscerates the keys for 9 seconds, leading into the climactic rising glissando (yup, that’s what it’s called) at 2:36. It’s a typical guitar boogie like so many other Skynyrd tunes, then two-thirds of the way through, the band’s too often forgotten secret weapon, pianist Billy Powell, is unleashed on the ivories. The first two songs, ‘What’s Your Name’ and ‘That Smell,’ were the big hits, but track 4 closing out side-A was ‘I Know A Little,’ which was actually written by Steve Gaines prior to joining Skynyrd only a year earlier. It was on 1977’s Street Survivors album (the one released just three days before the band’s chartered plane crashed en route to Baton Rouge, LA., killing 6 people including band leader Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist Cassie Gaines). Yet, I think my favorite section of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song ever – and I love Skynyrd! – takes only 12 seconds, and is not even played on guitar. There are probably few bands as associated with wailing guitars as Lynyrd Skynyrd, and fewer still as identified with a single song featuring a seemingly endless wall of such wailing guitars (ah, that would be ‘Freebird’ if you’re wondering).
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