Bman's Blues Report

With signature tunes like Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird, endless jams on stage, defiant Southern image and rock ‘n’ roll swagger, Lynyrd Skynyrd is best known for popularizing the southern hard-rock genre during the 1970s. At the peak of their success however, three members including Ronnie Van Zant, the founding member, lead vocalist and main songwriter, died in an airplane crash in 1977, putting an abrupt end to the band's most popular incarnation. Now available on 180 gram heavyweight audiophile vinyl are all of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s live and studio albums released between 1973 and 1977, with exact reproductions of original artwork, including (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), Second Helping, Nuthin' Fancy, Gimme Back My Bullets, One More From The Road, Street Survivors. Upfront of the vinyl reissues comes Southern Surroundings in High Definition Audio, featuring eleven classic songs including the ten-minute extended version of Free Bird plus Swe...

I just received the newest release, Hayride Riot , from Skinny Molly and it's a kick ass rocker. The release opens with If You Don't Care which has the explosiveness of one of my favorite southern rockers, I Ain't The One. Parallels may be drawn from Skynyrd but this band has a sound of it's own. The similarities are a solid cocky singer and blazing guitar riffs laid down on a strong rock beat. Devil In The Bottl e is more of a liad back ballad along the lines of earlier Charlie Daniels. The band is filled out by Jay Johnson on lead guitar, Kurt Pietro on drums and Luke Bradshaw on bass. Two Good Wheels is a bit of a country rocker and has a great hook. This is a track that is likely to hit the airwaves hard. Too Bad To Be True is a hard driving rocker with back to back ripping guitar solos. Judge Parker has a real southern rock swagger and Bitin' The Dog kicks dirt in your face. Lie To Me is a ballad more along the lines of John Bon Jovi (if he had any grit)...

Larkin Allen Collins Jr. (July 19, 1952 – January 23, 1990) was one of the founding members and guitarists of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and co-wrote many of the band's songs with late frontman Ronnie Van Zant. He was born in Jacksonville, Florida Allen Collins joined Skynyrd in Jacksonville, Florida just two weeks after Ronnie Van Zant and Gary Rossington, along with Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom. So came the birth of Lynyrd Skynyrd in the summer of 1964. Allen Collins and lead singer Ronnie Van Zant co-wrote many of the biggest Skynyrd hits, including "Free Bird", "Gimme Three Steps", and "That Smell". The band received national success beginning in 1973 while opening for The Who on their Quadrophenia tour. On October 20, 1977, the Skynyrd plane crashed into a forest in Mississippi killing three band members, including Van Zant. Collins was seriously injured in the crash, suffering two broken vertebrae in his neck and severe damage to his righ...

Lynyrd Skynyrd was known as a southern rock band but they were definitely heavily infulenced by the blues (ie Ballad of Curtis Loew). Their music has become an anthem for southern rock through their hit single "Sweet Home Alabama" but as is usually the case, the best music sinks to the bottom. This is one that deserves a good listen,,,and with the original lineup.