Back in the day when british bands ruled the music scene, there was a birth of a band in america and no i'm not talkin' 'bout the rock and roll legends Aerosmith but rather the greatest southern rock band ever, Lynyrd Skynyrd. In 1973, there were plenty of landmark releases such as Dark Side of the Moon and Houses of the Holy, but Lynyrd Skynyrd were just the new kids in town and the chances of their debut album being as strong as anything else released that year seemed unlikely. But Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd did just that and a little more. Featuring some of Skynyrd's greatest and most well known songs such as the serious toned "Simple Man" to the ballad "Tuesday's Gone" and the epic "Free Bird" that features one of the greatest solos of all time. Also, "Gimme Three Steps" and "I Ain't the One" contain some strong hooky riffs while "Things Goin' On", "Mississippi Kid" and "Poison Whiskey" just proove why this band is the greatest southern band ever. Now that you've had the run down, let me give you the details 'bout these rockin' songs...
Band Members:
Ronnie Van Zant (Vocals)
Gary Rossington (Guitars)
Allen Collins (Guitars)
Ed King (Guitars, Bass)
Billy Powell (Keyboards)
Robert Burns (Drums)
1. I Ain't the One (3:53)
Starting out with a stomping drum beat the song turns into a hard rockin' kick your butt all over the place show. The vocals are quite aggressive while spitting out the lyrics which seem to be about a situation gone wrong. The guitar riff chugs along with some sweet lead guitar playing throughout the song. Again, I must say that the drums are excellent on this track and probably the best on the album and just 'bout any other Skynyrd song around. A really great way to start the album for sure!
5/5
2. Tuesday's Gone (7:32)
The next song should be quite familiar to you considering it's been used in a lot of movies such as Dazed and Confused and Happy Gilmore. Anyways, "Tuesday's Gone" is the ballad from the album and I must say it's an amazing song. Van Zant sings with a lot of emotion and the guitars just add the perfect feel to the song. The lyrics are simple but effective and to this day, "Tuesday's Gone" remains one of Lynyrd Skynyrd's premier songs.
5/5
3. Gimme Three Steps (4:30)
Right off the bat with two lead guitars laying down one groovy riff, Lynyrd Skynyrd show off a song formula that they will come to use a few more times in their career. From the groovy southern riff to Van Zant's serious yet playful singing, this band shows again and again why they're the defenitive southern rock band. The lyrics are amazingly catchy from the verses to the chorus and anything in between. Well, not much more to say 'bout this awesome song, another Skynyrd gem to be heard.
5/5
4. Simple Man (5:57)
My favorite Lynyrd Skynyrd track of all time! The band shows a lot of energy and power in this song and remain hard edged throughout the course of the song. The vocals are perfect and the lyrics are some of the Skynyrd's best for sure. There is a nice little solo in the bridge towards the end of the song but the chorus and the riff in the verses are what make this song come alive. I really don't need to say more, this song rocks and that's really all you need to know!
5/5
6. Things Goin' On (4:59)
Some nice guitar playing starts this one out until it kicks into the chicken picking riff that's present throughout the entirety of the song. With some interesting lyrics sung in a playful manner by 'ol Ronnie and some great lead guitar licks by the boys, Skynyrd pulls off another southern rocker that's sure to please all the fans. Although it's a fine song, it's not as good as some of the other tracks on here like "Gimme Three Steps" and "I Ain't the One".
4/5
7. Mississippi Kid (3:56)
This song is a neat little addition to the already superb album. Created and played mostly by the guys in the studio rather than the band members themselves. Van Zant sings with a little southern accent and towards the end of the song you'll hear a cool little harmonica that adds a little something to the song. All in all, not Skynyrd's best by any means but that ain't saying it's bad or anything, because it's a really fun little tune to enjoy.
4/5
8. Poison Whiskey (3:13)
The shortest song on the album, gets back to the hard rockin' and is probably the most underated tune on the album. The lyrics are catchy and the vocals are done to perfection again. Rossington and Collins make for an excellent guitar duo and provide some great leads in this song. There is also some nice paino work to be found and really, you just can't not like this song, it rocks!
4/5
9. Free Bird (9:18)
Now for the grand finale! "Free Bird" is one of the best songs of all time and i'm goin' to tell you exactly why! It has two major parts, from the beginning to about halfway into the song it's quite similar to "Tuesday's Gone", it's very ballad like and slow moving. The lyrics are sung perfectly with such lines like; "And this bird you cannot change, lord knows I can't change". After about halfway into the song it all changes, the tempo, the beat, everything! The lyrics end quickly and the guitars kick in and you're about to hear one of the greatest solo's ever. From duo leads and constant change offs, this is easily Skynyrd's call up to Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". Gary Rossington and Allen Collins prove that they're worthy of being considered some of the best, especially in the southern rock scene. Well, that's that! Amazing song, oh and you can keep your "I'm still listening to Free Bird" stereotypical jokes to yourself! But anywho, like I already said, classic song without a doubt!
5/5
Well there you have it! Lynyrd Skynyrd's debut and what a debut I must say...from "I Ain't the One" to "Free Bird", Lynyrd Skynyrd define what's hard rockin' and lean groovin' southern rock! Also, this album has been remastered and what not in the past years and there was five songs added such as three demo's of "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps" and "Free Bird" along with two old tracks "Mr. Banker" and "Down South Jukin'". If you're a Skynyrd fan and don't have this album yet, I recommend you go get it as soon as possible, classic album with classic songs.
Pros (+)
+ "Tuesday's Gone", "Simple Man" and "Free Bird"
+ Great hard rock/southern rock
+ Van Zant sings to perfection
+ Great guitar leads by the main duo of Rossington and Collins
+ Catchy lyrics
Cons (-)
- Some of the songs can get old and repetitive
