Customer Reviews

Gimme Back My Bullets (W/Dvd) (Dlx)

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EVERY fan of Lynyrd Skynyrd and rock and roll music in general should immediately run out and buy this album. Not because Bullets is Skynyrd's shining moment; it's not. While this is a very, very good album, it doesn't measure up to the greatness that is Second Helping or even Pronounced and Street Survivors.

What makes this reissue absolutely essential, though, is the inclusion of the "bonus" DVD containing Skynyrd's complete Old Grey Whistle Test performance from 1975. Vintage footage from the glory days of any classic band is so hard to come by, yet here we have, thanks to the BBC, a stunning, full color, uninterrupted, seven song performance from a band at the height of its powers.

It is such a revelatory experience to see Ronnie growling and prowling the stage in his barefeet and cowboy hat. Gary Rossington and Billy Powell show their mastery of thier instruments during their various solo breaks and of course Leon Wilkeson and Artimus Pyle formed Skynyrd's secret weapon rhythm section. All of it is fantastic stuff.

As you watch the DVD, though, keep a special look out for one of the truly great rock and roll guitar heroes, Mr. Allen Collins, at stage left. Allen Collins had style and flash and emotion - just an amazing musician. He was also a great songwriter, having composed the music for Gimme Three Steps, The Needle and the Spoon, That Smell, and Free Bird, amongst others. And of course one of the great moments in rock and roll history is on Free Bird after Ronnie sings those sad, proud lyrics. As Gary and Billy take their solo spots, the musical tension keeps building and building, up and up and up, until finally, finally the tension shatters as Allen Collins takes wing and soars into that classic extended solo.

The performances captured on this Old Grey Whistle Test truly demonstrate the power and the greatness that was Skynyrd at its best. Sadly, three of the guys shown in this performance are dead. Ronnie Van Zant (and Steve Gaines) died in that 1977 plane crash. Leon Wilkeson died of natural causes in 2001. And Allen Collins, who survived that horrific plane crash, tragically became a paraplegic in a car crash in 1986. He never played guitar again. He died of complications from the paralysis in 1990. Allen Collins, R.I.P.

while this album was not my favorite it does however have its charm. several songs are standouts and thus should be an album of merit. the album was hurrily recorded while the band was exhausted-it does show because of some limp performances in some songs. to be fair, most if not all artists have a bone buried in their discography and I think this is theirs. this album was also remastered before with 2 bonus tracks in 1999. all contents of that issue are included here. the only differeces are some photos--so, for fans who have to have it all--there is a couple of reasons to keep that reissue. the sound quality to me sounds the same as the prior-the album sounded muddy then and remastering probably has improved it. the latest reissue is a boatful of bounty--disc 1 - original release with 6 bonus track - 4 of which are new. disc 2 is a DVD of a BBC tv show "OLD GREY WHISTLE TEST" recorded in mono. the performance on the show is FANTASTIC and really showed the ORIGINAL band in all of its glory-disc is about 45 mins and makes you want more. I only wish the latest CORPORATE version of the band could implement the passion shown here. superb liner notes*-*same as 1999 version but adds more. while I hate that music and movie companies force us fans/collectors to double or triple dip to "have it all" - there are valid reasons for coughing up money for this. I am surprised that this album was given the LEGACY EDITION treatment but you can bet the original albums will get the same. lets hope they continue to give us quality unreleased gems.

1976's Gimme Back My Bullets was the band's fourth album and first with legendary Atlantic producer Tom Dowd. It is an unusual pairing and Mr. Dowd's production isn't suited to the band's stylings. The album is a little more uneven than their previous three releases. That being said, when the band is on, they are smoking. The blistering title track is among the finest songs they recorded. "All I Can Do Is Write About It" is a strong rocker as is the fiery "Double Trouble". "Searching is a fine slow number and their cover of J.J. Cale's "I Got The Same Old Blues" seems like it was written for the band. This deluxe edition is worth the purchase for the additional DVD that contains some great live footage.

Mr Rouse and Chase stole my thunder on this one, but its worth mentioning again that ANY visual testament to the original Skynyrd is absolutely essential.

Much is available with online resources like youtube, but sometimes out of the blue comes a mother lode like this BBC release. I had an Old Grey Whistle Test compilation on DVD, and it had Free Bird from this set on it.

It is without question the finest live version ever captured on video. The Free Bird movie was great because it provided much of the great Knebworth and Winterland footage. But their version of Free Bird from Oakland was a little hurried. This studio take, with just Rossington and Collins, is simply volcanic.

As is the entire set. Two of the most intense numbers on Gimme Back, and a rollicking Call Me the Breeze. Not to mention Alabama, with Collins switching over to strat.

This unadorned Skynyrd shows off the interplay between Rossington and Collins, with great rythymic clarity between Wilkeson and Pyle. Billy Powell's barrelhouse piano is consistent throughout.

But more than anything else, Ronnie Van Zant's muscular stage presence and charisma shines through and warms the set. His greatest attribute as a musician has always been his innate ability to come across not only as the personification of a man of his place and time, but also as a buddy and friend to those who never knew him. Its still uncanny and was a nostalgic reminder thirty years on when watching this performance. You can't help but be drawn to his command of the stage and his band.

I don't pay any attention to the band that calls themselves Skynyrd these days. But I cannot avert my attention from that band that called themselves Skynyrd in those days.

Fine American rock and roll. God I miss them.

This album from Skynyrd is often overshadowed by their two following releases, One More From The Road and Street Survivors. It is true that the band was in somewhat of a rut right before Steve Gaines came aboard, and the fact that this album only features two guitarists probably has something to do with its relative unpopularity. That plus the fact that the sound was flat, the guitars were tuned down a half step on the title track (and a little out of tune here and there), and quite frankly, there is no "centerpiece" song on this album. All the songs are great, but nothing really stands out and knocks your socks off. I tend to be most fond of "Searchin", as the live version of that track ended up on the Skynyrd box set that I bought long before any of their actual albums.

Back to the "flat" sound--this remastered version of this CD sounds MUCH better than the original CD transfer, which as Al Kooper said, sounds "flat as a pancake," despite legendary Tom Dowd assuming the role of producer for this album. Not to diss Tom Dowd, but I have to agree with Kooper on that one. However, like I said, the sound is much better on the remastered version and more in line with the bright, lively sound of the Kooper-produced first three Skynyrd albums.

Despite its flaws, however, this Skynyrd album contains plenty of classic Skynyrd cuts that still makes it an indispensable addition to your collection!

The bonus DVD REALLY makes this a must-have, as it's Ronnie and the old gang in 1975! Pfft--no brainer, can't do without that! The sound and picture are good, too. Great find from the Skynyrd archives!

The 1999 expanded edition of Lynyrd Skynyrd's fourth album added two bonus tracks, a decent live edition of the title track and a great live "Cry For The Bad Man". And this 2006 deluxe edition adds another four bonus tracks plus a terrific seven-track DVD issue of Skynyrd's November 1975 appearance on the Old Grey Whistle Test.

The original nine-track album was met with somewhat lukewarm reviews back in 1976, and wasn't a big succes commercially either. Dunno why. I have all six albums by the original Skynyrd line-up (the five studio albums and "One More From The Road"), and I would take this one over "Nuthin' Fancy" and "Street Survivors" any day. Great musicianship, and the material is almost uniformly excellent.

And this deluxe edition would pretty much have been a must-have for diehard Skynyrd fans even without the additional CD bonus tracks. The DVD features a generous handful of tight, hard-hitting performances...one or two may feel a little too tight, acutually, a bit more looseness and swagger wouldn't have been out of place. But it's still a great opportunity to see Skynyrd performing during their peak years. They do a terrific "I Ain't the One", a rollicking "Sweet Home Alabama", and a swinging "I Got The Same Old Blues", and fans should also delight in the wonderful acoustic "All I Can Do Is Write About It" on disc 1. Crisp and clear, and just about better than the original.
The only real minus about the DVD is the somewhat mediocre sound quality, which keeps it from being truly great. As it is, it is only really good.

All in all, this is a fine, fine purchase for Skynyrd fans. Newcomers won't want to start with a deluxe edition, of course, but you'll get here...

Limited Edition Gimme Back My Bullets. Awesome! Amazing! Great from beginning to end. "Extra" audio tracks are great. The bonus DVD shows the Band in a near flawless performance. The "Standout" - just how UNDER-RATED a guitarist Allen Collins was. He plays ALL Leads in "Freebird" (as well as leads in other tunes) and makes it look so effortless and easy. Again, just awesome.

I purchased this item for my boyfriend and am I ever glad I did. He loves it so much every 5 minutes he is calling me in to watch & listen to these DVD's. This item really is very special, one reason is it makes my boyfriend very happy, the second reason is it is priceless to see all the good memmories come back to him when listening to these DVD's. something so simple yet so powerful.

After years of watching a so-so quality bootleg I once picked up at a record show, what a treat to see the Lynyrd Skynyrd Old Grey Whistle Test in perfect broadcast quality!! This is a must have for even the casual Skynyrd fan[that's me]. The band are in fine form playing live in a BBC TV studio circa 1975. It's the entire performence[the introduction was cut out though]. Get it!!