God & Guns [Special Edition]

Lynyrd Skynyrd | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 29, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Special Edition
• Label: Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records
• ASIN: B002C6K7NU
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #102,335 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Still unbroken

2. Simple Life

3. Little Thing Called You

4. Southern Ways

5. Skynyrd Nation

6. Unwrite That Song

7. Floyd

8. That Ain't My America

9. Comin' Back For More

10. God & Guns

See all 12 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Bang Bang

2. Raining In My Heartland

3. Hobo Kinda Man

4. Red White and Blue (Live)

5. Call Me The Breeze (Live)

6. Sweet Home Alabama (Live)

Editorial Reviews

Special Packaging Info: 2-CD Special Edition includes: 3 Live Skynyrd classics, including 'Sweet Home Alabama', 3 Bonus tracks, Expanded artwork. Live tracks recorded at Freedom Hall in Louisville, KY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The music lives on...., September 29, 2009

By 

Steve - See all my reviews

This review is from: God & Guns (Audio CD)

"God and Guns"..... I bought the two disc special which contains six extra cuts. I see a lot of people referencing this album as more of a "country music" type album. I disagree. What people have to realize is that its not Skynyrd sounding "country" its current day country music sounding more and more like "Skynyrd".

This album has OUTSTANDING studio quality sound. The guitars scream loud and clear, Johnny VanZant does an awesome job delivering the message. The lyrics are strong and true. There is a little bit of something for everybody on this album. The Great "All American" Band. God Bless Lynyrd Skynyrd. The music proudly lives on.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rock & Roll (through Lynyrd Skynyrd) Lives On, December 1, 2009

By 

J. Culuris (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: God & Guns (Audio CD)

Anytime Lynyrd Skynyrd comes out with a new CD, infrequently as that maybe, the reaction is almost universally the same: They're not as good as the original. Well, how could they be? Skynyrd was born of a bunch of high school friends who learned all the facets of their craft together, plus Ed King (good), Billy Powell (great) and later Steve Gaines (brilliant). Few bands can compare with this, let alone replaces the pieces taken away by the famous plane crash that killed Ronnie Van Zant and Gaines, among others. A downgrade was inevitable.

Johnny Van Zant on his best day is a passable singer. He has bad days. And if Ricky Medlocke was good enough originally, Ronnie would have kept him around. Instead he moved on to Blackfoot, a band not in any way in Skynyrd's class. Only Guitarist Randall Hall was worthy of the Skynyrd tradition, and he's been gone for years.

But that doesn't mean Skynyrd's second incarnation can't rock. The tribute tour gave of us a very good reworking of Swamp Music. 1991 offered "The End of the Road." The Last Rebel, the album, represents their best work. And there's scattering of very good rock since: "Good Luck, Bad Luck"; "Talked Myself Right into It"; "Rockin' Little Town"; "Mad Hatter."

And that, too, is the best description of God & Guns: Solid Rock. Though, as with most things, it has its highs and lows. Of course there had to be highs. Gary Rossington is still with them. And Billy Powell, but sadly only for five songs due to his death in January of '09.

But more importantly, a major low has been removed. Johnny Van Zant has finally gotten away from the heavy-handed way in which he has always delivered his messages. I believed this self-revelation was revealed in the line "I ain't here to preach no sermon" from "Right-Side Up," off Van Zant's Brother to Brother, a truly great rock CD. This realization was a long time coming. Just make your point, as passionately and cleverly as you can; the rest takes care of itself. To wit:

Still Unbroken:
A song about surviving life with your true self intact. Nothing preachy here; just straight-ahead lyrics. An effective way to open the CD.

Simple Life:
The opening verse is as close as Johnny gets to Preach Mode. But quickly the song veers back toward the subject reflected in the title. Not as good as Still Unbroken, but far from bad.

A Little Thing Called You:
Back to a staple of all music: love songs, or busted love songs, as the case may be. This is the latter. Again, solid rock n' roll.

Southern Ways:
Remove the second verse, which applies to Skynyrd directly, and I can picture Tim McGraw singing this. Perhaps a touch too mellow for classic rock, but still worthy of Skynyrd, which has a long history of dipping into both country and blues.

Skynyrd Nation:
Unfortunately, considering the subject, one of the lesser efforts. Though sporting some good guitar work, the vocalists seem to get carried away beyond proportion to the song. Here enthusiasm is a detriment.

Unwrite That Song:
Easily the best song on the CD, and the best ballad from the Skynyrd family since Johnny's Brickyard Road gave us "Love Is Not Enough." Not to be missed and should be a radio perennial.

Floyd:
Another example of getting carried away to detriment of the song. I hate deriding artistic integrity--you have to play it the way you feel it--but the insipid repetition of one word (more than once, even) ruins a potentially great effort.

That Ain't My America:
Here it is. Their beliefs out front for all to hear but not a sermon in sight. This is how it's done.

Comin' Back for More:
Some of the phrasing is reminiscent of Van Zant's "Show Me." That's not necessarily a bad thing. A good song is a good song.

God & Guns:
You can probably guess the subjects. Pure politics in a song that changes tempo in the tradition of "Freebird" and "The Last Rebel." Works for me.

Storm:
Another quality cut. Nothing great but it doesn't have to be. Again, good is good enough.

Gifted Hands:
Like Mad Hatter was in memory of bassist Leon Wilkinson, this one's for Billy. When their heart is completely involved in a piece, Skynyrd is magic. It's just unfortunate that it was necessary. It doesn't even matter that the lines in the chorus don't rhyme. Rest in Peace, Billy

Bang Bang:
The over enthusiasm that ruins "Skynyrd Nation" and "Floyd" is kept in check here. The song is by no means frivolous but fun was had too. Fervor done right.

Raining in My Heartland:
Not all the images and their connections work, but enough do. Heart and a great tune help.

Hobo Kinda Man:
A throwback song. Works for what it is.

The Live Tracks ("Red White & Blue," "Call Me the Breeze," "Sweet Home Alabama"):
Financially I can't complain about filling out the disc with these performances as we were not overcharged for the second disc. But considering live CDs are all that Skynyrd have released over the last decade or so (and another on the way, I hear) it can get wearing. OTOH, since we'll never get to hear Billy play live again, I'll take it.

This could well be Skynyrd's last CD of original material. It SHOULD be if we lose Rossington, the only surviving active member, along with his wife. But there are conflicting emotions here. I understand Johnny has dedicated his life to, as stated in "Rockin' LittleTown": "Makin' good music, keeping it alive. . . ." And yet the second verse of "The Last Rebel" was about Rossington:

'Cause he's the last rebel and he's all alone
He's the last rebel, his friends are all gone. . . .

That's how I see him. Maybe it should end with him. But I have to admit that Billy Powell was my favorite and it's just not the same without him. My view is skewed. If this is their Last Hurrah, however, I'm satisfied.

For Skynyrd fans: B+
For those who just know the hits: B-
For Amazon's rating system: 4 Stars

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lynyrd Skynyrd "God + Guns" = Songs, Sounds, & Themes like the "Old Time" Skynyrd = 100% OUTSTANDING!!!!!!!, September 30, 2009

By 

Gary Covington "Southern Rocker" (Louisiana, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: God & Guns (Audio CD)

This is a very welcome new release by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is their first release of new material, since 2003's "Vicious Cycle" Album. This is hard rocking, great, Southern Music, with Southern Themes, and some Strong Messages. Rickey Medlocke said "We've never been a political band, but if you listen to the lyrics, you'll know where we're coming from". This Cd contains all TOTALLY NEW MATERIAL!!!

This album cd was recorded during 2007, 2008, & 2009 mostly in Nashville. Also, during part of this time, Skynyrd was on their "World Tour" with Kid Rock on the "Rock + Rebels" Tour. However, they made time in between gigs to get into the studio and record this ablum. Also, during the recording of this album CD, Ean Evans their bassist, and Billy Powell their piano player, and Original Band Member both died. Roughly half of the songs on this cd include Billy Powell on the piano.

This album cd is dedicated to Ean Evans & Billy Powell.

The liner notes also list some other musicians included in recording this cd, these include John 5 (Marilyn Manson's guitarist), and Rob Zombie.

The Lynyrd Skynyrd Website list the addition of the following new members:
Peter Keys - keyboards - The new keyboard player after Billy's death.
Robert Kearn - bass - The new bass player after Eans's death.

The song set is as follows:
1.Still Unbroken (they've been through hell, but ther're still unbroken)
2.Simple Life (kinda has the theme of "Simple Man")
3.Little Thing Called You
4.Southern Ways (This song makes reference to the "hell house", it was the uninsulated, un-air conditioned building, where Ronnie and the guys, would hang out and write songs, and practice.)
5.Skynyrd Nation (This is about 1st, 2nd & 3rd generation, Lynyrd Skynyrd fans forming a "Skynyrd Nation", and about rocking with the rebel flag)
6.Unwrite that Song
7.Floyd
8.That Ain't My America (This one has a strong message, and includes the lyrics "Sometimes I want to light up beneath a no smoking sign....This is for the men & women who hold a Bible & a Gun, and they ain't afraid of nothin', when they're holding either one." I LOVE THIS SONG!!!)
9.Comin' Back for More
10.God & Guns (Contains a strong message "God & Guns make us strong", & "Don't let them take our God & Guns away", the song mentions that things have changed since the old days, & now you need to lock your doors & have a gun for self defense. This song is different from the Ronnie Van Zant song "Saturday Night Special", I love & I understand both songs. According to the book "Freebirds", by Marley Brant, Ronnie's widow stated, that Ronnie had bought her a .38 Special & taugh her how to use it for self defense. However, she goes on to state that Ronnie was for proper control & use of handguns. He was totally against irresponsible people having access to handguns. But he seemed to be for responsible people,owning handguns, for self protection, as long as the bad guys have their handguns.)
11.Storm,
12.Gifted Hands ( a great tribute song to the ,"gifted hands" of the late/great, original member),& plane crash survivor, Billy Powell.)

The Special Edition double CD, contains an extra disc, with 2 more new studio songs, and 3 live songs, from their 1997 concert at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky. The studio song "Hobo Kinda Man", is very similiar to the late Ronnie's "Railroad Song", from the "Nothin' Fancy" album.

This is a great one, by the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, and I highly, gladly recommend it. This band has been through hell many times, but yet they still rock on, just as good as ever. This release is "AWESOME". Thanks, and May God Bless!!!