Customer Reviews

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Rock Case Studies

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is an excellent product, it is well packaged, well presented, and is an excellent collector's item for early Lynyrd Skynyrd fans. It contains an excellent 72 page illustrated book, which contains an analysis and/or a commentary on every studio album and every studio song that was recorded by "pre-plane crash" Skynyrd. It also contains some information on "One more from the Road" concert album that was recorded at Atlanta's Fox Theater. This also contains some "live" footage of the "Original" Lynyrd Skynyrd Band performing.

The DVD contains commentary by independent "Rock" experts & journalists. It also contains comments from a former record company executive in New York, who was affiliated with the "Original Lynyrd Skynyrd Band" back before the plane-crash. This former record company executive, along with the "Rock" experts give a very good independent analysis of early Skynyrd. They have very positive things to say about early Skynyrd and the late/great Ronnie Van Zant. They tell the "story" of the "legendary", "Original" Lynyrd Skynyrd Band. It's a very interesting story to hear.

The Dvd also contains a significant amount of "live" footage of early Skynyrd performing on the "Ole Grey Whisle Test Show". It also contains some BRIEF "live" footage of the "Original" Lynyrd Skynryd Band performing in their "glory days" in 1976, at the Knebworth Festival in England, and at a 4th of July event in Oakland (these complete performances are in the "Freebird the Movie" DVD).

So, you get performances that include: Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, Gary Rossington, Ed King, Bob Burns, Artimus Pyle, Billy Powell, Steve Gaines(there's not very much footage of Steve, but he can be seen briefly performing on the two 1976 shows, mentioned above),and Leon Wilkeson.

This product is very enjoyable to read and to watch. It is well worth having, reading and watching. With this you get a "triple-treat", the 72 page book, the story of the "legendary", "Original" Lynyrd Skynyrd Band, and the "live" performances of the "Original" Lynyrd Skynyrd Band. This is a real "treasure" for any Lynyrd Skynryd fan, especially fans of the "Original" band, and I'm a fan to the bone. I gladly, highly recommend this one. Thanks, and may God Bless!!!

I've looked at the video but I've yet to read the entire book. The video is interesting, the highlights being the footage of the band from its two Old Grey Whistle Test appearances and critic Mick Wall's description of first meeting the band and experiencing their robust party habits. The other two interviewees are writer/rocker Geoff Smiles (who also wrote the booklet) and a former employee of road managing legend Peter Rudge.

Fair enough, these blokes encountered the band and experienced some of their notorious behaviours. But musicologists they ain't (ok, maybe Smiles is,although I'm not sure what else he's written). Smiles even goes so far as to tell us in fairly authoritative detail what was wrong with the band's plane when it crashed and killed leader Ronnie Van Zant and other members.

I do, however, agree with the overall sentiment of this effort, especially Smiles' -- that the authentic Skynyrd is the band that ended with that plane crash, and everything since then with the name Lynyrd Skynyrd has been more of a tribute band.

Where this product leaves me hanging is the analysis part -- this is supposed to be a case study of the half-dozen albums by the pre-crash Skynyrd, and while our hosts touch on all of these albums, you're not really getting a thorough musicological examination. In other words, this is technically shallow -- except, as I mentioned, the description of what may have happened to the right engine on that airplane.

Final thought -- I would love to get my hands on the entire early Whistle Test performance (the second is available on the "Bullets" reissue), just to further delve into the early Skynyrd. That early performance of "Free Bird" is terrific until the very end when Ed King decides to throw down some licks that don't really fit with what Allen Collins is doing. It's a train wreck, and it made me appreciate the later versions of the band in a way that I had not.

UPDATE: Finally started reading the text, and it is a decent read. It's flawed and more of an essay and history than a "case study," but author Geoff Smiles (who also is one of the three interviewed in the DVD) adds some meaningful context to the Skynyrd saga. I'm not sure this band will ever truly get its due for various reasons, but the producers of this book and DVD make a game effort.....for fans of the original band, this is worth it.

This must have been produced for the BBC. The music and rare video footage is great. It has to be....its Skynard. But some of the commentary as well as the book borders on pretentious and from what other media I have read over the years a little off base....as is a lot of European Journalism. The book reads well but is mired with the same dialect as the video. They both are hard to get through in one sitting.

I gave this DVD one star not because of lynyrd skynyrd but because of the reviewers. To have a group of Brits talking about a southern rock band would be like me talking about Earl grey tea or something native to their country and culture. I could go on and on but I think you understand what I'm trying to say here which is more than I can say for the guys on this DVD.

I have a good friend whom is a hard core fan of this band. Bought it for his birthday and it's pretty good. But I liked seeing the newer DVD's of the band myself. I think they are more polished and tighter.