The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd [2-CD SET]

Lynyrd Skynyrd

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 25, 1998)
• Original Release Date: August 25, 1998
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: MCA Records
• ASIN: B00000ADJX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (76 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,096 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
The members of Lynyrd Skynyrd played by their own set of rules. Fiercely defensive of their Southern heritage, Ronnie Van Zant and company reflexively lashed out when they thought they'd been slurred. Hence "Sweet Home Alabama," their retort to Neil Young's shame-on-Dixie "Alabama." (Young loved Skynyrd's screed, even though it lambasted him by name.) On the other hand, "Saturday Night Special" took on handguns; it's hard to imagine a contemporary band with a redneck-rock following taking a similar pro-gun-control stand. This two-disc overview presents a band with a broader agenda than one might imagine. Yes, this is state-of-the-'70s electric boogie, but it's three-guitar-strong rock with genuine subject matter. Fans will already have the likes of "Free Bird" (here presented in studio and concert settings) and "I Know a Little," but baubles such as the previously unreleased "Comin' Home" and the rare B-side "Mr. Banker" add to this collection's appeal, as does the lengthy liner essay. --Steven Stolder

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Much Essential, October 21, 2000

By	VoodooLord7 (Oklahoma, USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This album pleasantly surprised me. Although I have always liked Skynyrd, I have never been a big fan of Southern Rock. Thus, I approached this collection with less than full optimism, thinking it might not be that good. I was wrong. This is an excellent retrospective. Indeed, this is perhaps the best non-boxed-set "best of" collection that I have ever come across, in terms of thoroughness and song selection. Truly "The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd". Almost every Skynyrd song that a casual fan could ever want is included in this set. Classics like Free Bird (studio and live versions), Tuesday's Gone, Sweet Home Alabama, That Smell, and many others are all in this set. Also included are awesome album tracks like The Ballad of Curtis Loew, Call Me The Breeze, and Was I Right Or Wrong Diehard (which shows Ronnie Van Zant's oft-neglected pathos-inspiring songwriting abilities) among others. Skynyrd fans will even pleased with this set, which offers several live takes, original and alternate demos, and some very nice linear notes. This is a must own album for any Southern Rock or Lynyrd Skynyrd fan.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Southern Rock, March 10, 2000

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If all you know about Lynyrd Skynyrd is "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird," this album will open your eyes. From their 1973 debut through 1977's Street Survivors (released just three days before the fatal plane crash), Skynyrd was responsible for some of the most powerful rock music of the Seventies. The triple lead-guitar threat of Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and Ed King (later replaced by Steve Gaines) coupled with the gritty vocals of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant was indeed a potent combination. In addition to the aforementioned songs, "Gimme Three Steps," "Saturday Night Special," "Gimme Back My Bullets" and "That Smell" (among others) have become FM radio staples. If you want to delve even further into the band's history, pick up either of their first two albums or Street Survivors. Their three-disc box set also offers a healthy dose of demos and live cuts. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All The Skynyrd You Need, September 5, 2001

By	Eric R. Last "misterrockobscurities" (San Bruno, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As great a band as Lynyrd Skynyrd (pre-plane crash) was, this one collection actually manages to included virtually anything that all but the most devoted of fans will ever need to hear. The Ronnie Van Zandt era lasted for 5 studio albums, 1 live album, and a later release ("First and...Last") consisting of studio recordings that predate "Pronounced...", the "official" first album. "Pronounced..." was very strong, the second ("Second Helping") and sixth ("Street Survivors") albums were flat-out great, the third ("Nuthin' Fancy") and fourth ("Gimme Back My Bullets") albums were, frankly, uninspired, and the posthumous release "First and...Last" was a nice snapshot of a band that was, at that point, still searching for their sound. The fact is, though, that all of Skynyrd's truly top notch songs can be found on this 2 CD set, "The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd". If you haven't already started your Skynyrd collection, this one will do all by itself. Then, if you're still hungry for more, you can go for the live fifth album ("One More From The Road"). After that, picking up these various pre-crash studio albums will only get you the leftovers, scraps that do not hold up to the standard of the material on this collection. And there's no need to even bother with the post-Ronnie Van Zandt albums.