23 June, 2013

271. Lynyrd Skynyrd | (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973)



Tracks
  1. I Ain't the One
  2. Tuesday's Gone
  3. Gimme Three Steps
  4. Simple Man
  5. Things Goin' On
  6. Mississippi Kid
  7. Poison Whiskey
  8. Free Bird

(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) is a sincere album. The music is Southern rock; although, I'm not sure what that means. British bands have been defining blues-inspired rock since the late 1960s and that's what everyone who played blues rock tried to emulate. Then in the early 1970s American bands defined their own brand of blues-inspired rock. A defining difference is American blues rock incorporates elements of country music, including lyrical references. I think that's what makes Lynryd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers different from, say, Led Zeppelin or The Rolling Stones.

There's a real down-to-earth feeling I get with this album. The lyrics and song themes seem more personal, immediate and relevant. The music also seem straightforward and uncluttered or unburdened.  I think, most importantly, the music just sounds fresh and the lyrics unpretentious.

This album is pretty darn good. Although, there are quite a few long songs, the album moves quite briskly. The album never becomes tedious. Certainly, it's worth listening to and I would recommend it to anyone looking to build a serious album collection, but I don't think it needs to be on the 1001 Albums list. It isn't stylistically different from what the Allman Brothers have been doing.

All the songs are excellent. The stand-outs are: I Ain't the OneTuesday's GoneGimme Three StepsSimple Man, Things Goin' OnMississippi Kid, Poison Whiskey and Free Bird. Yep, once again, that's all of them!

★★★★★★★★★★

No comments:

Post a Comment