LYNYRD SKYNYD~AUGUST 13, 1973 (pronounced lĕh-nérd skin-nérd) is the debut album from Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on August 13, 1973. It reached #27 on the Billboard 200 Top LPs chart. In 2003, the album was ranked number 401 on Rolling Stone magazines list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and has sold an estimated 2 million units internationally. In 1972 the band (now Van Zant, Collins, Rossington, Burns, Wilkeson, and Powell) was discovered by musician, songwriter, and producer Al Kooper of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, who had attended one of their shows at a club in Atlanta, GA. They changed the spelling of their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd (Pronounced Lĕh-nérd Skin-nérd). and Kooper signed them to his Sounds of the South label that was to be distributed and supported by MCA Records, producing their first album. Leon Wilkeson temporarily left the band during the early recording sessions for the album only playing on two tracks. Wilkeson rejoined the band shortly after the albums release at Van Zants invitation and is pictured on the album cover. Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King joined the band and played Wilkesons bass parts on the rest of the album, which Wilkeson had already written, along with some guitar. King stayed in the band and switched to guitar after the albums release, allowing the band to replicate the three-guitar mix used in the studio for their live performances. Released August 13, 1973, the album featured the hit song Free Bird, which received national airplay, eventually reaching No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s first album (pronounced lĕh-nérd skin-nérd) is a fine debut album that has aged well over the years. Their songwriting was already quite accomplished at this early point of their career, and with the legendary Al Kooper at the helm, Skynyrds debut is not your typical hit or miss. The Southern Rock label was in its infancy and Skynyrd was stepped right into the shoes being filled by The Allman Brothers et al. by combining blues, country, and rock ‘n roll into their own style. They are often imitated, but never duplicated. Many of the songs from Pronounced became fan favorites and were staples throughout their career such as “Gimme Three Steps,” Tuesdays Gone, and “I Ain’t the One.” A lesser known song “Things Goin’ On” has super New Orleans honky tonk style that showcases Billy Powell’s abilities, as well as Lynyrd Skynyrds songwriting strength. This track meshes a seemingly country style song, which as it develops is just as much a blues, and even rock song. COVER PHOTO The men in the photo are all the band members, from left to right: Leon Wilkeson, Billy Powell, Ronnie Van Zant, Gary Rossington (seated), Bob Burns, Allen Collins, and Ed King. The album cover photograph was taken on Main Street in Jonesboro, Georgia. Coincidentally the photo of the band is only a few feet away, behind the photographer, from what would be the film scene where Burt Reynolds and Jerry Reed loaded the Coors beer onto the tractor trailer rig in the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit four years later. ORIGINAL ROLLING STONE REVIEW Lynyrd Skynyrd broadly fit into the hard-driving improvisational blues format pioneered by the Allman Brothers, although the bands welcome bent for brevity keeps most of the tracks tight and to the point. On the other hand, their nine-minute Freebird jumps out of the groups debut LP: It offers a tour of blues guitar expertise, conducted by Allen Collins and to a riveting effect. In fact, Skynyrd work with three lead guitarists, a density of stringy instrumentation at times recalling Byrds as much as Allmans. Eclectic (a shared predilection for much Southern rock), Skynyrd leans on everyone from Rolling Stones (Tuesdays Gone) and Ry Cooder (Things Goin On) to Lovin Spoonful (Gimme Three Steps). Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant mostly sounds like Keith Relf imitating Mick Jagger. Al Koopers unobstrusively dapper production emphasizes the English connection with ever an eye to poppy parts, a mellotron here, electric 12-string there. But the blunter blues tracks form the albums meat with cuts like Simple Man revealing a no-nonsense powerhouse rock unit of modest proportions but considerable promise. ~ Jim Miller (November 6, 1973) TRACKS: Side one 1. I Aint the One (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:53 2. Tuesdays Gone (Allen Collins, Rossington, Van Zant) – 7:32 3. Gimme Three Steps (Collins, Van Zant) – 4:30 4. Simple Man (Rossington, Van Zant) – 5:57 Side two 1. Things Goin On (Rossington, Van Zant) – 5:00 2. Mississippi Kid (Al Kooper, Van Zant, Bob Burns) – 3:56 3. Poison Whiskey (Ed King, Van Zant) – 3:13 4. Free Bird (Collins, Van Zant) – 9:18 CD Bonus tracks: Mr. Banker (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant, King) – 5:23 Down South Jukin (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant) – 2:57 Tuesdays Gone (Demo) (Rossington, Collins, Van Zant) – 7:56 Gimme Three Steps (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) – 5:20 Free Bird (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) – 11:09
Posted on: Wed, 13 Aug 2014 22:29:45 +0000
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