(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)
Lynyrd Skynyrd
1973
Album Summary
(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) is the debut album by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 1973. Several of the album's songs remain among the band's most well-known: "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", "Tuesday's Gone", and "Free Bird", the last of which launched the band to national stardom. The album was certified gold on December 18, 1974, and double platinum on July 21, 1987, by the RIAA. It peaked at 27 on the Billboard 200 in 1975.
WikipediaI mean, "Tuesday's Gone," "Gimme Three Steps," "Simple Man," and "Free Bird" all on the same album. How you gonna argue with that? I almost gave this a 4 but I couldn't actually come up with anything wrong with the album especially given the release date. I sometimes find myself a bit put off by Van Zant's penchant for socio-political posturing but, for 1973, several of these songs are super pointed and progressive. That's worth a star.
Come on. This is such a great album. Half of the songs are all time classics. Tuesday, 3 Steps, Simple Man, Free Bird. There's only 8 songs on the album and four of them are not just classic, but all time classics. What a great album!
Love Tuesdays Gone thanks to Happy Gilmore. Likewise Free Bird which was the perfect soundtrack for running over prostitutes on GTA
Giving this a 4 because the first half of the album is much better than the last (save Free Bird), but this is still phenomenal, especially for a debut album. Love the blues elements and even the country twang Already Saved: Free Bird Saved After Listening: Tuesday's Gone, Simple Man
Good old Southern Boogie Woogie. Not something I'd listen to again though. However, I'm sure I'll hear Free Bird another 10,000 times in my lifetime.
Why would I need a Greatest Hits album? This exists. Only truly "weak" spot is "Poison Whiskey," but then "Freebird" comes right after that and southern rock nirvana is achieved, so it balances out.
I remember the first time my dad put this album on. We were at my grandparents house one sunday while they were installing a ceiling fan in and other stuff. I was 10 at the time, and man, this album had me moving my head and hadn't heard anything like this before. Now, I was used to rock, we'd listen to CCR, Sabbath, The Beatles etc, but this southern rock was something else, man. Listening to "Gimme Three Steps" still takes me back to sitting in that wicker chair and grooving, and my little mind being blown....and subsequently kinda bored after a while with "Freebird" but still, lol. every damn song is perfect on the album, no notes!
About as perfect an A-side as you can have... oh and then there's Freebird!
Lynyrd Skynyrd were at the top of their game when they released their debut album. Excellent songwriting, perfected tone, and THE GUITARS! Oh man, this is guitar heaven. Can't call yourself a fan of rock until you've heard Skynyrd absolutely tear it up. Good album.
Tuesday's Gone is an excellent ballad. You have to be very confident with your soloing to put a guitar solo before the first verse. The solo after the first verse is also mighty fine as are the good 'ole boys' southern rock harmonies. Things Going On is quite clearly an anti-segregation song. This is interesting given that one of the band's slightly more popular songs led to allegations that Ronnie was pro Wallace. Some of the "filler"on side 2 is really quite good. The Mississippi blues song Mississippi Kid shows their prowess with the broken coke bottle and the anti-alcohol song Poison Whisky has is also an excellent jam. Free Bird is the best song in the album and the band's second best song overall - next to that tune about folks in Birmingham loving Wallace.
Ah, brings back so many fond memories with my mildly racist father. I don't really support the band anymore, but the nostalgia here hits oh so hard.
This is such a conflict. Do you reject what you know b/c the band members are racist assholes? I know that good can come from a trash heap. That people grow and growth is fucking hard. It is not linear. Once I held many of the same views. That we are toxic when we are hurting. There's maybe something really great here in this album but also it is a terrible place to stay or be stuck. I can't fully reject the South. It's in my heart so I can't fully walk away from this album. But I can't listen to it without all the extra convos that come with it. That makes it so goddamn weighty for something that is supposed to rock.
On the one hand, this Southern fried album has a lot of great tracks that I remember from growing up and listening to it in the South. On the other hand, it's hard to ignore the rift between the band and Neil Young (though he would later come to temper that somewhat). But Neil was spot on that the band was racist and rocking the confederate flag at their shows. After everything that has happened in our country since this came out, I can honestly say, it's hate not heritage-- and that makes it hard to want to hear.
I can't tell if I've just grown out of 5 minute guitar solos or if this really just missed the mark hard for me. Felt really forgettable with no stand out moments, and I don't think any of the songs on here are ones I'd actively seek listening to again.
Kyllä nää kundit vaan osas musaa tehdä. Ehdottomasti timanttia ja tähtikaartia.
Aivan loistava levy! Lepposa meno ja kokonaisuuteen ei mahdu ensimmäistäkään täytebiisiä, joten tästä suunnasta uran ensimmäinen 5*! PERKELE!!!
Cuando terminé la primera vuelta del disco estaba pensando en razones válidas para no darle las 5 estrellas y no encontré ni media. Las tonadas son pegajosas y van perfecto con el acento y estilo de cantar. Las armonías muy tradicionales pero (como la buena piedra) nunca fallan. Y la guitarra es la cereza gigante en el pastel. Quizá lo único minúsculamente difícil que le veo es que todas las canciones son muy largas (lo cual seguro fue problema en su época para poderlas poner en el radio comercial) pero no es algo que me moleste.
Otra banda que por lo menos con este disco van a ser difíciles de autosuperarse, Rock Folk sureño de alto octanage y calidad. Simple kind of man es mi favorita y el demo de free bird me gustó mucho también. Ha de ver sido maravillosos verlos tocar en vivo. Todo se escucha bien y en su lugar, no hay fallas.
Es curioso cómo hay ciertos álbumes que se escuchan mejor con audífonos, mientras que otros se escuchan mejor en bocinas. Este es uno de los del primer tipo. Debo reconocer que le di una “tercera” oportunidad a este disco, después de leer las opiniones de los demás en el grupo, y no me arrepiento. Fuera de Free Bird, su discografía y estilo me eran desconocidos, y la primera vez que lo escuché (en bocinas) me pareció muy tipo country. Para la tercera ocasión (ya con audífonos) me llamó la atención que las melodías me resultaban familiares, casi conocidas, además de que me permitió apreciar lo impecable de la ejecución. Musicalmente, varias cosas me llaman la atención del álbum: por una parte integran la esencia del folk, pero sin ese efecto depresivo medio “de hueva” que generalmente tiene el folk (si, me refiero a ti Bob Dylan), con una vibra muy similar a la que tiene Kings of Leon en sus dos primeros discos. Por otra parte está la influencia “sureña” en su letra, reflejada en algunas referencias religiosas. El último aspecto, y a mi gusto el más notable, es la capacidad para hacer canciones verdaderamente épicas. Free Bird dura más de nueve minutos, y a pesar de tener una letra melancólica, la canción es poderosa y energética, sin un segundo de desperdicio, con un puente musical donde cada compás es único a pesar de ser una iteración de la misma base. Así se podría hablar de otras canciones del disco, pero esta es más o menos la esencia.
I'm not necessarily the biggest LS fan in the world, but this is the best album with the most iconic songs I have listened to so far.
De las bandas que creo que todo el mundo debería conocer y de las carreras que me hubiera gustado que no se interrumpieran, el disco debut es excelente por decir lo menos. Letras claras, le suben y bajan al acelerador cuando y como quieren. Los riffs son excelentes y tienen el talento para meter una canción de 7 minutos y otra de 9, que de cualquier forma no quieres que terminen. Hay que hacerles caso, no beber Etiqueta Roja, mejor tomar Jack. Songs; Free Bird, Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, Poison Whiskey
Voy a dejar política y a la audiencia del género del rock sureño muy aparte, creo que no es parte del ejercicio y quizá merezcan una discusión propia en otro lugar y momento. Solo mencionaré rápido que no pienso que Lynyrd Skynyrd sean racistas, no se les debería definir por su audiencia y el grito de "Freebird!" es quizá la cosa más imbécil del mundo que justamente resume el problema de su audiencia y cómo se percibe mucho al género. Quizá el disco que realmente da inicio al sonido del rock sureño; si bien ya existían los Allman Brothers su sonido era mucho más melódico y aquí es cuando en realidad se puede sentir un sonido rock en forma. Pareciera que es disco de éxitos, al menos 4 de 8 canciones son íconos del género y conocidas por casi cualquiera (¿qué faltaría aquí? Sweet Home Alabama quizá y en realidad incluso es de menos calidad que este disco). Esto no es casualidad, aunque es un disco debut estamos hablando de una banda que llevaba 10 años trabajando, afinando sus canciones y trabajando como locos; una banda liderada por una persona casi genio que exigía perfección, le gustaba demasiado el alcohol y era propenso a la violencia. No hay duda que trabajar con Ronnie Van Zant no era fácil (por ahí está la historia de que algunos de sus compañeros en realidad se terminaron sintiendo aliviados cuando murió en el avionazo) pero el resultado es innegablemente brillante en cuanto a la música. Country rock de verdad que suena a country y a rock, blues y hard rock todo mezclado golpeando con tres guitarras a la vez. Crearon un sonido inmediatamente distinguible y que hoy en día se sigue copiando e influenciando a infinidad de bandas. De verdad buscaba algo malo que decir del disco, quizá podría decir que Freebird tiene una letra trillada y medio torpe pero en realidad ni a eso le puedo achacar, musicalmente explota a tal grado y es una obra de arte. No hay canción del disco que no me gustara, se nota en todo lo meticuloso de su creación, cada nota está en su lugar, no está improvisado y es el resultado de infinidad de horas y horas de trabajo duro. Gran gran disco.
Had never heard this album all the way through. Then hearing all the classics as well as the amazing songs in between, this is absolutely a top classic of all time that everyone should hear.
Escutei a primeira vez por causa da música Simple Man, então descobrir que o álbum ainda tinha Tuesday's Gone e Free Bird.
I had never heard this album all the way through but, like everyone I guess, I know all the hits and they're all on this album. The songs I hadn't heard still felt familiar. Great album
Great classic rock n roll songs very funny great reefs perfect for go to work pegajoso
Quintessential blues rock. If I were to show classic rock to aliens, this would probably be the top candidate. It's loud and energetic with both short hard songs and longer softer songs. And it swaps between short then long back to short and so forth to not get tiring. Now usually I'd get bored with such long songs, but if you listen to "Tuesday's Gone", the instruments vary so often throughout the song, taking turns with leads. Just start listening from the piano solo to hear what I mean. It also has a different drum sound from the other songs. "Gimme Three Steps" sounds like their later song "What's your name" but since it's not the same album it doesn't count. Each song is distinctive and inviting with catchy tunes and poppy lyrics, and the back vocals during the choruses help audience participation. With the 2nd side you can actually convince someone why it's called "blues" rock but a lot of people can get bored by it. I still think they're strong tracks. Love that old-timey piano solo in "Things goin on". Also "Mississippi Kid" gets bonus points for me just so happening to be passing through Mississippi from Memphis to New Orleans, visiting the Delta Blues Museum. "Poison Whiskey", especially the solos, does sound lazier and uninnovative than the other tracks, but I do sorta like that hard piano sound. And finally there's the most famous rock song of all time "Free Bird". I don't have much to say other than what I aready said. Great song, and the length does not hinder it. Love when it goes higher pace around 4:35. I will comment is that the ending felt anticlimatic. Overall fantastic influential album that define the era, with bangers all throughout. Despite the flaws, I still believe it deserves the 5 stars.
Aside from the 9 minute epic, there’s still a ton of solid stuff on this album, it’s probably their album with their most well known stuff on it.
Corr, these guys have learned their scales. Fantastic album Freebird will never not fill me with nostalgia for GTA San Andreas.
The only thing wrong with this album is that they got their own phonetic spelling wrong. Best track: Tuesday's Gone
Just some extremely solid, country-fried rock and roll. No real misses on this record. "Simple Man" is one of the best ballads ever written, and despite the pseudo-meme status of "Free Bird", it still kicks so much ass. Favorite tracks: "Simple Man", "Free Bird", "I Ain't the One"
This debut album from Lynyrd Skynyrd packs in four songs I was familiar with and already liked - “Tuesday’s Gone,” “Gimme Three Steps,” “Simple Man” and “Free Bird”. I hadn’t listened to these in a while, but they sound as great as ever. As for the rest of the album: The opening track “I Ain’t The One” sees the singer abandoning the mother of his child using a lot of questionable terms of… endearment? Maybe not something one might write today. The incredibly jaunty but lyrically pointed “Things Goin’ On” takes on the subject of poverty and the environment and is very relevant still today. The song is great. Then the singer in “Mississippi Kid” heads to Alabama with his gun to fetch his woman and kill anyone who might cause him trouble. Not the most positive view of Mississippi I guess. And my least favorite song. “Poison Whiskey” is some pretty great 70s music, strong on guitars and organs. Loved this song about the perils of rotgut whiskey. This album version of “Free Bird” has an organ opening that I think is often not heard on the radio cuts. Man this song is incredible. It could earn this album a 5 on its own, but fortunately it doesn’t have to. An incredible debut from an incredible band.
There are a few reasons I may not have given Lynyrd Skynyrd much of a chance before, but I really did love all the music on this album. I love the rock/folk/blues/country feel of it. Mandolins and funky keyboards and the first time I was compelled during this project to air guitar. I really didn't expect to gush about this album, but I have to say there wasn't a song I didn't enjoy, as well as the unexpected variety of sounds going from song to song. I think seeing "Free Bird" performed live in concert must truly have been the most amazing experience, as the legends say. I like to imagine that while I listen. (I've complained about long songs before, but I've listened to this one four times today. It doesn't feel like nine minutes!)
Històricament sempre havia preferit 'Second Helping', imagino que per la inclusió de 'Sweet Home Alabama', primer tema que vaig conèixer d'ells. Amb el temps, però, aquest disc de debut s'ha anat reivindicant i ja no només és per mi el millor disc de la banda, sinó un dels millors discos de debut de la història. Cada cançó és un monument en si mateixa. 'Tuesday's Gone', 'Simple Man' o 'Gimme Three Steps' sobresurten de primeres, merescudament... però amb el temps un acaba meravellant-se amb els riffs de 'I Ain't the One', el ritme del delta sureny pantanós a 'Poison Whiskey' o 'Things Goin' On' o la divertida 'Mississippi Kid'. 'Free Bird' mereix menció apart és clar; poca cosa a dir d'aquesta bogeria de tema, candidat a encapçalar rankings de millors cançons de rock de tots els temps
A stone cold classic of Southern Rock. You don't have to have a redneck to be able to rock out to these songs. There's a mix of FM classics, blues, riffs and honky tonk. Get tuning that air guitar. Best Tracks: Simple Man; Things Goin' On; Free Bird
The southern rock magnum opus. And it’s a debut album! Tuesday’s Gone, Free Bird, and Simple Man existing together on the same album blows my mind. I fucking love it.
I've never heard a Lynyrd Skynyrd album all the way through. So glad that has changed. This is a great album, it jus keeps rocking and rambling. There's not a bad track here.
I Ain't The One has a surprising intro and sound. The rest of the album is classic. Amazing debut.
Tuesday's Gone, Simple Man - what's not to like. And then FREE BIRD!!!!!
Fantastic album. Front to back amazing blues rock. Great vibes. Have heard all the singles and the other songs are just as good
Really good. Somehow never heard this before. Makes me want to retroactively rate a couple of 4s I gave into 3s.
Lean and mean. Southern rock that really rocks. It's been probably 10 years or more since I've played this album all the way through. I forgot just how good it is. I almost went for a 4 but I mean, come on. An album this great is a rare thing. Several of these songs get heavy rotation on classic rock radio, to the point where you don't really want to hear them. But you really need to listen to these songs together as an album to appreciate how Lynyrd Skynyrd really was on to something special musically. Nobody sounded quite like this when they came out. And there have been so many imitators to this sound over the years. It all falls flat when compared to the original. Skynyrd pulls on a lot of musical threads that were around in the early seventies - blues, rock, country. They take those threads and turn them into something distinctively theirs. It's a heavier and bluesier than a lot of their contemporaries, but also with a soulfulness and heart that's unexpected. Only the Stones and the Allmans were able to navigate such varied waters so effortlessly. These are all strong tracks, and a lot of fun to listen to. Fave Songs: Gimme Three Steps, I Ain't the One, Simple Man, Things Goin' On, Mississippi Kid, Poison Whiskey
Ronnie Van Zant is my spirit animal. Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Free Bird and Simple Man are must listens. The other 4 songs grow on you with each listen. Can't believe producer, Al Kooper wanted to leave Simple Man off of the album.
-"I Ain't The One" has cool reversed cymbals, and a great bass to go along with all the guitar jamming -I like "Tuesday's Gone" in the same way I like most ballads, which is that it's fine. -"Gimme Three Steps" is incredibly catchy and also has great bass backing up the shredding guitar -"Simple Man" is very anthemic. It's relatively simple riffs just ring out with power -That's a big old honkin' bass riff at the start of "Things Goin' On." I also really like the ragtime-esque piano. -"Mississippi Kid" is probably my least favorite on the album. Just kinda mellow. -"Poison Whiskey is a solid groove of a song, with all the bits have been cited for the previous songs, ie solid guitar riffs, great bass and drums, and nice piano jams to go along with it -"Free Bird" is obviously an absolutely epic song. The song starts mellow and increases in intensity at a gradual, but not snail-like pace, and then the guitar solo/band jam totally rips. I think the solo is hugely aided by the rest of the band playing along and supporting, making the whole solo more epic than if it were left as pure guitar. I especially love the drum accents in between guitar riffs.
Finest guitar-driven southern rock. The only song I new so far was the fantastic Free Bird, but the entire album is just highest quality rock.
Free Bird! Ok, now that that's out of the way... Side 1 is PERFECT. Four amazing songs in a row. Tuesday's Gone, Gimme Three Steps, and Simple Man are all stone-cold classics. I didn't know "I Ain't the One" but it absolutely rocks. Love the guitar solo in the middle. The first three songs on Side 2 are not nearly as perfect. All of them are good (my favorite of the three is Poison Whiskey), but it's not at the level of the four songs on Side 1. BUT, then we have Free Bird, which really is one of the greatest rock songs ever (with one of the best guitar solos (plural) ever), so Side 2 averages out to amazing anyway. Between a perfect Side 1 and an amazing Side 2 (thanks to Free Bird), this album is a clear 5.
I never really listened to Skynyrd though I liked songs here and there. A few of those songs are on here. This album was an education. As I listened to the opener I Ain't the One, I thought "Yep, there's the good guitarwork they're known for. Oh, and a second harmonized guitar. Very nice. Wait what? A third lead guitar. Holy shit." I did not know about the Three Guitar Army, until I read up on who all the musicians were. So that was already changing my opinion in a good way. Gimme Three Steps is probably my favorite track of theirs - no, it's not overly complicated but the combination of thumping beats and cheeky lyrics/vocals ("I said Excuuuse me") always hooked me. As much as Freebird and Simple Man get played a lot, they are very good. I'm not going to go ga-ga over either like some, but the lyrics and the sad melody tug at you just enough (and of course there are good guitar licks). Still, I prefer the sweeping beauty of Tuesday's Gone. This album is at least a 4 but if I gave the Black Crowes' southern rock debut a 5 I gotta give Skynyrd's southern rock debut the same.
You know, I don't support the use of the Confederate Flag, but this album is amazing. That's all I have to say.
This album is so fucking good. And it's not JUST because of Free Bird (an undeniably excellent track), but because the whole album is full of shredding Southern rock. This album is the American South's Dark Side of the Moon. No skips, it really is that good. Like a truly good Southern album it's a rambling journey of great storytelling.
Astonished by how much I enjoyed this, it was never not interesting. Still not sure if they're racist though.
Growing up in the South, I heard this so much that I was sick of it. Only recently could I appreciate this again.
Absolute knockout album from start to finish. The first four tracks are all instant classics, and while the second half slows down slightly, it finishes right up at that high again with Free Bird.
What an album! An absolute masterpiece. Banger after banger with guitar mixes in every song.
A beautiful example of southern rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd has an incredibly focused musical identity as a band and I really like their no-frills approach to rock and roll. The songs are authentic, the band is strong, and the music just feels good. (Note these guys were actually progressives and the the band's image got distorted by those who survived the infamous plane crash). Finally, FREEEEEBIRRRRDDDD!!!! As much as it has become a joke to yell at encores, this song and the guitar solos at the end are just phenomenal with each measure elevating the guitar parts further into the stratosphere.
A foundation of the wave of southern rock to come in this decade. Didn’t realize there were so many hits on their first album.
This album is incredible. Every song on it is dope. I am very familiar with this album and I don’t think it’s too much to say it’s the quintessential Skynyrd. Most of their best songs are on this. It’s sick. Highlights besides the obvious Freebird are Gimme Three Steps and Simple Man. R.I.P. Ronnie your legacy will live on through your art for generations to come
My luck at the moment with this must be fanatical. Three fives in a row. While the first half is easily stronger than the second, I liked every single song on this. Didn't feel overly long or tired, and apart from Mississippi Kid and Poison Whiskey, every song felt essential. You have the classic guitar request of Free Bird (great closer btw), some quality ballads in Tuesday's Gone and Simple Man, and some fun rockers with I Ain't the One and Gimme Three Steps. Overall a very enjoyable album.
I really want to not like this but is really a five star album. Pretty dang solid through out. I might be genetically programmed to like this music. Watched a lot people my parents’ age get stoned to this, have cookouts with this album on, play Free Bird and divorce each other and cry. Sigh. Like it or not a cultural touch stone.
"Cold Cuts" is the episode of The Sopranos where Carmella Soprano and Rosalie Aprile take a girls trip to Paris. While his wife is away, Tony gets himself a blow job while driving his SUV. When he's done, his favorite radio station plays "Simple Man", which is the last song on Side 1 of this album. Nothing on The Sopranos ever happened by accident, and there was almost always a meaning behind every needle drop. No one made a blow job face quite like the great James Gandolfini, just like no television program or movie did needle drops like The Sopranos. And no band epitomized southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd. I think about that scene every time I hear "Simple Man", which is one of the four classic songs on this album everyone knows by heart. Those 4 songs are so ubiquitous, especially "Free Bird", the "Stairway To Heaven" of southern rock. I miss James Gandolfini. And I miss what this band could have been before that fucking plane crash.
I grew up in the most white bread Denver suburb imaginable, experiencing no honkytonks or whiskey bars. My teenage tastes were all 80's British Pop, plus some Charlie Parker and Bach. I now live in England. So where or where does my love of southern fried rock come from? I already had a heart on two songs from this album, neither of which was for Free Bird. I've not dipped my toe too deep into the Lynyrd Skynyrd catalog before and have already added some additional hearts. Gimme Three Steps is a perfect distillation of this specific art form. An incredibly strong debut album. Worth a listen, if you get the chance, before you die.
So many good songs, including. A few I’d never heard before. Enjoyed hearing the demos of some classics.
5.0 - Classic Southern rock: “Simple Man”, “Tuesday’s Gone”, “Free Bird.” I also love deeper tracks like “Mississippi Kid.” So much soul!
Dang. This is really an impressive damn album. There's a few tracks in the middle that don't do much, but they still have an interesting southern blues and rock vibe that is interesting. The rest are exceptional, Tuesday's Gone and Free Bird certainly being all time classics.
I knew a guy, who shall remain nameless, who listened to this ALL THE TIME. I mean, all the time. And Dave would turn it up so that the whole damned stoop would have to listen to it. We didn't have air conditioning, so the windows and doors were always open. But then this nine minute song would come on and everybody would sing it at the top of their lungs. Is that idiotic? Yep. But it was also an exceptional album.