(Pronounced 'Leh-'Nérd 'Skin-'Nérd)

I kept asking for them to play 'free bird' and then they did.

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!

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 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.

I’ve enjoyed each song I’ve heard by Lynyrd Skynyrd, but never listened to an album in full. One of my friends (who I co-host a music review show with on YouTube) went through a phase where he was very much into country rock and always encouraged me to try Skynyrd. Naturally, I ignored him because he’s an idiot. Songs I already knew: Tuesday’s Gone, Gimme Three Steps, Simple Man, Free Bird Favourites: Tuesday’s Gone, Free Bird, Things Goin’ On Much like other songs of legendary status, it’s hard to imagine a time before Free Bird. I feel this way with songs like Bohemian Rhapsody, Hey Jude, and Barbie Girl. They’re all amazing songs that feel like they’ve existed forever (hey, calm down, Barbie Girl is a banger). This album from front to back is full of amazing tracks. Free Bird is long, but keeps things different enough to never get boring. The vocals are fairly simple, but it adds a lot of charm. The general music itself isn’t too perfect like lots of modern day music. Its slight flaws in timing here and there make it feel more real and less manufactured. Overall, an amazing album. Maybe I should have listened to my friend many years ago. He is still an idiot though.

Love Tuesdays Gone thanks to Happy Gilmore. Likewise Free Bird which was the perfect soundtrack for running over prostitutes on GTA

Music to empty the bar.

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

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.

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.

Nö…

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.

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.

2/5 Ja, es ist gute Musik, es ist nichts falsch daran. Aber ich disassoziiere aus Langeweile. Ich höre 2 Gitarren mit Vocals,Bass, Drums Wer sind die 7 Leute auf dem Cover, schwingt der Rest die Confederate flag? Freebird ist ein guter Track

One of the best

Lynyrd Skynyrd's Three Guitar Army and Ronnie Van Zant's growl resonate deep in my bones. These songs feel surprisingly like home. Maybe it's because Gimme Three Steps was one of the songs that my brother's garage band rehearsed in our basement. (We did not have a garage.) My brother must've had a Greatest Hits album on 8-Track or something because several of these sound familiar but not all of them. I've never heard this whole album before, I'm sure of that. At least 3 songs mention guns but I don't think they ever get used, just held threateningly. I said "uh-oh" when they started talking about the ghetto in Things Goin' On but the rest of the words seemed ok and then the honky-tonk piano came in sounding exactly like something Paul Williams would write for the Muppets or Bugsy Malone and I was totally charmed. I prefer the upbeat songs like I Ain't the One, Gimme Three Steps, and Things Goin' On to the ballads but I cannot deny that Free Bird is a great song even if it's nine minutes long and I've heard it a million times. If I get to see the original Skynyrd line-up in the afterlife, you bet I'll ask to hear Free Bird.

I imagine this is music people would like to have sex too.

The absolute peak of Southern Rock. These Skynyrd boys have it all, from rock solid bass and drums to beautiful piano and crunchy organ, not to mention their three-guitar army and killer southern vocals. The band stays mostly in the rock and blues genre, but crafts songs with surprising diversity and intentionality; no two songs sound quite the same. Even in their wildest moments, the band never gets sloppy or chaotic; all guitar solo work is carefully planned and expertly executed. Simply a joy to hear. Also, "Free Bird" is a masterpiece; How a band can get three guitarist to arpeggiate in harmony for that long is beyond me. Stand out tracks include "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", "Mississippi Kid", and "Free Bird".

An amazing debut album. But honestly if free bird were the only good song on the album I would probably still have to give the album a 5 -one of the most epic guitar solos ever. But that’s not the case, as all the songs are really good and Three steps, simple man, Tuesday’s gone are all pretty great. Album cover is great, just the band hanging out. Very sad, everyone on that cover has passed. No current surviving members of the band which is very unusual. After the plane crash and loss of many in the band it was never the same, seemed more like a tribute band. An the name of the band is great!

I've mostly avoided Lynyrd Skynyrd my whole life. I'm not sure really why. The meme of Freebird might be the reason. Growing up my parent's listened mostly to classic country, outlaw country and classic rock and roll. So those were my building blocks. Later in life I learned to play the harmonica and became fascinated with the Blues. Anyway this album feels like a concentrated collection of my personal history with music.

Rock & roll de la vieja escuela.

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.

About as perfect an A-side as you can have... oh and then there's Freebird!

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!

This is one of those albums that absolutely blows my mind to find out it was the bands first album. Nearly prefect with some of the bands biggest hits. And then to end it with Free Bird may be one of the biggest mic drops in musical history. Really enjoyed this one!

An album from the Southern U.S. that embraces what it is, and because of that, it soars to excellence.

FREE BIRD!! Great classic rock album. 8.5/10

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.

This album has some really nice moments on it, and despite the fact that this type of music sounds stereotypically southern now, it only became that way because of this band At the same time, the album sags in places. I've never been a huge fan of Free Bird, perhaps because I grew up in the Beavis and Butthead era when this song was already a meme. Trying to listen to it with fresh ears is hard as a result. I think that it's a pretty enough song, but not the all time great the way it tends to be portrayed by people who really like it. Fuck it, 4/5 by the skin of it's teeth. Maybe I like Free Bird after all. Or at least, I like 4/5ths of Free Bird. That song could have been shut down a full minute earlier with no negative impact

weirdly enough, free bird was my least favorite part of this. really surprisingly enjoyable as an album, good length. 8/10

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.

Gritty, raw, and delightful

The epitome of southern "hard" rock - really exemplary. Better than their follow up album, 'Most of Us Are Dead"

average

much guitar. lots of hits

Let’s for a moment do something Lynyrd Skynyrd never quite got around to doing - forget about the confederate flag. “Tuesday’s Gone” is a treat and “Simple Man” is a great tune. But the only real reason this debut album is on the list is because of its legendary closing track. Not quite enough in itself. But almost.

No

On their debut, Lehner Skinnerd manages to sound like 3 people playing while being 6 people (7 on the cover?) in the band. Impressive. While much more authentic than the southern rock coming out of Creedence Clearwater Revival (as authentic you can get by telling the stories of hardship in the south from the point of view of some white guys), songs about guns and god just doesn't do it for me. Overall, the album just feels like one long wait until 'Free Bird' finally kicks in, and although that's a legendary track, I'm not quite sure it's worth it sitting through the first 7 songs.

Free Bird is a good tune, the rest not so great

Blegh. In researching this album, I’ve dug up some archival transcripts from a real conversation between Allen Collins and Al Kooper: AK: You know what’d be great? A guitar solo to end the album AC: Oh hell yeah, sounds cool, man! People love solos! What are you thinking? AK: Make it…. Long AC: Ahhh great, brother! Like a minute-long closer?! AK: No. Longer. AC: …2 minutes? AK: Try 4. AC: Uhhh but I only know like five licks AK: Bah, so much to learn, Leh-nerd. You just gotta repeat them a bunch! Like, I’m talking multiple bars of the same thing. And when your five riffs run dry, just bend the strings! Trust me, the audience won’t know the difference. AC: Hmm what about my artistic integrity? AK: BROTHER JUST REPEAT IT. WE’LL FADE IT OUT AT THE END. (Free Bird would go on to inspire millions) Official count of unique riffs in Free Bird: 7

Boring

One good song. Free bird.

This stinks

Southern rock at its finest

9.5/10 Idk if it’s because I am in Kentucky or if this album is really that good, but this hit all the right spots today. Obviously skynyrd has had appeal across genres, generations, and cultures but this album really synthesized what they did best. Favorite song: Tuesday’s Gone/Free Bird

Honestly I needed this album in my life today. Some really great songs especially Tuesdays Gone, Simple Man and Freebird.

From the finer side of days gone by

This album is incredible. One of the best pieces of music in my opinion. Glad to be close to a lot of it in Florida.

Clasicazo del rock sureño, lleno hasta arriba de hits. Junto con la Creedence y ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd forman parte de mi triunvirato sureño setentero fetiche. Me encantan su energía, los solos de guitarra y la atmósfera sureña general del álbum. No puedo darle una nota racional.

FREEEEEEEBIRDDDDDDD

easy 5. Felt like I was listening to this with my Dad at some points sitting in front of his turntable. I didnt realize how many hits came off this one. Tuesdays Gone, Simple Man, Gimme Three Steps, Free Bird. Man, just enjoyment start to finish. A masterwork in rock.

Totally surprised at how much I loved this album. I knew a few of the songs but even loved the ones I wasn’t familiar with. “Tuesdays Gone” was the standout. And imagine hearing “Free Bird” for the first time when this album dropped?!? Fucking epic

Enjoyed this album quite a bit more than I expected to. Added some tracks to my Liked Songs but there were no skips.

Good. Was very surprised on the number of songs I was jamming out to. I don't know if I knew Free Bird was on this album before this and if I had listened to it before but shit was BANGIN

just a very solid album and an amazing debut for a band. free bird is legendary and always a bop to listen to

It really isn't fair to all the other albums out there. Three of Skynyrd's best songs all on one album! I might ask the kids to play Freebird at my funeral! Heck yeah ...

Loved this! Tuesday's Gone is one of my favorite Skynyrd songs, but then you also have Free Bird, Simple Man and Gimme Three Steps? So good.

Awesome!

Dad rock as it should be. Would definitely listen again.

Ronnie Van Zant sounds like a veteran bluesman but with his own unique style, a style that often sounds broken beyond repair & gloriously hopeful often in the same song. Just brilliant stuff. One of the best albums from the early 1970s (1973 to be exact) and maybe the best debut album of 1973 certainly greater than the debuts by such powerhouses as Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Bryan Ferry and even Queen. No rock N roll library can be called complete without it at least not with a straight face. This is America reminding the world that we invented rock N roll and more importantly reminding ourselves that no one rocks harder and truer than a southern man raised on boiled peanuts, king cake, country music & old 78 rpm blues records. To call it essential seems like some grand underestimate of all the fire n skill that one finds on an album that is just over 43 minutes long.

Forgot how good Lynyrd Skynyrd is. This album kicks ass.

#532. Only eight songs, and four of them are inescapably huge hits. I don't see any other option than to give it the highest rating. 5/5: nothing wrong here

Such a monumental album. I don't even really care for southern rock a ton normally, but I have to make an exception here. My favorite here that isn't Free Bird is Tuesday's Gone. Simple Man is also so good. The base guitar goes crazy throughout and the lead guitar takes off specifically in the closer. Some ok songs on the back end, but maybe I was just too excited for Free Bird.

Country rock. Fantastic album. Some rock classics, some moving ballads, this is an exceptional album. Also it has Free Bird.

One and only Ronnie Van Zant. One of the best debut albums for me.

I think this is 5 Star territory. Or 4.5 rounded up. An incredible debut album, cementing themselves as rock legends. The Southern Rock genre would grow stale on me later in life, but having hits like Tuesday's Gone and Simple Man I think help diversify themselves as more than just hillbillies with guitars, they can also create emotional, timeless ballads. Bonus points for Free Bird.

Brilliant album from start to finish.what a way to end with the amazing free bird.rumour has it that the guitar solo is still going on

So many classics. Even the deep cuts are bad ass.

I was not expecting that album to be that good.

5 - I grew up on classic rock. My parents introduced me at a young age with their extensive vinyl collected, which included this album. Classic Southern Rock at its finest.

“Tuesday’s Gone”, “Free Bird”, “Gimme Three Steps” and “Simple Man”. 4 pure classic tracks. Loved “Mr Banker”. No brainer… 5!

10 minutes in, I thought "woah, Lynyrd Skynrd has a song on the Happy Gilmore soundtrack! And it's actually really good!" By the end of my second listen through, I realized there is a lot of depth to this album. I love the southern spin and the intentionality of this album. A lot of these classic rock albums we've been listening to sound more carefree and effortless, like it was recorded off the cuff. But this sounds like a well curated final product which is really refreshing. I might have actually dropped the kings of leon album down another star had i listened to this first because this is a guiding star of southern rock. The only pause i have from giving 5/5 is the stupid southern toxic machismo of Mississippi kid, but ill still do it

I’m amazed the global rating is as low as it is. Multiple smash hits with hundreds of millions of plays on Spotify, widespread recognition, mastery of their instruments… this album was an amazing debut and still sounds great today. I enjoyed every minute. 4.5/5 I could have done without some of the demo tracks added, even though they were interesting to hear for the differences and the working progress

Undeniable five stars, some legendary songs here

Great album

One of the tightest debut albums of all time.

This album is already long-time favourite of mine, so of course it's getting five stars.

What a debut! Jam after jam after jam.

A country classic synonymous with the deep south and hooliganism 8/10

Great sound, classic tracks.

Who knew that I'd like this so much but I did. Great album, will be back!

yea i fuck wid dis heavy. yea.

Every musician is a master of their instrument, every note is full of soul and necessary to the song. Tunes are catchy and inventive, with a nice variety of tempos and feels. Just a perfect album, front to back.

I mean it's Skynyrd's debut

I mean, it's a 5/5 for me.

Great album. Free Bird is legendary.

This is probably the best debut by a Southern Rock band of all time. Are you kidding me? 3 of the 8 songs on this album are on every compilation of Rock n' Roll anthems! Especially Free Bird. This song still makes me play air guitar for 4 minutes straight, even though I know how to play a real guitar. What a great album! I've been listening to this album since I was a teenager and I'll definitely listen to it forever! 5 stars, obviously!

(Pronounced 'fuck-ing 'awe-some). Every song on this album is important in its own way(even "Poison Whiskey, the only song on the album I don't like). Whether it's bringing you a wave of nostalgia for "Happy Gilmore" with "Tuesday's Gone", to the catchy ballad of "Gimmie Three Steps", to the somber "Simple Man", to classic blues with "Mississippi Kid", to the anti-drug ballad of "Poison Whiskey", to one of the most iconic songs of all time("Free Bird"), this song has a little bit for everyone, and is arguably the greatest debut album in the history of music. Favorite Song: "Tuesday's Gone".

Actually great

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. It sounds a little cheesy in places now but it's damn good stuff. Although it's a bit over played and talked about, Free Bird is an incredible song and that guitar solo could entertain me for the rest of my days, I bloody love it

Hell yeah

Overrated, overplayed, and at this point just about downright annoying; but I'd be a fool to say Lynyrd Skynyrd wasn't one of the best bands in the world and deserves every bit of their legendary status. Fact is, I don't actually need a reminder of any of the songs on this album because they're all so deeply engrained in my brain. Whether or not I like that, it says a lot about this band. When you're the band that's responsible for the song that someone requests EVERY OTHER BAND to play at live shows, you gotta be doing something right.

Simply one of the best. Every song brings a strong sense of nostalgia. And that is without ever having grown up during this time. Listening to this album takes you back to your adolescence, regardless of what decade that happens to be for you. The sensation of "a time when life was more simple" pours through the headphones and into the soul. One can close their eyes and almost physically get to the smells, tastes, and feelings of their teenage years. This is a timeless piece of nostalgia and art.

Great album. It was better than i remembered.

Great band, and pretty much all their best songs are on this album

I like this way more than I thought I would, but I may just be a Simple Man

HELLA GOOD

My intro into southern rock. Good sound and fun songs.

Undeniable classic.