#381 Lynyrd Skynyrd, '(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)' (1973)

Previously #403

A Southern Rock classic featuring mainstays of dive bars everywhere. The story of Lynyrd Skynyrd is a tragic one. Named after their high school gym teacher, Leonard Skinner, the band, when at the height of their fame, was abruptly halted when their plane crashed on the way to a gig killing band leader and vocalist, Ronnie Van Zant, as well as guitarist, Steve Gaines, and backing vocalist, Cassie Gaines. The rest of the band was seriously injured.

On this, their debut album, they burst onto the scene, establishing themselves as true pioneers of the Southern Rock genre. Featuring songs like ‘Tuesday’s Gone,’ ‘Gimme Three Steps,’ and ‘Simple Man,’ songs that have entered the canon of rock music as all-time greats, but nothing on this record can surpass the 9-minute album closer and crowd favourite, ‘Free Bird,’ a song that became a meme before memes were even a thing (you’ve definitely heard the calls for ‘Free Bird’ by some drunkard in the crowd at least once at a concert.) That song was actually in honour of American troops returning home from Vietnam on planes known as the “Freebird Express.” What a jam!

#rs500albums