Vicious Cycle (album)

Vicious Cycle
Studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Released	May 20, 2003
Recorded	November 2002 – January 2003 at Cartee Day Studios, except 15
Genre	Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, heavy metal, hard rock, AOR
Length	70:40
Label	Sanctuary
Producer	Ben Fowler and Lynyrd Skynyrd, except 15
Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology
Christmas Time Again (2000) Vicious Cycle (2003) God & Guns (2009)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

Vicious Cycle is the twelfth studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 2003. It was the first album by the band following the death of original bassist Leon Wilkeson, the song Mad Hatter being a tribute in memory to him. He died during recording, but does appear on two songs, "The Way" and "Lucky Man". This album is the first to feature Wilkeson's replacement, Ean Evans, the first with Michael Cartellone on drums, and the last album that guitarist Hughie Thomasson played on before he died. It included the single "Red, White & Blue" which peaked at *1 on the US charts.

The CD booklet contains a recount by year of events in the band's history since 1964.

In the album, Kid Rock features in the bonus track, a remake of "Gimme Back My Bullets".

Track listing

1. "That's How I Like It" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Eric Blair) – 4:33
2. "Pick Em Up" (Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Tom Hambridge) – 4:20
3. "Dead Man Walkin'" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Kevin Bowe) – 4:30
4. "The Way" (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson) – 5:32
5. "Red, White, & Blue" (Johnny Van Zant, Donnie Van Zant, Brad Warren, Brett Warren) – 5:31
6. "Sweet Mama" (Donnie Van Zant, Robert White Johnson, Tom Hambridge) – 3:59
7. "All Funked Up" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Jim Peterik) – 3:33
8. "Hell or Heaven" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Jim Peterik) – 5:14
9. "Mad Hatter" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Tom Hambridge) – 5:38
10. "Rockin' Little Town" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Tom Hambridge) – 3:36
11. "Crawl" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Jim Peterik) – 5:09
12. "Jake" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Tom Hambridge) – 3:41
13. "Life's Lessons" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson, Jim Peterik) – 5:59
14. "Lucky Man" (Gary Rossington, Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlocke, Hughie Thomasson) – 5:35
15. "Gimme Back My Bullets" (Bonus Track featuring Kid Rock) (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) - 3:41

Personnel

• Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals
• Gary Rossington – guitars
• Billy Powell – keyboards
• Ean Evans – bass guitar
• Michael Cartellone – drums
• Carol Chase – background vocals
• Rickey Medlocke – guitars & vocals
• Hughie Thomasson – guitars & background vocals
• Dale Krantz Rossington – background vocals
• Kid Rock – vocals in "Gimme Back My Bullets"
• Leon Wilkeson - bass guitar on "The Way" and "Lucky Man"

Chart performance

Album

Singles

References