(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd)

(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)
Studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Released	August 13, 1973
Recorded	March 27 - May 1, 1973, at Studio One, Doraville, Georgia
Genre	Southern rock, boogie rock, country rock, blues rock, hard rock
Length	43:03
Label	Sounds of the South, MCA
Producer	Al Kooper
Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology
(pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd) (1973) Second Helping (1974)
Singles from (pronounced 'lĕh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd)
"Gimme Three Steps" Released: November 1973 "Free Bird" Released: November 1974

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	A[2]

(pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) is the debut album from Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 1973.^[3] The album features several of the band's most well-known songs, including "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", "Tuesday's Gone" and "Free Bird", which launched the band to national stardom.

Overview

Bassist Leon Wilkeson left the band during the album's early recording sessions only playing on two tracks. Strawberry Alarm Clock guitarist Ed King was asked to fill in for Wilkeson on bass during the remaining sessions, as Wilkeson already wrote many of the bass parts. This left Skynyrd with only six official members at the time of the album's release. Not long after, King remained with the band, and was made a member, so that they could replicate the triple-guitar lead during live performances. Wilkeson returned to the band when it was time to take the photo for the album cover and embark on the tour for the album. It was certified gold on December 18, 1974, platinum and 2x platinum on July 21, 1987, by the RIAA. The album also peaked at 27 in the Billboard 200 in 1975.

The album was re-released in 2001 as an expanded version with bonus tracks, including demos of many of the songs on the album.^[1]

Cover art

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 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.

Reception

In 2003, the album was ranked number 403 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and has sold an estimated 2 million units internationally.^[4]

Track listing

Side One

1. "I Ain't the One" (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) - 3:53
2. "Tuesday's Gone" (Allen Collins, Van Zant) - 7:32
3. "Gimme Three Steps" (Collins, Van Zant) - 4:30
4. "Simple Man" (Rossington, Van Zant) - 5:57

Side Two

5. "Things Goin' On" (Rossington, Van Zant) - 5:00
6. "Mississippi Kid" (Bob Burns, Al Kooper, Van Zant) - 3:56
7. "Poison Whiskey" (Ed King, Van Zant) - 3:13
8. "Free Bird" (Collins, Van Zant) - 9:09

2001 CD reissue bonus tracks

9. "Mr. Banker" (Demo) (King, Rossington, Van Zant) - 5:23
10. "Down South Jukin'" (Demo) (Rossington, Van Zant) - 2:57
11. "Tuesday's Gone" (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) - 7:56
12. "Gimme Three Steps" (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) - 5:20
13. "Free Bird" (Demo) (Collins, Van Zant) - 11:09

Personnel

Lynyrd Skynyrd

• Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals, lyrics
• Gary Rossington – lead guitar on "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Things Goin' On", "Poison Whiskey", "Simple Man", rhythm guitar on the others, slide guitar on "Free Bird"
• Allen Collins – lead guitar on "I Ain't The One", "Simple Man" & "Free Bird", rhythm guitar on the others
• Ed King – lead guitar on "Mississippi Kid", bass on all tracks except "Mississippi Kid" and "Tuesday's Gone"
• Billy Powell – keyboards
• Bob Burns – drums except on "Tuesday's Gone"
• Leon Wilkeson – bass for the group up until the album was cut, rejoined shortly thereafter^[5]

Additional personnel

• Al Kooper (Roosevelt Gook) – bass, Mellotron and back-up harmony on "Tuesday's Gone", mandolin & bass drum on "Mississippi Kid", organ on "Simple Man", "Poison Whiskey" and "Free Bird", Mellotron on "Free Bird"
• Robert Nix – drums on "Tuesday's Gone"
• Bobbye Hall – percussion on "Gimme Three Steps" and "Things Goin' On"
• Steve Katz – harmonica on "Mississippi Kid"

Technical

• Al Kooper – Producer, Engineer
• Bobby Langford – Engineer
• Rodney Mills – Engineer
• Thomas Hill – Photography
• Michael Diehl – Design

References