Lynyrd Skynyrd - Skynyrd's First: The Complete Muscle Shoals Album

4 1/2 , really

I can see why you might be thinking "but I have almost all of those songs!"
But you don't. Well, yes, you probably do have "Free Bird" and "I Ain't The One" and "Gimme Three Steps" and most of the others, but these aren't the versions found on "Pronounced 'lh-'nérd 'skin-'nérd", "Second Helping" and so on. This album is (mostly) identical to Lynyrd Skynyrd's uinissued pre-MCA Muscle Shoals album, and this lean, piano-driven (and previously unreleased) "Free Bird" is significantly different from the later one. "I Ain't The One" and "Gimme Three Steps" sound much more basic and simple in these three-chord gararge rock renditions, and much more raw as well, especially "Steps". And these powerful, riff-driven, and somewhat slower 1972 versions of "Trust" and "Things Goin' On" almost eclipse the ones which was later released on "Gimme Back My Bullets" and "Pronounced" respectively. Bare-bones garage rock at its finest, just some amazing vocals, a series of gritty riffs and solos, and plenty of room for the backbeat of drummer Bob Burns to breathe.

Some of these songs have appeared as bonus tracks on the relatively recent (late-90s) reissues of Skynyrd's MCA albums, although not necessarily in identical versions. One of the album's best songs, "Was I Right Or Wrong", for instance, is also on the remastered 1997 edition of "Second Helping", but this version is superior, one of the true gems of Skynyrd's catalogue. A wonderful original take on "Down South Jukin'" is here as well, simpler and more organic than the bonus track on the remastered "Pronounced", but just as great. And the soulful country-rock of "Comin' Home" is finally available elsewhere than on the 1991 "Essential" compilation.

The sound here is leaner and less dense (and the playing is perhaps slightly less accomplished) than on the "real" Skynyrd albums, but that doesn't make these songs lesser, just different. There are several tremendous guitar solos and wonderful instrumental interplays here. And Ronnie van Zant is terrific, versatile and expressive.
A few songs don't really sound particularly Skynyrd-like, including three songs penned and sung by then-drummer Rickey Medlocke (the ballads "White Dove" and "Ain't Too Proud To Pray", and the semi-acoustic country rock of "The Seasons"), the slightly stereotypical early-70s hard rock of "You Run Around", and the riff-rocker "Wino", which is an obvious Cream-knockoff. But if Lynyrd Skynyrd weren't yet so indelibly "southern" back in 1971, they were really no less great.
There are a few lesser numbers here, sure, but song for song this is some of the strongest material on any Lynyrd Skynyrd release, and you're really getting your money's worth here, with 17 songs and about 78 minutes of music on the little silver disc.
A find for any and all Skynyrd fans! May 10, 2008

The Best Lynyrd Skynyrd album

When I got this, I thought I'd enjoy some nice demos, but I never dreamed it would be this great. Freebird is just incredible on this album. And a lot of the unreleased stuff is as good as if not better than the songs on Skynyrd's studio albums. Some previously unreleased songs that really stood out to me are Lend a Helping Hand, Down South Jukin', and Wino.

I can't put into words just how awesome this CD is. 17 tracks, and close to the same price as the rest of the studio Skynyrd albums, which have about 10 tracks on the re-released versions. Seriously, if you like Skynyrd, you will absoultely LOVE this album. April 13, 2008

C'mon, Amazon! Get it right! It's ALLEN Collins!

Amazon's review says "While ongoing personnel shifts are in evidence (only Ronnie Van Zant, Albert Collins, and Gary Rossington from the classic lineup appear throughout)..." Hello! It's ALLEN Collins, not Albert. Allen Collins was a white rock guitarist. Albert Collins was a black blues guitarist. Kinda hard to confuse the two if you know anything about music. May 24, 2007

If you're a fan, this is a must-have

Here we have the complete recording from the Muscle Shoals sessions, any fan of Skynyrd can not be without. These songs are very interesting versions that predate the familiar versions we all hear on the radio. There are some songs here that don't appear anywhere else. This is a nice glimpse into the very early days of this phenomenal band. If you're a big fan, get it, if you only like a couple of Skynyrd's songs, you can safely pass on this I guess. May 8, 2007

cd-heaven's got a point...

Cd-Heaven stands corrected. If you really wanted to, you could do like we did in the old days and put down your own mix of songs on tape, I.E. put down this record on tape and add the missing two from best of the rest. And if you're really lucky and have an 8-track recorder (like me) then you can really play around with it, though you wouldn't have the room for many of the songs. Some activities (like doing mixtapes) never go out of style. Only problem is being able to find decent blanks anymore. September 21, 2006

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