Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the pinnacles of southern rock. Few bands can boast such classics as “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama.” They are one of those bands that even the most removed listener can recall a track or two from their glory days.
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In 1977, a plane crash took the lives of several members of the group and their entourage, forever adding an air of tragedy to the outfit. Nevertheless, the group’s pre-crash line-up left a collection of hits in their wake and millions of rock fans around the world to uphold their legacy.
Below, we’re taking a step away from the singles for a moment for a look at some of their album cuts that could use a bit more attention. Here are five deep cuts from Lynyrd Skynyrd that you should be listening to.
1. “One More Time” (from Street Survivors – Deluxe Edition)
Street Survivors was released just days before the fateful plane crash took the lives of three members of Lynyrd Skynyrd – Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines among others. “One More Time,” along with the rest of the album, acts as a final word from the pre-crash line-up (save a posthumously released album full of older material) and is in return a bittersweet offering. The album cover is a bit of eerie foreshadowing as well.
2. “Railroad Song” (from Nuthin’ Fancy)
I jumped off a boxcar down around Tennessee / I was cold, tired and dirty hungry as I could be / But I had my guitar and a hundred railroad songs / So I asked the policeman / Can I stay here long, are the opening lines to “Railroad Song.” In the spirit of a classic country vignette, this track from Nuthin’ Fancy is a showcase of Skynyrd’s ability to groove like no other. As an added bonus, the harmonica work from Jimmy Hall is something to behold.
3. “I Ain’t The One” (from Pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)
“I Ain’t The One” features an opening drum fill that is hard to forget once you hear it. Bob Burn’s fancy work on the symbols is the very first thing fans heard when they dropped the needle on Skynyrd’s debut. Paired with a guitar line that is the epitome of Southern rock, you can’t go wrong with this one.
4. “Comin’ Home”(from Skynyrd’s First And… Last)
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s famous Muscle Shoals Material from 1971 and 1972 was shelved for many years. It wasn’t until their posthumously released 1978 album, Skynyrd’s First And…Last that the world got to hear those sessions in their entirety.
“Comin’ Home” is one such song from the sessions that drips with classic Skynyrd grit, albeit while showcasing a softer side of Van Zandt. Few singers have been able to pull off that duality like him.
5. “All I Can Do Is Write About It” (from Gimme Back My Bullets)
Joining in on the conversation with their sprawling classic “Free Bird,” this track from Gimme Back My Bullets is just as expansive and sweeping.
“All I Can Do Is Write About It” features elegant piano work from Billy Powell and piercing vocals from Van Zandt. In the lyrics, Van Zandt reminisces about home while out on the road. He sings, There ain’t no place I ain’t never gone / Well it’s kind of like the sayin / That you heard so many times / Well there just ain’t no place like home.
(Photo by Richard McCaffrey/ Michael Ochs Archive/ Getty Images)
