The Lynyrd Skynyrd Album by Album Thread

I really liked Marley Brant's book. I just recently got around to buying Gene Odom's. It was pretty good too.

 

MYKE, is this you saying this or a quote from Ed? Cheers...

 

Street Survivors was an album by a band still improving if not peaking.

 

That album is the perfect example of going out on top.

 

Quotation marks=Ed.

 

Geek speak alert....
The change to 3/4 for one measure happens there also right at 3:00. Like you said, it seems even stronger because of the buildup and elongating of the intro material. Good catch.

 

I am asking both of you to still participate. You have brought a lot to the thread. I would be less than happy to see either of you not post anymore.

 

That's a pretty sophisticated - or at least clever - maneuver. Quite impressive...

 

The first (3) LP's were nicely packaged. Pronounced was a gatefold, with lyrics and pictures inside. Second had attractive artwork, with pictures and detailed credits on the back cover.

Nuthin' Fancy was in a heavy stock jacket, with "iconic" band pictures on front and back covers. The inside cardboard lp sleeve was printed with the lyrics on one side and cool "in action" - kinda blurry photos on the other side:

Here is the LP sleeve:

The top center photo is a sign that reads "Leonard Skinner Realty"

 

Which sparked dozens of late night phone calls from stoners. Really.
.

 

Speaking of which, didn't their former p.e. instructor Leonard Skinner later on convey that he was honored to be named after the band?

 

He sure was. I met him at his autograph table , at the Nashville Premiere of Freebird The Movie, in 1996.

I also ended up spending a good 30 minutes or so talking with Ronnie's widow, Judy.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Skinner

 

I honestly think the reason Coach Skinner's " bad rap " was blown out of proportion was he was simply enforcing the rules of the school, at the time.
Rules that I myself saw, in Smyrna, Tennessee, in late 1972.
Other parts of America were likely not familiar with such strict dress codes.

I came from Chicago, where the girls were in hip huggers, and their ass cracks were visible when they sat, and we boys could wear our hair as long as we wanted !
My family moved to Smyrna, and they're measuring our hairline to our shirt collar ?!?!? Guys are greasing their long hair, to keep it in place ?!?! Girl's skirts and dresses are also being measured with a tape measure, as to their length above the knees ?!
Apparently from just outside Nashville...to Jacksonville, Florida, this was high school in the South.
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Just to keep some sort of conversation going, what do people think about Ronnie Van Zant's vocals? Personally (and this is where I said I'd ruffle some feathers), I'd say he was only a decent vocalist. Certainly not a guy with a lot of range, but more than got the job done. I think it was more his charisma than his vocal ability that drove the band. Now, obviously, he didn't have to Pavarotti or anything, but I don't even find him to be that distinctive of a singer.

It's interesting that all (to my knowledge) of the Van Zant brothers became singers (Johnny had his own band Van Zant and was solo for awhile and Donnie was the long time frontman for 38 Special until about two years ago), but neither of them have great voices, either.

Back to Ronnie, it's important to note that the vocals fit the music (but how could they not?), but I've never found him to be a truly talented singer. He's certainly not Gregg Allman with that distinctive, smooth voice, or, hell, even Dickey Betts.

 

Agreed. But a lot of singers in the South aren't what anyone would call great. All that diaphragm stuff, nah, you just sing 'cause it makes you happy. His Mama told of how he'd been singing his entire life.
Still had a better voice than his brothers too.
.

 

Heck, Dylan is the same boat then. He has the lyrics and charisma. He sure doesn't have much of a range either. Its not about what you got, but rather how you *use* it. Ronnie was great at what he did though. And vocally, I'd put him way ahead of Dickey Betts...and equal with Gregg Allman. But that's jut me

 

I like Ronnie's singing a lot. Can't explain why, just do. Johnny and Donnie however not so much - especially Johnny's, something about it rubs me the wrong way.

 

I think he was pretty distinctive; I have never mistaken him for anyone else. While he was not traditionally great with dynamic range, vibrato, etc., he was very effective like Mick Jagger (another distinctive vocalist who did not necessarily embody traditional greatness).

 

Watching the films, it's interesting to see that both Ed and Leon contribute backing vocals and at times dual lead along with Ronnie. I like Ronnie's vocals- he comes across full of emotion and you get a feeling of all the hard work it took to become successful. It's like having a front seat during the practice sessions at Hell House. Very consistent singer- typically spot on.

 

With Ronnie, it was his conviction in what he was saying. You knew he believed in every single word he said. He also didn't move around much, but he still had great stage presence and a real intensity about him.

 

I hope you did the right thing and immediately stopped the car at the closest available bus stop and told her to get a move on.

 

" Imagine a place...far away...where your opinion counts for something, and go there. "