Best Lynyrd Skynyrd Compilation Available

Lynyrd Skynyrd along with the Allman Brothers Band are perhaps the greatest practitioners of Southern Rock. This 2 cd import set contains 30 of their best and most well known songs. The band's 3 guitar attack and the smart lyrics of Ronnie Van Zant made them one of the most popular American bands of the seventies. The Jacksonville band was influenced not only by the blues and country influences of the South but also by British rock bands like the Cream and Free. Allen Collin's Clapton like solos were a contrast to Gary Rossington's more Paul Kossoff like sustain while Ed King added his own distinctive fills and solos as necessary. Later after King quit Steve Gaines added a fingerpicking element to the three guitar attack. This set contains early material from their "First and Last" album through "Street Survivors". Radio favorites like "Free Bird", "Gimme Three Steps", "Saturday Night Special", "Sweet Home Alabama", "That Smell", "Simple Man" and "Tuesday's Gone" are all included. Also included are a number of my favorites which are not included on the domestic "Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd" compilation like "Poison Whiskey", "The Needle And The Spoon", "On The Hunt" and "Searching". It should be noted that this set contains 5 more tracks than the "Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd" set (6 if you consider that "Free Bird" appears on that set twice). "Old Time Greats" contains only original studio versions of the tracks, no live versions or alternate takes.

My only minor quibble with this set is that the first disk is around 65 minutes while the second disk is around 70. A few more songs could have been added such as "I Never Dreamed" or "Was I Right Or Wrong" which appear on the "Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd" set. I also miss "Am I Losin", Ronnie's commentary on the departure of original drummer Bob Burns from the band and the live only "Travellin'Man" and live covers of "Crossroads" and "T For Texas from the "One From The Road" lp which is not represented on this set. However, if your budget is limited this is a necessary introduction to the 3 guitar sound of Southern rock greats Lynyrd Skynyrd. The disk is aptly named "Old Time Greats".

skynyrd at its finest

This two disc set of Lynyrd Skynyrd is the definitive statement of the bands original tenure, 1970-1977. Repertoire has done a wonderful job of remastering the material and this set includes all the essential, seminal studio-only recordings of the co-kings of southern rock (with due respect to the Allman Brothers). If there are any quibbles at all with the set it is that the playing time is skimpy at 134 minutes, but that is truly quibbling. From "Tuesdays Gone" to "That Smell" all the essentials are here. The track listing is superior to MCA's "Essential Skynyrd" and along with the MCA box will provide enough of the original Skynyrd for all but the absolute completists.

The Best Skynyrd Compilation You Can Buy

This is hands down the best Skynyrd compilation you can find, well worth the hefty import price. Their first, "Gold & Platinum" left out "Call Me The Breeze", "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and "Workin' For MCA", plus it contained live versions of a few songs (including "Freebird"). Later compilations like "Skynyrd's Innyrds" and "The Essential Lynyrd Skynyrd" added these songs back, but still left off other essentials and still included live versions and alternate takes. This is the only Skynyrd album that (for me, anyway) includes absolutely every essential track, plus a few cool ones you may not know ("White Dove", "Searching", "Cry For A Bad Man", etc.) all in their original well-known versions. And the packaging is really cool!

Anyone who complains about a song missing from this collection is obviously meant to be a completist who should go out and get all of their studio albums. That aside, I don't understand why the definitive compilation from the greatest of Southern Rock bands had to tracked down in Germany of all places!