|  By
Cornbread
 LYNYRD
SKYNYRD SWEET HOME ALABAMA:
THE ROCKPALAST COLLECTION
{Eagle | October 28, 2008}
It was on October 20, 1977,
after four years of national success where the band
gained a reputation for being one of the best live
bands in America, that their chartered airplane
developed mechanical difficulties near the end of
a flight from South Carolina to Louisiana, ultimately
crash-landing in Mississippi. The crash killed band
founder/leader Van Zant, guitarist/vocalist Steve
Gaines, back-up singer Cassie Gaines, assistant
road manager Dean Kilpatrick and both pilots. Survivors
included drummer Artimus Pyle, guitarist Allen Collins
(1952-1990), bassist Leon Wilkeson (1952-2001) and
guitarist Gary Rossington.
The 14-song concert from
June 23, 1996 at Rockpalast’s Loreley Festival
(St. Goarshousen, Germany) features the band in
top form led by Johnny Van Zant (Ronnie’s
younger brother).
The
songs are:
1) Working For MCA
2) I Ain’t The One
3) Down South Junkin’
4) Double Trouble
5) I Know A Little
6) Saturday Night Special
7) Swamp Music
8) What’s Your Name
9) That Smell
10) Simple Man
11) Gimme Three Steps
12) Call Me The Breeze
13) Sweet Home Alabama
14) Free Bird
This DVD features never-before-released
concert from 1996. As a special bonus we get three
songs “Working For MCA,” “Free
Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama”
from 1974 at The Hamburg Musikhalle in Germany featuring
original Skynyrd singer/songwriter/guitarist, the
late Ronnie Van Zant, as well as Bob Burns on drums.
Today, Skynard consists of Johnny Van Zant, Gary
Rossington, Billy Powell, Ean Evans, Rickey Medlocke,
Michael Cartellone and Mark Matejka. Lynyrd Skynyrd
was inducted into The Rock’n’Roll Hall
Of Fame in 2006.
This
is good ol’ southern rock. I know all the
songs, they are great. For me the highlight was
the three bonus tracks with original Skynard - that
alone is worth the price of the DVD. You get up
close, you can see the ciggy smokin’, the
frequent hat changes, and the long exchange of guitar
licks. This is music we’ve all grown up with,
how can you not love it? This DVD gets a 4.0 on
the STLBluesometer.
Peace
and Love
Peter 'Cornbread' Cohen,
CBP
~
Cornbread@STLBlues.net
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