Magical Moment Photos

ALLEN COLLINS AND RONNIE VAN ZANT LIVE AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD- “WORKS ON PRIDE”
by MARY CAMPBELL
THE HUTCHINSON NEWS
HUTCHINSON, KANSAS
MAY 30, 1975

When you start talking about the rock group Lynyrd Skynyrd, momentarily ignore the fact that it’s so hot, their only two LPs are both gold, and start right in with how to pronounce the name and where it came from.
The first LP’s title explains the first, “Lynyrd Skynyrd, Pronounced Leh’ nerd Skin’nerd.” The second LP is “Second Helping.” The seven-man group took its name from a high school gym teacher, who wasn’t their biggest fan. Guitarist Ed King, the only one who wasn’t reared in Florida and wasn’t there, said that the three founding members of Lynyrd Skynyrd heard cries of “Cut your hair” from Leonard Skinner and the same teacher later got them thrown out of school. Still later, they took his name and put in a y everytime he had a more usual vowel. “It was some kind of symbolic thing,” King says.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a Southern band and these days there seems to be a good deal of interest in Southern bands. King says there isn’t a different band sound in the South, really, except for the Southern accent of the singers.
The song that really brought Lynyrd Skynyrd its most attention was “Sweet Home Alabama.” That was a “Southern and proud of it” song, an answer to Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” Since, Young’s “Walk On” has been taken as an answer to “Sweet Home Alabama.” But that exchange seems to have run its course.
There had previously been a single from the first album and a single from the second. After the success of “Sweet Home Alabama,” also from the second album, a fourth single was released, “Free Bird,” from the first album, and it was on the singles chart the first week in February.
There will be another. “South vs. North” song, “I’m a Country Boy,” on the third album. Some people don’t think of Florida as the South but King says they’re thinking of Miami. Jacksonville, near which the members of the group own a farm, is definitely the South, says King. He says nothing is going on in Jacksonville and they’re glad of it because they’re not distracted and can spend their time on the farm writing songs and rehearsing.
They each intend to move a mobile home onto the farm, to live together, separately. Group members don’t like cities, King says, though they “have to like Atlanta,” That’s where they were playing the bar circuit and were discovered by Al Kooper and signed to his new label, Sounds of the South. Their two records were distributed by MCA and their third, already cut, will be on MCA, from which Sounds of the South now has parted company.
A couple of earlier tapes, made at Muscle Schoals and never released, have been bought back by the group. They’ll be released probably later in the year. King says there are good songs on them but the performances need some finishing touches.
“We’re tending now to go in a bit more simple direction than we have in the past,” King says. “The music has changed, but not too much. We’re aware of whatever basic element we have that makes us what we are and makes people like us. There’s no way we can get rid of that. “People are going to hear more of what we’re really all about. Our third album is the best we’ve done so far. Our second is probably the worst. On the third we went into the studio not knowing what was going to happen. We had zero things written. We all worked together and had ideas and wrote songs on the spot and came up with, I think, great material.
“On the second album we had all the tunes written and burned them out on the road. By the time we got them into the studio we could care less about them. “This album we just did could have stood for us to play the songs 10 times in front of people and then take them into the studio. But the way they are on tape, all of us are proud of.
“We’re going to do a live album. Three-fourths of it will be new material. It isn’t going to be ‘greatest hits.’ I can’t stand to buy those. That’ll probably be our best album. Live is where we’re at our best.
“In Detroit last night, we were terrible. We’d been in the studio 12 or 14 hours a day, three and a half weeks. We put the last note on our third album and within 24 hours we were playing in Detroit. We were just horrible; it didn’t happen at all. If I’d have been hit in the head with a tomato and a bottle I would have accepted it. Any other time I’d have been raving mad. The audience was real polite and gave us more applause than we’d deserved.
“Our band works on pride. If it doesn’t turn out, like that, we’re ashamed of it. Our live gigs are what we’re really proud of; they’re what our reputation is built on. When we go out to promote a record, we can back it up. “Tomorrow we’re going to spend all day rehearsing. Playing a bad gig like that will bring your spirits up. You’re
feeling so bad about it, there’s no way to go but up.”
The group tours a lot, having two three-month tours last year plus some three week ones. And, says King, you have to save some time for your lady.
King is from California, was in a band that toured the South, fell in love with the South and immediately moved from Burbank to North Carolina. He got to know members of Lynyrd Skynyrd as he was attempting to start a band of his own. When the group’s bass player quit, two and a half years ago — as the recording contract was being signed — they drove to North Carolina and got him.
The bass player, Leon Wilkeson, later was persuaded to return to the group and King moved to guitar, which is how the group got three guitarists and expanded from six to seven.
Other members are Ronnie Van Zant, lead singer; Allen Collins and Gary Rossington, guitars; Artimus Pyle, the newest member, drums, and Billy Powell, keyboards.
King says that the group members originally decided, when asked what Lynyrd Skynyrd meant, to say that it was Southern slang for something. “We thought that might be kind of hip. We decided not to do it. But we could have started something. It ain’t too late.”

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE SKYNYRD PHOTOS AND ARTWORK:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN OAKLAND, CA. ON 9-20-75
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD- WINTERLAND 3-6-76

ALLEN COLLINS PERFORMING IN OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA ON 9-20-75. PHOTO/ART BY BEN UPHAM.

ALLEN COLLINS BAND-
“HERE, THERE AND BACK” (MCA RECRDS 1982)
Personnel:
Allen Collins- guitar
Randall Hall- guitar
Derek Hess- drums
Leon Wilkeson- bass
Billy Powell- keyboards
Barry Harwood- guitar
Jimmy Dougherty- vocals

Songs:
1. Just Trouble
2. One Known Soldier
3. Hangin’ Judge
4. Time After Time
5. This Ride’s On Me
6. Ready To Move
7. Chapter One
8. Commitments
9. Everything You Need

The Allen Collins Band only produced one record. But it’s a winner! I was living in Redding, Ca. when it came out and remember the first time I heard it after walking in to a local record store that had it on. They were playing “One Known Soldier” and I was really blown away. The store sold 3 copies of the record while the song was playing.
I think that this band could have really gone on to do great things had they been more successful with this record. As far as I know they only did one short tour, opening for Molly Hatchet.
When you listen to this Music you will automatically draw the comparisons to Lynyrd Skynyrd due to the simple fact that there are three survivors in the band. That’s not a fair thing to do when listening to this Music though, as it holds a bar up way to high for anyone to jump over.
Jimmy Dougherty cannot be compared to Ronnie Van Zant…Their styles and approach to vocals just aren’t comparable. Dougherty has a good voice and is very articulate. His sound fits well.
Derek Hess and Barry Harwood had been in this band already for years as the Rossington Collins Band and sound great. Randall Hall was Allen’s personal choice to play his parts in the Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute Band in 1987, which says a lot! Billy Powell is all over this record with his excellent piano work and of course Leon was the Man on the Bass.
This album is very easy to listen to and contains some fine playing and singing. “Everything you need” for a great listen.
Here are some others thoughts on the record:

Review #1-
“Bona fide Southern Rock”
By L. Lawhead “LSquared” (SW Illinois)
June 2, 2004
Allen Collins Band was an offshoot of Rossington Collins Band, which was an offshoot of the original southern rock masters Lynyrd Skynyrd. RCB had all of the surviving members of Skynyrd, except Artimus Pyle (drums). ACB has 5/7 of RCB, replacing Gary Rossington (guitar) and Dale Krantz Rossington (vocals) with Randall Hall and Jimmy Dougherty, respectively. Allen Collins (after becoming paralyzed) suggested Randall Hall as his replacent in the “post-crash” Skynyrd. Bottom line, these guys have the “bona fides”, they certainly know what they’re doing.
I really enjoy this album a lot. All of the songs are solid, with great sound. The songs of the songs are mostly mid-tempo, with a couple of slower pieces. There’s not really any “kick A**” songs, no “Freebird”, no bar-fighting music. There’s not really any “blistering guitar”, but there is a lot of guitar, and plenty of licks and fills. The songs stick in your head, and the lyrics are an improvement over some of the RCB songs. Think of Skynyrd’s 4th album: “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. If you like that, you’ll like this. Billy Powell’s piano is particularly evident, he remains one of the signatures of the Skynyrd sound, and it’s various offshoots.
Allen Collins co-wrote 4 of the 8 songs here, including the standouts “One Known Soldier” and “Chapter One”. This is more than any of the Skynyrd albums, except “Gimmie Back My Bullets”. Jimmy Dougherty is fine as a singer, if not outstanding. He’s not as “gruff” as either Ronnie Van Zant (Skynyrd) or Dale Krantz (Rossington Collins Band). His style fits the songs though.
Long after it’s release, “Here There and Back” remains one of my favorite southern rock albums. Yet I never heard anything about it when it came out. I just happened across it in a record store several months after it’s release, and snapped it up because of the Skynyrd lineage. It remaines one of the great discoveries in my collection. If it had recieved any publicity at all, it would probably have been much better known.
Good songs, good playing!

Review #2-
“Excellent Southern Rock”
By Lefloater
October 24, 2005
This CD happens to be an excellent combination of vocals, crystal clear guitar and drums. One can readily hear the influence of Lynyrd Skynyrd thanks to Allen Collins. And, yes, I too have been to several of Skynyrd’s concerts, and this CD just illustrates the influence that they had through Allen Collins.
If you want to hear some great music, you can’t go wrong with this CD.

Review #3-
“Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere”
By William Walters (West Palm Beach, FL)
December 2, 2007
This is a VERY rare LP. I had a chance to see Allen Collins perform this record in North Carolina in the early 1980′s. It was one of his first live performances outside of playing with the Rossington Collins Band. The album suffers from poor vocals but the unmistakable AC guitar dominates the album. I have the tour T-shirt and was able to meet the band and get autgraphs since so few people showed up for the show (with the Outlaws). As far as I know this was the first live performances of Skynyrd standards such as ‘That Smell’ and ‘Gimme Three Steps’. The album, like I stated, may be disapointing to some but a real keepsake to die hard Skynyrd fans. If it every becomes available I will buy it in a heartbeat and suggest all Allen Collins fans do as well. Classsic Southern Rock at its best!!

Review #4-
“Here,There,and Back”
By Gary Pierce “Southern Man” (Northeast Tennessee)
July 30, 2007
This record is the best of the Lynyrd Skynyrd solo artist. It has Allen, Billy Powell, Leon Wilkerson and future member Randall Hall. I have all of the solo records and this one sounds the most like Skynyrd. Allen plays some of his best guitar work and Billy is featured even more than with Skynyrd. Thank You Allen for some great music.

Review #5-
From: rehtakul
May 14, 2004
Although it’s true that the blistering guitar work Allen was known for is not here, this is still a very enjoyable CD. In my opinion, one of the better ‘post Skynyrd’ releases. Much in the same style as the ‘Alias – Contraband’ album. As stated, no blistering solos here, but every solo is as tasty as can be. In addition, Billy Powell has some fine moments, adding a little more of that old Skynyrd feel to the album. This is long out of print, but worth tracking down. It stands the test of time.

Wikipedia Info-
The Allen Collins Band was a spinoff of Southern Rock bands Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Rossington-Collins Band. It existed from 1983 to 1984 and was formed shortly after the dissolution of the Rossington-Collins Band.
The band’s name was originally Horsepower, but executives at MCA (whom the band released their only album through) wanted a name that would make the band stand out. So, the band was re-christened “The Allen Collins Band.” Most of the band members carried over from RCB, with the exceptions of Dale Krantz and Gary Rossington, who had both married and decided to raise a family. Jacksonville guitarist Mike Owings joined The Allen Collins Band in 1984, and wrote several unreleased songs with Allen Collins, and he later went on to play guitar in Molly Hatchet (1999–2000).
Vocalist Jimmy Dougherty died January 20, 2008 (born November 3, 1951).

ALLEN COLLINS DISCOGRAPHY:
WITH LYNYRD SKYNYRD:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

WITH THE ROSSINGTON COLLINS BAND:
1979 Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere
1981 This is the Way

WITH THE ALLEN COLLINS BAND:
1983 Here, There & Back

CLICK THE LINKS BELOW FOR ALLEN COLLINS STUFF:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND, CA. 9-20-75
AND
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
AND
ORDER THE REMASTERED CD OF ALLEN COLLINS BAND

ALLEN COLLINS AND GARY ROSSINGTON OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN SPOKANE, WA. ON 10-7-76. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76 BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND 9-20-75 BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM

LYNYRD SKYNYRD-
“WISH YOU WERE THERE”
(Part 2)
BY BEN UPHAM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
The first time that I saw Lynyrd Skynyrd perform live in concert was at Winterland in San Francisco on April 27, 1975. The atmosphere at Winterland was ideal for a good Rock Concert. They used blacklights to light the arena so anything that was white glowed! It was only the second concert I’d ever been to (first was Marshall Tucker, Charlie Daniels, and Little Feat 12-21-74 @ Winterland) and I decided to bring my camera, a 35mm Fujica ST-701, to the show. The opening act was the Charlie Daniels Band on their “Nightrider” tour. It was Tom Crains first tour as second guitarist in the C.D.B. They were excellent and got everybody really pumped up and excited for Lynyrd Skynyrd!

Lynyrd Skynyrd had just released their third record about a month prior to the show, the incredible “Nuthin’ Fancy”. They hit the stage to roaring applause after an introduction by Rock promoter/nextdoor neighbor Bill Graham, and jumped right in with a killer version of “Workin’ for MCA” from the “Second Helping” album. The music was really loud and I was up close, about 30 feet from the stage. The sound engulfed me and I was thoroughly blown away by the energy that was being put forth. Barefoot Ronnie was scowling, and spitting and prancing all around the stage as the three guitarists lit the place on fire!

Ed King took the opportunity for the evenings first solo with some wonderful false harmonics that just drove people in the crowd nuts! I was in awe! These guys were just blow away and the show had barely begun…Noticeably missing from the lineup was Keyboard player Billy Powell, who apparently had called in sick for the evening!

After “MCA” came to a thunderous conclusion Ronnie Van Zant had a big grin on his face and said, “A good-good evening to ya”…At that point the band kicked in with a powerful version of “Whiskey Rock-A- Roller” from the new album. As the set continued on I recall how crisp and clean the guitar solos sounded, and being very entertained by Ronnies stage presence, where he was literally conducting the band. Calling for solos with a whistle, or an “Up” call. He would carry the mic stand around with him shaking it violently at times or using it like an energy conductor during powerful guitar breaks.

The crowd just seemed to get higher and higher as the band ripped through a great set consisting of, I Ain’t the One, The Needle and the Spoon, I’m A Country Boy, Gimme Three Steps, Don’t Ask Me No Questions, Saturday Night Special, Railroad Song, Call Me the Breeze, and their big hit Sweet Home Alabama. Then to HUGE ROARING OVATIONS they said goodnight and left the stage. The crowd was just knocked out, and this was Winterland where the Rock goes on and on…The Audience started stomping their feet and a call for “Skynyrd, Skynyrd, Skynyrd” was deafening above the already constant roar!

I was blown away! This was amazing and I was enjoying every moment of it. As the band came back on stage the crowd approval got even more intense and the band could feel the Love. You could tell by the smiles on all of their faces. As the crowd calmed down Ronnie asked a favor and said, “Let me say one thing, please people, let me just say one thing. If there is a better audience than Bill Grahams Winterland, well, I ain’t seen it yet”…And this was received by another round of thunderous applause. Then the band kicked in to the brand new Allen Collins song, “On the Hunt”, which was already my favorite from the new record! They nailed it perfectly and then left the stage again…But we all new they were just taking a breather before coming out to finish us off!

Five minutes later the band returned and this time when the crowd quieted down Ronnie said, “This goes out to Duane Allman and Berry Oakley…Free Birds”…And then the first delicate notes of “Free Bird” started to play…It was pure, and sheer delight for all who were there. And they played as good of a version of it as I’ve ever seen them do (and I’ve seen the original band play it 4 times)…Gary Rossingtons opening slide part was mesmerizing, and Ed King played a beautiful guitar solo in the spot where Billy Powells piano solo would’ve been.

Ronnie Van Zant sang his next set of vocals with his eyes closed and you could easily see that he was putting every ounce of emotion he could muster into the feel of the words. It was amazing. As the music started to build and Ronnie grimaced he sang, “I’m as Free as a Bird now, and this Bird You’ll Never Change, whoa-oah-oah, Lord knows I can’t Change…Oh won’t You Fly High…Oh Free Birds Yeah”…And with that phrase delivered it was all ALLEN COLLINS show at that point! He stepped out and I was blown away watching him play that incredible, soaring, flying solo that is Free Bird!

He built the solo up carrying it faster and higher as he went, never missing a single note…Ed King started pushing Allen Collins with his own soloing and Allen responded by just taking everything up another notch. And when they all reached the crest of the first wave Allen was airborne! Leaping high and coming down into yet another run up the path into yet higher and higher territory. The crowd was in a frenzy as Allen Collins took flight one more time! Unbelievable! One more leap and the song peaked…and they wound it up and it was over…10 minutes of applause later the crowd finally relaxed and I recall how wide everyones eyes were. Smiles for miles…I had experienced Lynyrd Skynyrd and life would never be the same again…

My pictures from that show are not very good. As a matter of fact most of them aren’t good at all. Partially because I didn’t have my telephoto lens with me, and partially because of how wild it was in the crowd. I had only brought two rolls of film, shot some of the CDB and the rest of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Although only a few shots were acceptable, one of them wound up making it on to the cover of Gene Odoms book that was published in 2011.
click on this link to see part 3 of my “wish you were there” story

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS:

LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM OAKLAND 9-20-75 BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS FROM WINTERLAND 3-6-76 BY BEN UPHAM

ALLEN COLLINS OF LYNYRD SKYNYRD PERFORMING AT WINTERLAND ON 3-6-76. PHOTO BY BEN UPHAM.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD AT WINTERLAND 3-6-76
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD IN OAKLAND 9-20-75
and
LYNYRD SKYNYRD ART BY BEN UPHAM

LYNYRD SKYNYRD-
“WISH YOU WERE THERE”
(PART 1)
BY BEN UPHAM
SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

It’s very easy for me to remember the very first time I ever heard Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was in January of 1974, and I was in the middle of my Junior year at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, California. I had been practicing hard for 3 months to make the school baseball team, and it was the day that I saw the list of who had made the team. My name was not on the list, which was a crime…I was a better player than at least 4 or 5 of the players that survived the cut. I knew in my mind that politics had come into play and I had been dealt a bad hand…

The news was devastating because baseball was my life at that time. This was a serious lesson about injustice. I remember coming home from school that day feeling like the world wasn’t such a great place. I ignored my Mothers attempts to cheer me up with milk & cookies and I closed myself in my bedroom where I could sulk in privacy. After about 10-15 minutes of lying on my bed cursing the coaches who had caused my misery I decided to see if the radio on my nightstand could help ease my troubled mind.

I turned it on to my favorite F.M. station and they were playing a song that I’d never heard before, that sounded really good. The lyrics seemed as if the singer was singing about what I was thinking. The lines “If I leave here tomorrow would you still remember me” felt like something I would have wanted to say to the coaches that cut me. Then I heard the line, “There’s too many places I’ve got to see”, which made me think about all of the time I’d spent practicing for the team, missing out on so many of the other things I could have been doing, had I known I would be cut. All of a sudden I began to realize that there was a positive aspect to this otherwise negative situation…I was Free…and just as I’m having that thought the singer says, “I’m as Free as a Bird now”, which really was perfect and very “In the Moment” for me.

I reached over and turned the volume up on the radio, as this song was reaching deep inside of me at this point. The songs tempo was changing and I could feel the energy building musically. At that point the singer says, “Oh won’t you fly high, oh Free Birds yeah”, and this otherworldly lead guitar literally jumps out of the radio at me! I was starting to feel better and my Spirit began to smile as the music started to take off. This song was GREAT! The guitars kept reaching out at me and I listened in amazement as the song seemed to keep building and building in intensity. I remember thinking, “My God, who is this Band?”… My question was answered after the song had reached its final notes when the D.J. came on and said, “That was ‘Free Bird’ by Leonard Skinner”.

I shut off the radio and ran out to my car to head down to “Village Music”, the Mill Valley record store. As I walked in I was greeted by the owner, my friend John Goddard. I said hello back but headed right over to the “S” section of albums so I could find this record by Leonard Skinner! I found nothing! So I asked John about it. He said, “Oh, you must mean Lynyrd Skynyrd”, and he calmly walked me over to the “L” section and produced the album “Lynyrd Skynyrd- Pronounced” for me. I loved what I saw, made sure that it had “Free Bird” on it and then paid John for the record.

When I got back home I was so anxious to hear “Free Bird” again that I played it first…I totally relived the experience I’d just had, only this time being able to gaze at the album jacket as it was playing. I now had photos of the band which helped me to visualize the band that was creating this Magical Music. I was able to put all of the frustrations of my bad day behind me and become completely absorbed into the energy of this fine new music. It felt really good!

At that point I decided that before I would listen to the rest of the album I would step outside and smoke a joint first. As I was getting high the words and music I’d just heard kept going through my head, and I was pretty well convinced that “Free Bird” had just replaced “25 or 6 to 4″ (by Chicago) as my favorite song. I went back inside, told Mom I’d gladly take the Milk & Cookies now, and then headed back to my room.

I wondered what the rest of the record would sound like as I cued up the first track, “I Ain’t the One”. My jaw dropped, my spirit soared and Lynyrd Skynyrd were now totally in my life! The album was (and still is) spectacular from start to finish…A true Masterpiece in Rock Music History…I played the entire album 3 times and was totally Rocked by the Music I was hearing. The back cover of the record stated “Lynyrd Skynyrd Smokes” and that is the Truth!

The arrangement of the music seemed to blend perfectly with the sentiments and philosophies of vocalist Ronnie Van Zants lyrics. If you check out the lyrics on that first Skynyrd album you’ll see how diverse of a writer Ronnie was. He would blend his personal experiences with his acquired wisdom to create stories in musical form. I had just turned 16 a couple of months earlier and honestly feel that the lyrics on that record wound up shaping many of my opinions and feelings about life, values, and goals. My favorite lyric from the album came from the song “Simple Man” where Ronnie sings, “Be a Simple kind of Man, be Something You Love and Understand”. I’ve taken that to heart and tried my best to keep things in my life as simple and understandable as possible, good advice, and shared in a beautiful piece of music.

“Pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd” introduced me to a band that I would follow intensly for many years, and although they produced many fine albums, that will always be my favorite of theirs.
CLICK HERE TO SEE PART TWO OF MY “WISH YOU WERE THERE” STORY

LYNYRD SKYNYRD DISCOGRAPHY:
1973 Pounounced Lynyrd Skynyrd
1974 Second Helping
1975 Nuthin’ Fancy
1976 Gimme Back My Bullets
1976 One More From the Road (Live)
1977 Street Survivors
1978 First and Last
1982 Best of the Rest
1987 Legend
1991 Box Set
1998 Skynyrds First (Complete Muscle Shoals)
2000 Collectybles
2009 Live at Winterland 3-7-76
2009 Live at Cardiff 11-4-75

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO SEE LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS:
LYNYRD SKYNYRD FINE ART AMERICA IMAGES BY BEN UPHAM
LYNYRD SKYNYRD PHOTOS BY BEN UPHAM