Thyrty: The 30th Anniversary Collection

by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Overview

This one's a tough call in many respects. First, there is the notion of 30 years. Of that time period, only a very short chunk of it produced the tracks listeners consider Lynyrd Skynyrd classics today -- the earliest period when the band was fronted by the late Ronnie Van Zant. Lynyrd Skynyrd may have been influenced by the Allman Brothers with their guitar attack (three and sometimes four guitars would stalk a Skynyrd stage), but rather than try to imitate the Allmans (a blues band that was such a singular entity anyway and can hardly be termed "Southern rock"), they created their own identity as a rock & roll band. It was Skynyrd who invented the Deep South's redneck rock genre, and they spawned so many imitators it became a parody. However, these cats could play and write. Of these two discs, the lion's share of the material is devoted to the original band, whose string of hits is dizzying to consider even today. All of the expected material is here -- from "Free Bird" and "Tuesday's Gone" to "Gimme Back My Bullets," "That Smell," and "Sweet Home Alabama." Also included, for better or worse, is the Lynyrd Skynyrd that carried on some years after Van Zant's death and have been carrying on with Johnny Van Zant fronting the band, looking like a carbon copy of his older brother. This may piss off a lot of purists, but it needn't -- as this material is solid, rocking, and drenched in blues, if lacking originality a bit in the writing department. Fans of the band already have what they need and this is no prize on that level in any way. Newcomers may be tempted by the price point, but would do better with All Time Greatest Hits as a proper introduction. ~ Thom Jurek

Product Details

Release Date:	08/12/2003
Label:	Mca
UPC:	0008811322724
Rank:	50515

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lynyrd Skynyrd   Primary Artist
Owen Hale   Drums,Percussion
Gary Rossington   Guitar
Ronnie Eades   Saxophone,Horn Section
Harvey Thompson   Horn Section
Ronnie Van Zant   Vocals
Rick Medlocke   Dobro,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Randall Hall   Guitar,Vocals
Toby   Handclapping
Jo Jo Billingsley   Vocals (Background)
Leslie Hawkins   Vocals (Background)
Carol Bristow   Vocals (Background)
Wolfman   Handclapping
Wicker   Handclapping
Bob Burns, Jr.   Drums
Mister Feedback   Handclapping
Cockroad   Handclapping
Mike Estes   Guitar
Jimmy Johnson   Guitar
Cassie Gaines   Vocals (Background)
Debbie Davis   Vocals (Background)
Allen Collins   Guitar
Trevor Lawrence   Horn
Steve Gaines   Guitar,Vocals
Steve Morse   Guitar
Billy Powell   Piano,Keyboards
Kenny Aronoff   Drums
Bobby Keys   Horn
Larry Junstrom   Bass
Ed King   Bass,Guitar,Mandolin
Carol Chase   Vocals (Background)
Custer   Drums
Hughie Thomasson   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Leon Wilkeson   Bass,Vocals,Bass (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Wayne Perkins   Guitar
Johnny Van Zant   Vocals
Robert Nix   Drums
Bobbye Hall   Percussion
Al Kooper   Vocals (Background)
Artimus Pyle   Drums,Percussion
Dale Krantz-Rossington   Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Ean Evans   Bass
Michael Cartellone   Drums

Technical Credits

Jane Feather   Composer
Ronnie Eades   Group Member
Barry Beckett   Producer
Josh Leo   Producer
Robert Johnson   Composer
Ron Nevison   Producer
Ronnie Van Zant   Composer
Rick Medlocke   Composer
Tim Smith   Producer
Tom Dowd   Producer,Original Session Producer
Donnie Van Zant   Composer
Jim McCrary   Photography
Mike Fink   Design
Emerson Loew   Photography
Ute Friesleben   Production Coordination
Neal Preston   Photography
Moshe Brakha   Photography
Rob Ruscoe   Engineer
David Alexander   Photography
Jimmy Johnson   Producer,Producer,Group Member
Mike Zagaris   Photography
Ryan Null   Photo Research
Mike Estes   Composer
Allen Collins   Composer,Assistant Arranger
Traditional   Composer
Steve Gaines   Composer
Andy McKaie   Producer,Post Production Engineer
B.B. King   Composer
Billy Powell   Composer
J.J. Cale   Composer
Ed King   Composer,Group Member
Pat Buchanan   Composer
Ben Fowler   Producer
Lynyrd Skynyrd   Composer,Producer
Gary Rossington   Composer
Doug Schwartz   Digital Remastering
Leonard Feather   Composer
Hughie Thomasson   Composer
Robert White Johnson   Composer
Wayne Perkins   Group Member
Johnny Van Zant   Composer
Ron O'Brien   Producer,Liner Notes,Photo Research,Post Production Engineer
Jules Taub   Composer
Quin Ivy   Producer
Michael Lunn   Composer
Todd Cerney   Composer
Tom Hambridge   Composer