Product Description

The 1998 Lynyrd Skynyrd compilation THE ESSENTIAL follows for the most part the same set-up as its 1979 set, GOLD AND PLATINUM, the two discs both collecting the best tracks Skynyrd recorded during its original run from 1973-1977. But whatmakes the two sets different is the inclusion of several rarities--demo versions of "Four Walls of Raiford" and "Comin'Home", as well as an unplugged version of "All I Can Do Is Write About It". Add to this such Skynyrd classics as "SweetHome Alabama", "Gimme Three Steps", "What's Your Name", "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller", "Freebird", and "Tuesday's Gone", and you have another solid career overview of these Southern rock co-founders.

Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. I Ain't The One
3. Was I Right Or Wrong
4. Gimme Three Steps
5. Workin' For MCA
6. Simple Man
7. Swamp Music
8. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
9. Saturday Night Special
10. Mr. Banker
11. Comin' Home
12. Call Me The Breeze
13. Free Bird

Disc 2:

1. What's Your Name
2. Whiskey Rock-A-Roller
3. Tuesday's Gone
4. Double Trouble
5. I Know A Little
6. Four Walls Of Raiford
7. I Never Dreamed
8. Gimme Back My Bullets
9. You Got That Right
10. All I Can Do Is Write About It
11. That Smell
12. Free Bird

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8216 in Music
• Released on: 1999-03-20
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Box set, Double CD
• Running time: 130 minutes

Customer Reviews

Essential for a reason.
This album was titled 'Essential' for a reason. It is an essential album for any CD collection. There are other essentials, Meat Loaf's 'Bat ot of Hell', Springsteen's 'Born in the USA', ZZ Top's 'Eliminator', and Queen's 'Greatest Hits I'. (by no means a definitive list).

It has 'Alabama', and it has 'Free Bird', and for the more seasoned southern rock fan it also has '3 Steps'. But it has so much more!

"Drifter can you make folks cry when you play and sing? Have you paid your dues, can you mourn the blues, can you bend them guitar strings?" asked David Allen Coe. Skynyrd can.

Every song tells a story, every one means something. That brings passion and honesty. You can tell that from the guitar playing, especially on the live tracks. The bend of a string, the pressure of a finger on a fret, it comes through in the music.

But don't just listen to the music, listen to the lyrics. I'm not gonna analyse them and tell what they mean to me, you've got to work out what they mean for you. Just think when you listen to 'The Ballad of Curtis Lowe', about a little white kid giving his money to an old black man, so he would play him a tune, somewhere in 'The South'. Music crosses all boundaries!

I'm passionate about music, not writing reveiws. If you feel something when you hear 'Alabama', 'Free Bird' or '3 steps', buy this. You will not be dissappointed. If you recognise the David Allen Coe lyrics and like your rock a little harder you may consider Kid Rock's live album 'Live Trucker'. He sings a verse of 'Free Bird' beautifully, passionately, and then turns up the rock.

It's about the music, enjoy!

A sublime experience
I just can't rate this album highly enough. I'm too young to remember Lynyrd Skynyrd first time around and bought this album after hearing 'Freebird' on the radio. I'm now totally hooked. I agree with other reviewers that this album contains many fantastic songs that people may not be aware of and the album as a whole is absolutely brilliant. I still have to rate 'Freebird' as one my favourite songs of all time though - the last five (instrumental) minutes of this song are just sublime. You don't need drugs or alcohol to feel high when you've got music like this.

Fantastic stuff!
Only being familiar with "Sweet Home, Alabamha" and the ubiquitous"Freebird", I listened to this with a fair degree of expectation. I haveto say that it only took a couple of listenings to grow to LOVE thisalbum...highly recommended if you aren't too knowledgable about LynyrdSkynyrd and want to be blown away at the variety and sheer hard-rockingtunes you'll get here!