Search - 38 Special :: Extended Versions

Rehashed Stuff

frozenpuckx | Boca Raton, Florida United States | 07/14/2000

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This CD is basically a rehash of the Live At Sturgis album, minus a few good songs. It does have some of the bigger hits, but you would be better off paying a few extra bucks and get the full Live At Sturgis CD. Buy this only if you are strapped for cash."

Repackaged material

William Matson | Maine | 05/15/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Lynyrd Skynyrd 'Extended Versions' is a ten track, budget-priced compilation of previously released music. Four of the cuts are live greatest hits taken from the double live set, 'Lyve from Steeltown' (released in 1998). These are "What's your name?", "Free Bird", "Sweet Home Alabama" and "You got that right."



The other six cuts are taken from the 1997 studio album, 'Twenty.' The song selection is good, there is nothing wrong with that. You can't expect many more than ten tracks because the live cuts on here are fairly long. The running time on this 'Extended Versions' collection borders close to an hour. "Free Bird" alone is over twelve minutes long in a live setting.



All of the tracks here are dated 1997 and there is nothing specifying that some of this material is live, so the casual fan might not know any better. That fact alone costs this review a star. The band picture shown is of the later day lineup, circa 1997, so don't expect anything featuring the vocals of original singer, Ronnie Van Zant. This is the Johnny Van Zant-fronted lineup of Lynyrd Skynyrd. There is little information on the album sleeve, this contains basic no-frills packaging and liner notes.



One positive point is the reasonable price, which is under $10. It is a fairly economical way to sample two releases from the Skynyrd catalog that would cost significantly more separately. Nonetheless, somebody who makes this purchase and enjoys the music would do well to pick up the two source albums: 'Twenty' (1997, CMC International) and 'Lyve from Steeltown' (1998, CMC International). 'Twenty' is a solid studio effort that has some strong moments. Some of the best cuts are featured right here on 'Extended Versions' but tracks like "Voodoo Lake" and "How soon we forget" (not found here) are also worth hearing. 'Lyve from Steeltown' was recorded on the tour for the 'Twenty' album and is taken from a show in Pittsburgh that showcased the band in fine form. While some of the best moments from that live release can be heard here, there are many other songs missing from this compilation that won't disappoint.



For someone that doesn't have any recent material of this band, 'Extended Versions' isn't a bad place to start, but they might do better looking someplace else first. One has to realize that the label, BMG, is just milking stuff that has already been issued on other releases. There is no new material here, which is enough to lower the review by another star. A die hard Lynyrd Skynyrd fan can totally ignore this cd."