Search - Lynyrd Skynyrd :: Lynyrd Skynyrd

A fantastic collection

sleaf | Washington, DC | 05/02/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Andy Gill, the official critic above, is obviously not a fan of either Skynyrd or southern rock. Skynyrd are often misunderstood and easily dismissed due to the corner they have been painted into by the ubiquitousness of "Free Bird" and a few of their other hits. But to any healthy rock fan who listens to one of their albums, it will be obvious that someone who believes "Street Survivors" is a "rotten LP" has no business being a professional music critic. There's just no question these guys are worthy of a retrospective of this size, and they fill it out sensationally. This is obviously not the first Skynyrd purchase one should make (I don't think any box set is a wise first buy), but for those who are already aware of the amazing strength and consistency of this band's catalogue, I say buy this set immediately. "Junkie" and "He's Alive" on disc 1 are truly amazing songs that I haven't heard elsewhere. In addition, the demos of previously released tracks offer well-chosen peaks into the band's creative process that I enjoy listening to as much as the finished versions. Fantastic booklet, too, with informative writing and great pics."

Simple men, Swamp Music, and birds that forever fly free...

Eddie Lancekick | Pacific Northwest | 01/27/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Lynyrd Skynyrd was never a band I listened to much until I was in college. At that time I started playing guitar, and looking into the history of the band, found their deep, guitar laden tracks were more than just what some deem "southern rock" I found the boxed set in mint condition for sale "used" at a music store, and have enjoyed it ever since.



The box is green with a neat, intricat yet simple design on it that show's a kind of window looking into a river entrenched deep within the shade of the swamp, complete with vines, craggly branches, and old, mossy tree's. A picture of nature, which stands the test of time...like the band.



Inside you have 3 CD's with the band's greatest hits as well as some unreleased demo's and original versions. The first CD is saturated with demo's and never before heard songs; Free Bird, He's alive, Trust, Mr. Banker, Poison Whiskey, and Tuesday's gone all are here plus more...and that's just the first one! The second CD Features more mega hits like "Sweet home Alabama" "Call me the Breeze" as well as an acoustin single "All I can do is write about it" as well as the live track of "double trouble"!



The third CD has more hits like "Simple Man" live, "What's your name" and "That smell". Each CD has the same theme on the cover though shows a different picture, a snapshot of that timeless, ageless swamp. If you're looking for something that covers rock, southern rock, folk, a little jazz and blues, then try out this boxed set. Also included is an retrospect booklet that is over 50 pages long and bio's the band from the beginning to the end, complete with multiple color photograph's. I found it extremely helpful and interesting to read, and it made me appreciate the music we got from them all the more.



We lost several members of the band to a plane wreck in a swamp long, long ago, but their music as well as thier influence on aspiring musicians and fans everywhere, still stands the test of time."

The Definitive Collection (please remaster it)

James F. Colobus | Pittsburgh, PA United States | 07/14/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This box set stands as a testament to the diversity and quality of Lynyrd Skynyrd's music. From the spare blues of "Mr. Banker" and "Four Walls of Raiford" to the balladry of "Tuesday's Gone" and "One More Time" to the hard rock of "On the Hunt" and "Saturday Night Special", this set demonstrates that the boys from Florida excelled in a wide variety of musical styles. If you are a casual fan, the hits are all here from "Freebird" to "Sweet Home Alabama". For the Skynyrd enthusiast, Disc 1 is a treasure-trove of very enjoyable demos that makes this box set a must.I do have a few complaints though. First, the songs have not been remastered for this box set which is rather unfortunate since Lynyrd Skynyrd's classic albums were not graced with great production quality. Second, though I appreciate the live songs on Disc 3, I feel we should have been offered the studio versions of "Gimme Back My Bullets", "Searchin", "Simple Man", and "Whiskey Rock-A-Roller" as well. "Simple Man" in particular is one of Skynyrd's all-time classics and no career retrospective box set should be without the original studio version of this song. Still, there are some great moments in the live songs included here too - who doesn't enjoy it when Ronnie tells the crowd he's gonna "sik an Okie" on them in the intro to "T For Texas"?If you've ever been a fan of southern rock in general or Lynyrd Skynyrd in particular, you need this box set in your collection. I've had it for 10 years now and continue to derive a great deal of enjoyment from it - I'm quite confident you will too."