If ever a band deserved a good tribute, it is what some people refer to as the “real” LYNYRD SKYNYRD, the band as it existed prior to the 1977 plane crash that killed three of its members.
Most of the performances on this CD – produced by no other than Billy Sherwood – really do justice to the iconic band.
With former Skynyrd members Ed King on slide guitar, Artimus Pyle on drums, and The Original Honkettes (John and Jo Jo Billingsley-White, Leslie Hawkins) on backing vocals, “Double Trouble” musicality is true to the original, and blends well with Thane Shearon’s fresh vocal interpretation.
Blackfoot’s Rickey Medlocke wrote and did the lead vocal on the original version of “Seasons”, one of the Skynyrd’s few slow songs. He still does it nicely in this century.
“That Smell” and “What’s Your Name” are skillfully interpreted by Canned Heat and Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas, respectively.
But my favorite should be the killer version by Charlie Daniels pairing up with Molly Hatchet for “Free Bird”, which works awesomely as a tribute to the original. It’s a hot and passionate cover.
The sonically updated remakes by Great White on “Saturday Night Special”, and later Dangerous Toys’ “Simple Man” works well and vivid.
Hughie Thomasson & The Outlaws take on “Sweet Home Alabama” is pretty good. Also, the Atlanta Rhythm Section does an admirable cover of “Call Me The Breeze”.
On the downside, Walter Trout and Rick Derringer are excellent guitarists, but their vocal interpretations of “Gimme Three Steps” (Trout) and “You Got That Right” (Derringer) are somewhat lacking.
Overall, in this well produced Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute, most the versions are hits than misses, and the CD is a mandatory choice for fans of the “real” Skynyrd.
It’s also an opportunity to listen some classic artists out from the music business for a long time.
As in all tribute albums, it’s all a matter of taste. Classic Rock lovers won’t be disappointed.
01 – The Outlaws – Sweet Home Alabama
02 – Great White – Saturday Night Special
03 – Artimus Pyle, Ed King & The Original Honkettes – Double Trouble
04 – Canned Heat – That Smell
05 – Molly Hatchet with Charlie Daniels – Free Bird
06 – Walter Trout – Gimme Three Steps
07 – Blackfoot – Seasons
08 – Pat Travers – Gimme Back My Bullets
09 – Jim Dandy’s Black Oak Arkansas – What’s Your Name
10 – Dangerous Toys – Simple Man
11 – Sky Saxon & Joey Covington (of Jefferson Airplane) – Swamp Music
12 – Rick Derringer – You Got That Right
13 – Atlanta Rhythm Section – Call Me The Breeze