Dead End Drive-In: Now Showing – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Written by Gaz Tidey
Sunday, 01 November 2015 03:30
Lynyrd Skynyrd – ‘(pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) & Second Helping: Live from Jacksonville at The Florida Theatre’ (Eagle Vision/Records)
Just released simultaneously on Blu-ray, DVD, Double CD and across digital formats, ‘(pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd) & Second Helping: Live from Jacksonville at The Florida Theatre’ captures a pair of performances from the legendary Lynyrd Skynyrd at two specially staged concerts from earlier this year in their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida.
With DVD and Double CD copies in my possession I almost found myself recommending the latter over the former as the digital versatile disc at my disposal, whilst checking almost every box required of a home video concert film, was seriously lacking any kind of swaz that required the devotion of 117 minutes in front of a big screen as opposed to chucking the CD on in your car or on your home stereo system as you got on with something else. Then, at the tail end of the play-through of the band’s seminal debut album something clicked. The pairing of ‘Poison Whiskey’ and, of course, ‘Free Bird’, with large on-stage video screens glaring with tributes to fallen members of the Skynyrd family, made sure my full attention was given to what was unfurling in upscaled fashion on my television.
The release collects both nights at The Florida Theatre: the first where the band played 1973 debut, ‘(pronounced ‘Lĕh-‘nérd ‘Skin-‘nérd)’, in its entirety; the second their sophomore studio record, ‘Second Helping’. And it’s actually the ‘Second Helping’ second night that really offers the most RnR thrills here; songs like opener ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, the rockin’ ‘Workin’ For MCA’, the almost-ballad of ‘I Need You’, the cheeky swagger/double negativism of ‘Don’t Ask Me No Questions’, and the country charm of ‘The Ballad of Curtis Loew’.
If you’re around my age and yet to totally give up on rock ‘n’ roll – you’re reading Uber Rock so you haven’t – you too will wince at the dad at a disco dancing of the audience members; will wish Rickey Medlocke, after every cool moment of his performances (and there are many), would actually put himself in the line-up of a reformed Blackfoot rather than just produce/oversee; and squint at the bass player in several different pieces of (oft-ludicrous) headwear before actually realising that it is former Black Crowes man, Johnny Colt.
If you’re a Lynyrd Skynyrd fan, though, c’mon, what could be cooler than seeing the current incarnation of the iconic band playing two classic albums on two separate nights?
The only bonus feature on the home video version is “An Intimate Backstage Visit With The Band” which is everything it says on the tin; a candid, somewhat staged, look at the goings-on behind a modern Lynyrd Skynyrd concert.
This is a perfect stocking/cowboy boot filler for the Simple Man in your life this Xmas.
