Lynyrd Skynyrd - Street Survivors (Dlx)
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Free Music Notes for Street Survivors (Dlx)
Free Music Review: Pristine version of essential album, nice outtakes, bootleg-quality live tracks
Hit: 5 Stars
True Skynyrd fans already own this "deluxe edition." For the casual fan, the one who owns the box set or any of the many "greatest hits" compilations, it's worth noting what is actually here.
First, as with all of the "deluxe editions" issued by Universal, the packaging is excellent. Original artwork, nice slipcase, an excellent 24-page booklet with archive photos and pretty much everything you ever wanted to know about "Street Survivors" and the events that preceded and followed its release.
Disc 1, "The Original Album," is just that...the album as it was released in the best possible digital format.
Disc 2, "Criteria Studios Album," is the "other" version...yes, they recorded the album twice. The draw here is the longer, slower version of "That Smell," with no shortage of guitar solos. You've heard "Jacksonville Kid" before (Ronnie's new lyrics added to "Honky Tonk Night Time Man," and the last track he recorded in his lifetime).
The final 5 live tracks from Fresno CA in August 1977 are of historic interest, and the sound quality is basically "acceptable bootleg." It's the Street Survivors band in the early stages of the tour that would never happen. Less than two months later, Ronnie, Steve, Cassie and Dean were gone, and the survivors...real, actual survivors...were changed forever.
Skynyrd fans will, and should, want to add this to their collection. The more casual fan may not appreciate it in the same way. It's an essential 5-star release nonetheless.
Free Music Review: The Definitive Edition
Hit: 5 Stars
I see a lot of conflicting reviews here, and frankly, I don't get it. The fact that someone bought the Deluxe Edition of Street Survivors means they probably REALLY liked the standard issue - and any audiophile or big fan of this band should love this release.
Any newbie or casual fan of this band, or anyone who doesn't care if this is the best sounding remaster up to this point, should get the standard edition and save some money. But if you love this band and/or you're looking for the best sounding version of the original album, this is just the ticket. The overall difference in mastering quality isn't tremendous, but inadequacies that existed from song to song on previous editions have been rectified. It's obvious that each track got its own mastering instead of just setting the controls and applying it to the whole album. This was the best way to do this album since it was derived from three different recording studios using three different engineers and three different producers.
The first version of this album, that the band recorded in Miami, is on the second disc, and it's clear why the band didn't like it - it was more laid back and quiet - a departure from the bands rip-roaring and brawling reputation. They added some fire to it when they re-recorded it in Georgia, but the Miami version is still very interesting, and it would have been the album we all know if the band hadn't gotten cold feet!
Free Music Review: Good only as a historical document
Hit: 5 Stars
Bottom line: This album has already been released as a remastered version, and that single disc remastered version is by far the better value, giving you a remaster of this phenomenal album, plus all the true bonus tracks, but without the useless inferior versions of the original tracks.
Here's the story behind this release: Supposedly, it was Kevin Elson (later to become famous as the producer for giant AOR bands like Journey and Mr. Big), working as a studio engineer, who told the band not to release the album that they had recorded with Tom Dowd, which is contained on disc two of this set. Thank GOD they listened to him. This has always been one of my favorite albums, but it's shocking how lifeless and uninteresting the Dowd recordings sound.
I have always wondered what Skynyrd would have created had it not been for the tragedy that followed this album. Since hearing this, though, I have wondered how much better they would have sounded on earlier albums if they had never met Dowd. Disc two of this set is a scathing indictment of Dowd's skills as a producer. It explains, though, why his most famous clients, including the Allman Brothers, Eric Clapton, and Lynyrd Skynyrd, always sounded better live than they did on studio recordings.
Free Music Review: Skynyrd at its peak!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Sometime fate is cruel, and that has never been more apparent than on October 20, 1977, when Skynyrd's plane crashed. They had just released their best album and had recently hired their newest fireball guitarist Steve Gaines, who contributes enormously to this stellar effort. It is one of the worst tragedies in rock and roll that Steve Gaines' light shined so briefly before being taken from us. An amazing guitarist, terrific vocalist and superb songwriter, plus a humble, helluva nice guy to boot, he was just beginning to come into his own on this album. Best of all, he didn't try to leave the other Skynyrd players in the dust; on the contrary, Gary and Allen's playing was kicked up a notch just by Steve's presence! This made the whole band even greater than it was before Gaines' arrival.
This repackaged, redone version of this album is a real treasure. Some of the tracks are like "Ehh--OK, that one wasn't so remarkable...", but if you're really into this album or Skynyrd themselves, it's a real journey back into that time hearing early versions of the songs and all. I think MCA has overdone repackaging of Skynyrd material on the whole, but in this case they really deliver! BUY THIS!
Free Music Review: Street Survivors Deluxe
Hit: 5 Stars
Their last album and probably my favorite and I now have on cd instead of vinyl.Deluxe 30th Anniversary: Disc one as origional October'77.Second disc is the Criteria Studio album recorded 1976-77 and has the origional versions of the songs plus a couple that were left off the re-recorded album.Also has an extended guitar jam of That Smell which differs from final recording and is similar to what they did when played live.Also has last song ever recorded by Ronnie called Jacksonville Kid-new lyrics to Honky Tonk Night Time Man tune.I've never heard this before.
Second part of cd is Live in Fresno August '77 featuring "new songs from our next album" and although the sound isn't 100% it's in the nineties and a good addition to previously released live recordings.Even if you have the origional of this it's worth it to get the Deluxe Edition for the bonus material.