Studio: Eagle Rock Entertainment EV 30260-9
Video: 4:3 fullscreen color
Audio: DTS 5.1, DD 5.1, DD Stereo
Extras: Bonus Tracks
Subtitles: None
Length: 119 minutes
Rating: ***
Being a teenager in the south in the early seventies, I heard my share of “Southern Rock” from a host of groups such as the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, Atlanta Rhythm Section and, of course, Lynyrd Skynyrd. Surprisingly, I had a somewhat low regard for Lynyrd Skynyrd, considering them to be just a bunch of marginally talented rednecks at best. A friend of mine had tickets to see them at the University of Georgia Coliseum, and with a great deal of badgering, I went along and begrudgingly forked over the exorbitant $8 fee for the ticket. What I saw there stunned and amazed me, to say the least – these guys were truly consummate musicians and showmen, and they plowed through a two-hour-plus set that showed an amazing range of influences from jazz to blues and much more. Needless to say, my opinion changed overnight, and I became a huge fan of the band, seeing them whenever possible. Unfortunately, the plane crash that took the lives of band and crew members happened in my freshman year of college, and the group was, for me, just not the same when they reformed years later. I do appreciate Johnny Van Zant’s attempt to resurrect his older brother Ronnie’s legacy (Ronnie Van Zant was among those killed in the crash), but I just don’t think he’s anywhere near the artist and showman that Ronnie Van Zant was. Regardless, an incarnation of the band still soldiers on to this day.
The two concert events that this DVD documents are both from the archives of the German television series Rockpalast. The bulk of the program dates from a 1996 performance of one of the later incarnations of the band at the Loreley Festival. And while fans of the later versions of the group will probably be quite thrilled by the performances captured here, they mostly reinforced for me my own personal opinions about the quality and direction of the band that just no longer appealed to me. However, I will say that the newer group – here captured live – impressed me much more with their handling of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s signature tunes “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Free Bird” than they ever did with any of the original material contained in any of their studio recordings. For me, the real value of this disc lies in the three songs taken from a 1974 studio performance in Hamburg, where we get to see the original band at work, and they deliver the goods so effectively that you just can’t help wishing there was more.
From a technical standpoint, this disc is all over the map, which is really to be expected from archival material. While the entire disc is only in a fullscreen aspect ration, the 1996 event has a really crisp and clear picture with excellent contrast and color representation. The 1974 footage is much more variable in quality, with intermittent moments of clarity mixed with near total fuzz in some places. Fortunately, the sound quality is pretty good, if not great, but again – for archival material such as this, it’s really pretty much the norm.
If you’re a huge fan of the group, this disc is a definite no-brainer, and it’s really great to see the original lineup and experience again what a superb rock band they were. Recommended.
TrackList: Workin’ For MCA; I Ain’t The One; Down South Jukin’; Double Trouble; I Know A Little; Saturday Night Special; Swamp Music; What’s Your Name; That Smell; Simple Man; Gimme Three Steps; Call Me The Breeze; Sweet Home Alabama; Free Bird.
— Tom Gibbs
