Lynyrd Skynyrd
Southern By The Grace Of God

THE REVIEW

A tiny review for an album that is not essential, not a milestone, not even representative of the band's best period who recorded it. This album is born from an emotion and is recorded on dozens of stages amidst a great emotion, and this emotion still bears witness today to those who listen to it.

It's 1987 and the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd feel the need and duty to offer a celebratory tour for the decade since their disbandment. A tragic blow, lead singer and lead guitarist: think if Page & Plant, or Blackmore & Gillan had left their respective bands; a fatal blow for Lynyrd and a hard hit for all southern rock, which was already living in the myth of Duane Allman. On the anniversary, Johnny Van Zant takes his brother's microphone, and friends and old comrades are recruited to reform the famous trio guitar barrage, as poor Allen Collins is definitely out due to a car accident the previous year. The idea is to do a short celebratory tour with the Confederate flag on the shields, the Stetson proudly on the head, a handful of classics, and lots of sweat and emotion on stage and among the audience. The first concerts will actually be so successful that they push the band to extend the tour, and the following year to organize a permanent reunion, which will prove to be much more than dignified with excellent and honest studio albums and always fiery concerts.

The following year, record buyers find this double live album on the shelves, full of the band's classics (and therefore southern classics) and reverent guests, Charlie Daniels, Steve Morse, Toy Caldwell. A remarkable, muscular, moving, and roaring set (incredible "Call Me The Breeze"), which finds its logical and expected conclusion in a very proud version of the immortal 'Sweet Home Alabama' (introduced by the southern anthem 'Dixie') and then offers the final catharsis of an unforgettable 'Free Bird.' It shouldn't be necessary to explain what 'Free Bird' is for American music and rock in general. The most memorable guitar journey of all time, introduced by a wonderful ballad for piano, organ, and slide guitar, culminates in this 1987 in a moving and emotive rite that touches fifteen minutes. The song starts, and people get wildly excited, and Johnny Van Zant raises the Confederate flag once again and turns all the microphones towards the audience, because Ronnie died ten years earlier in the plane crash and now “that” song has to be sung by the audience. As the live album testifies, the fans will sing the entire famous lyrics in a proud and stentorian chorus throughout the tour, before the three guitars launch, as ten years earlier, into a tremendous jam on three equally famous chords, the guitars showcase all the virtuosity and pain of the smoking fingers and the relentless time that has taken away so many friends, and everything explodes in a grand and triumphant finale.

As I admitted, it is not “the” album to have by Lynyrd Skynyrd – buy 'One More From The Road' first – but the emotion of the listening is great and every self-respecting fan has certainly dedicated a special place to “Southern By The Grace Of God.”