Lynyrd Skynyrd
The Last Rebel

THE REVIEW

The Lynyrd Skynyrd, the last rebels of rock. Never was a definition more fitting for the historic ensemble from Jacksonville, Florida. A group that has navigated, over six decades of history, an endless sequence of troubles as they have, you won't find easily in the history of Rock but, against all odds, they are still here. Indeed, news has recently emerged about both the release of the self-celebratory "One More For The Fans", a concert album that pays tribute, with a plethora of guests, to all that was and perhaps will be, and about Gary Rossington's heart attack, in the series "the misfortunes never end". Members change, some leave, unfortunately forever, some occasionally return: that's how it is, for years now, the Lynyrd Skynyrd should be seen more like a big family, sometimes held together also by real family bonds, than just a "simple" band playing rock'n'roll.

The tragedy of '77 has been discussed endlessly, as much as the fact that a charismatic figure like Ronnie Van Zant is hardly replaceable without the risk of appearing ridiculous. The Skynyrd members themselves were the first to realize this but, despite a thousand doubts, in the end, the sense of redemption prevailed and the long-awaited reunion materialized at the end of the eighties, bringing some old friends and a few new faces back on stage. From that moment the Skynyrd circus never stopped, even in the face of the most tragic moments, almost as if, after everything that happened, just thinking of the word "end" would be a mortal sin.

Of the many albums released from the nineties onwards, this "The Last Rebel" is usually considered one of the best. Released in '93, it follows two years after "Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991", which had officially, at least from a discographic point of view, restarted the career of the band, and presents a group in great shape, cohesive and absolutely inspired. For the record, it should be mentioned that Artimus Pyle, the historic drummer of the Southerners, dropped out sometime before the recordings, being permanently replaced by Kurt Custer, already behind the percussion in a previous incarnation of the band.

From a strictly musical standpoint, the coordinates on which the Americans move are the same as always, namely a warm and engaging rock characterized by the legendary "triple guitar attack", Billy Powell's piano, and Johnny Van Zant's voice.

"Good Loving's Hard to Find", placed at the opening, brings to mind some of the best passages of "Street Survivors", perhaps the last true masterpiece of the group: fast and exhilarating, it seems written just to make it clear that the band hasn't come back just for pure nostalgia but has a lot more to say. "One Thing", with its rhythmic pace and "Can't Take That Away," enriched by a heartfelt interpretation by Van Zant and Dale Krantz's choir, confirm the group's state of grace.
In the Jacksonville area, they must have grown up on bread and sweaty, authentic rock, and it shows: "Best Things in Life", which also boasts Tom Keifer of Cinderella as a co-writer, is one of the album's pinnacle moments, also thanks to truly splendid guitarists. Here, Skynyrd objectively could still rely on some of their best and most representative musicians: Billy Powell was on keyboards, Leon Wilkeson wielded the bass, and Ed King his guitar. All musicians of absolute caliber, practically always in the group, who managed to embellish every single passage with grace and style, authors of genuine and heartfelt rock, far from certain excesses that instead have characterized the latest incarnations of the American formation. "The Last Rebel", the track that gives the title to the entire work, with its dark and majestic progress, perfectly embodies this phase of the group: the words refer to the Civil War but seem to tell the unfortunate but proud story of the Skynyrd themselves, of the outcasts who, despite everything, are still here, defying their adverse fate.
"Kiss Your Freedom Goodbye" is another great track: Van Zant's nostalgic rhetoric, eternal bard of that rural and conservative America forever closed in on itself and wary of any change, might seem annoying to many, but after all, these bands have always been the voice of a very specific social and political context, so certain positions should not be so surprising.
"Love Don't Always Come Easy" is the inevitable ballad, a demonstration that to make rock, you don't always need to have the amplifiers on full blast. "Born to Run", on the other hand, is the grand finale, one of the best Skynyrd pieces of all time, also thanks to the long instrumental part which reminds us, if ever necessary, of what kind of musician Billy Powell was and the weight he had in the band's dynamic: a piano never intrusive but always present, with its elegant and refined sound. In the current Lynyrd Skynyrd, his absence, unfortunately, is perhaps felt more than others.

"The Last Rebel", ultimately, is a great album, one of the best composed by the current situation of the Americans also because, as mentioned before, it could still rely on the presence of many of their historic members, which is no small thing. Technique is one thing, class is another: it's now clear that the Skynyrd will go on until the end of time, but certain musicians are practically irreplaceable, even when the latest arrivals are among the best session musicians around.

The album truly contains various substantial materials, too bad that the Skynyrd themselves have never done much to make it known to the wider public, a trend that has characterized much of their post-reunion career: live, only the great classics are always reprised, those from the seventies, and all the good things done more recently rarely stay in the setlist for more than one promotional tour. It might be time to refresh the repertoire, also to show that, although the historic Skynyrd ended with a tragic plane crash, there has been life after that unfortunate event.

Absolutely recommended album, therefore, which can count on musicians in great shape and beautiful songs, that has nothing to envy to the classics of the past and can proudly carry the Lynyrd Skynyrd name prominently on the cover. Not bad, I would say.

"The Last Rebel":

1. Good Lovin's Hard to Find
2. One Thing
3. Can't Take That Away
4. Best Things in Life
5. The Last Rebel
6. Outta Hell in My Dodge
7. Kiss Your Freedom Goodbye

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