The Rossington Collins Band
Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere

THE REVIEW

Two years after the plane crash tragedy of the Lynyrd Skynyrd, the two guitarists Gary Rossington and Allen Collins formed a new band, convinced they needed to let the spirit of the previous group rest for at least a few years. The formation thus took the name of Rossington Collins Band, and the structure was not much different from that of Lynyrd: three guitars (in addition to their two, there was Barry Lee Harwood's), a drummer named Derek Hess, and old companions Billy Powell and Leon Wilkinson on keyboard and bass, respectively. The only real difference was in the choice of singer: replacing the charismatic figure of Ronnie Van Zant was Dale Krantz, previously backing vocalist for 38 Special and the future Mrs. Rossington.

With this lineup, only two albums were released within a span of two years, after which their careers diverged only to reunite at the 1987 reunion of Lynyrd Skynyrd. "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" is the freshest and most original of the two albums, even though the sound recalls Lynyrd Skynyrd 100%. This is noticeable from the first song, the very Southern "Prime Time" up to the golden finale of "Sometimes You Can Put It Out".

Krantz's voice is the only real novelty in the overall sound, and what a voice! Bad, hoarse, low, and damned intense, it does not clash at all in a predominantly male genre; just listen to her performances in the stunning "Three Time As Bad," a slow track in the style of "Tuesday's Gone" complete with a near-identical keyboard solo. Then you move on through the notes of "Don't Misunderstand Me," a targeted duet between the singer and the third guitarist with its highs and lows, which managed to excite America, making the single go gold. Fantastic and slightly different in style is "One Good Man" where the organ takes center stage, followed by the splendid "Opportunity" and "Getaway" which together form the only ideas that slightly distinguish themselves from the sound that the musicians had previously created.

But the riffs of the two guys soon come back into play. Listening to "Winners And Losers" and "Misery Loves Company" there's no mistaking it; it's really them and they're in excellent shape.

The overall work is therefore very interesting precisely because of that contrast between the musicians and the singer, especially for those accustomed to the voice of Ronnie Van Zandt.

The group nonetheless seemed to have the approval of both the public and critics, ready to take off between 1979 and 1980, but many problems for Allen Collins brought the project to a grinding halt. After the death of his pregnant partner Kathy in a car accident, the guitarist began leaving the stage several times during concerts, and gradually did not show up in the studio anymore. But his misfortunes were not over because after a drunk driving accident, he was confined to a wheelchair, from where he could only watch the reunion of his Skynyrd mates before dying of pneumonia in 1990.

Gary Rossington, on the other hand, fared better: he still embarks on many tours today with his wife Dale Krantz, sometimes with Lynyrd (or rather, the ghost of what they once were) and sometimes solo.

The great family of the sweet home Alabama company has always had very bad luck (or simply bad purple luck) because almost every surviving member has had to face complicated situations over the course of their life. But one thing is certain, they all contributed to making the group one of the cornerstones of the American myth.