Second Helping [Bonus Tracks] [Remaster] (CD - 1974)

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Ronnie Van Zant (vocals); Ed King (guitar, bass); Gary Rossington, Allen Collins (guitar); Billy Powell (keyboards); Leon Wilkeson (bass, background vocals); Bob Burns (drums).

Additional personnel: Al Kooper (acoustic guitar, piano, background vocals); Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madiao (horns); Mike Porter (drums); Clydie King, Merry Clayton (background vocals).

Recorded at the Record Plant, Los Angeles and Studio One Doraville, Georgia in January, 1974.

SECOND HELPING is also available with PRONOUNCED LEH'NERD SKIN'ERD on one cassette.

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Leon Wilkeson (bass instrument); Bob Burns (drums); Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant, Billy Powell, Ed King.

Personnel: Ronnie Van Zant (vocals, guitar, background vocals); Clydie King, Merry Clayton (vocals, background vocals); Allen Collins (guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, background vocals); Gary Rossington (guitar, electric guitar); Ed King (guitar, slide guitar); Trevor Lawrence, Bobby Keys (saxophone, horns); Steve Madaio (trumpet, horns); Steve Madeo, Bobby Keyes (horns); Billy Powell (piano, keyboards); Leon Wilkeson (bass guitar, background vocals); Bob Burns, Jr., Bob Burns , Mike Porter (drums); Mister Feedback, Wicker, Wolfman, Toby (hand claps).

Additional personnel: Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Steve Madaio, Trevor Lawrence, Bobby Keys.

Audio Remixer: Al Kooper.

Liner Note Authors: Hideki Masubuchi; Ron O'Brien.

Recording information: Record Plant, LA, CA (11/04/1997); Studio One, Doraville, GA (11/04/1997); The Record Plant, Los Angeles, CA (11/04/1997).

Photographer: Norman Seeff.

It was hard to believe that Lynyrd Skynyrd could possibly top its classic, near-perfect 1973 debut, PRONOUNCED LEH-NERD SKIN-NERD. However, the boys from Florida accomplished the near-impossible with their sophomore release one year later, SECOND HELPING. It's hard to determine the better album of the two, but both proved to be a solid one-two punch that made Lynyrd Skynyrd one of the '70s' biggest (and unfortunately, most tragic) rock bands.

SECOND HELPING also helped define and create the Southern rock movement, as proven by such tracks as the classic anthem "Sweet Home Alabama" (which include the now-famous dig at Neil Young), the cautionary rocker "The Needle & the Spoon," and the biographical tale of "Workin' For MCA." With its fine writing and playing, and scores of hard-hitting Southern rock riffs and grooves, SECOND HELPING assured Skynyrd's ascendancy to rock stardom and FM radio immortality.

Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote the book on Southern rock with their first album, so it only made sense that they followed it for their second album, aptly titled Second Helping. Sticking with producer Al Kooper (who, after all, discovered them), the group turned out a record that replicated all the strengths of the original, but was a little tighter and a little more professional. It also revealed that the band, under the direction of songwriter Ronnie Van Zant, was developing a truly original voice. Of course, the band had already developed their own musical voice, but it was enhanced considerably by Van Zant's writing, which was at turns plainly poetic, surprisingly clever, and always revealing. Though Second Helping isn't as hard a rock record as Pronounced, it's the songs that make the record. "Sweet Home Alabama" became ubiquitous, yet it's rivaled by such terrific songs as the snide, punkish "Workin' for MCA," the Southern groove of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," the affecting "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," and "The Needle and the Spoon," a drug tale as affecting as their rival Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done," but much harder rocking. This is the part of Skynyrd that most people forget -- they were a great band, but they were indelible because that was married to great writing. And nowhere was that more evident than on Second Helping. [The 1997 MCA reissue adds three bonus tracks: the single version of "Don't Ask Me No Questions," a demo of "Was I Right or Wrong," and "Take Your Time."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize