Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits [PA] (CD - 1989)

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

Additional personnel: Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence, Steve Madiao (horns); Roosevelt Gook (organ); Al Kooper (Moog synthesizer, piano); Bobbi Hall (percussion); Wicker, Toby, Cockroach, Moochie, Punnel, Wolfman, Kooder, Mr. Feedback, Gooshie (handclaps); Clydie King, Merry Clayton, Cassie Gaines, Jo Billingsley, Leslie Hawkins (background vocals).

Includes two previously unreleased outtakes and a CD-only bonus track.

Personnel: Ronnie Van Zant (vocals, background vocals); Ed King (guitar, slide guitar); Gary Rossington, Allen Collins, Steve Gaines (guitar); Steve Madaio, Trevor Lawrence, Bobby Keys (horns); Al Kooper (piano, Moog synthesizer); Billy Powell (piano); Roosevelt Gook (organ); Bob Burns, Jr., Bob Burns , Artimus Pyle (drums); Mister Feedback, Wicker, Wolfman (hand claps); Bobbye Hall (percussion); Clydie King, Cassie Gaines, Leslie Hawkins, Jo Jo Billingsley, Leon Wilkeson, Merry Clayton (background vocals).

Recording information: ??/1973-04/1977.

Skynyrd's Innyrds: Their Greatest Hits comes close to being a solid single-disc overview of the Southern rockers' biggest hits, but it falls short in a number of important ways. Most notably, "Free Bird" is not in either its studio or live incarnations; it's presented as an outtake, something that will only be of interest to hardcore Lynyrd Skynyrd fans, just like the outtake of "Double Trouble." Also, several major songs -- "Down South Jukin'," "You Got That Right," "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller," "Simple Man," "Tuesday's Gone," "I Know a Little" -- are missing, with album cuts in their place. That said, it has most of the big hits -- "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps," "Saturday Night Special," "What's Your Name," "That Smell," plus "Workin' for MCA" and "Call Me the Breeze," which were not on Gold & Platinum -- which is enough to make it a good sampler, even if it doesn't provide as complete an introduction as Gold & Platinum. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine minimize