Published on Sep 16, 1999
I’m kind of at a crossroads with Lynyrd Skynyrd. On one hand,
I’ve had the privilege of listening to some classic music from one
of Southern rock’s leading groups, and the work of the Ronnie Van
Zant-era Skynyrd will always live in my mind. Songs like
“Freebird,” “Sweet Home Alabama” and “What’s Your Name,” while
overplayed by classic rock radio, still have the power to have me
singing them full volume wherever I am. (This nearly got me
excommunicated from the church, but that’s another story – when the
lawyers say I can talk about it.)
On the other hand, the band is now thriving under Johnny Van
Zant, as evidenced by the group’s latest release
Edge Of Forever. Having had the good fortune to have seen
them live last year (though I regrettably missed the meet-and-greet
– note to self: always check to see when it’s being held), I know
that the band has gone through the struggles as if they were a new
band who had to prove themselves – and of late, they’ve been
holding court with some great material.
But while
Edge Of Forever is an incredible album, it does leave me at
that impasse. More and more, I hear the balance of power shifting
from original members like guitarist Gary Rossington and
keyboardist Billy Powell, and shifting toward guitarist Rickey
Medlocke (yes, I know he
was an original member way back when) and Johnny Van Zant.
Should I feel sad that, in some ways, the classic Skynyrd sound and
groove is being left behind, or should I celebrate that the band
refuses to follow in the dangerous path of becoming mimics of
themselves?
I guess the old saying, “The proof is in the pudding,” is true,
’cause Lynyrd Skynyrd serves up 12 dishes’ worth that are sure to
have you licking your lips. Johnny Van Zant has been gradually
taking over the place of his late brother in Lynyrd Skynyrd, almost
to the point where one wouldn’t stand there and compare his work to
his brother’s. (The band’s last two albums,
Twenty and the live
Lyve From Steel Town, serve as ample proof of that.) The
comparisons are really unfair now – I mean, Johnny Van Zant’s been
the frontman of the band for 12 years already.
But on
Edge Of Forever, there is no doubt that Johnny Van Zant is
in the house, and he is leading the band into the 21st Century.
Tracks like “Workin'”, “Preacher Man” and “Gone Fishin'” all
testify to this. While there is more of a rock than a country-blues
feel to these songs, you can’t help but enjoy these tracks when you
listen to them – even if you’ve followed the band since the early
days. This is not a bastardization or homogenization of the Skynyrd
sound, as the diehards might think – though it is a change (albeit
one that’s been building over the years) that takes a few minutes
to grow accustomed to.
Edge Of Forever does show that Lynyrd Skynyrd still knows
how to keep even a ballad razor sharp. The two on this disc,
“Tomorrow’s Goodbye” and “Rough Around The Edges,” are beautiful
and interesting; chances are you’ll find yourself going back to at
least one of these tracks regularly.
While it took me one listen to the album to get used to a more
rock-oriented approach, I have to keep in mind that if Lynyrd
Skynyrd were to keep trying to re-create the magic of an album like
Street Survivors, I’d be harping on them to let go of the
past. If anything,
Edge Of Forever embraces the bare minimum of the past to
remind you who you’re listening to while kicking new life into the
group’s sound. (There are some familiar licks taken from other
playbooks, though… listen to “FLA” and try not to think about
Travis Tritt.)
Edge Of Forever is proof that Lynyrd Skynyrd not only still
have some fight in them, but that they carry enough of a punch to
create killer music even after over 25 years together. This album
rightfully belongs next to the classic work of Lynyrd Skynyrd, and
could well be the best album of the Johnny Van Zant era.