Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping
- FaceOff - עימות חזיתי
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Written By: Moti Kupfer
Release date - 15.04.1974
“Lynyrd Skynyrd” was a band built on Southern pride. They knew how to love, and they knew how to hate.
Ask Leonard Skinner, the gym teacher they disliked so much that they ended up naming the band after him. And above all, they knew how to play rock, infused with touches of blues and country.
Ronnie Van Zant, known as both the leader and the band’s enforcer, was a man who demanded the absolute maximum from his bandmates. He pushed them relentlessly through rehearsals, often isolating them from the outside world. That intensity paid off, as it sharpened their playing into a tight and powerful unit.
The band’s guitarists were defined by a highly technical style. Van Zant dubbed them the “Three Guitar Army”, and referred to their sound as a “Triple Guitar Attack”.
Speaking of Ronnie Van Zant, he was a man full of pride. He would not let anyone walk over him, certainly not Neil Young. Referring to Young’s songs “Alabama” and “Southern Man”, which dealt with racism and slavery in the American South, Van Zant once said that they felt Young was overreaching in his criticism.
Deep down, beneath his tough exterior, Van Zant actually respected Neil Young. He saw him as an uncompromising artist, someone unafraid to challenge the South and force it to confront its own realities.
The response from Van Zant and his bandmates came swiftly with "Sweet Home Alabama", a Southern rock anthem that served both as a direct answer to Young and, in its own way, an acknowledgment of the broader conversation about racism.
The members of “Lynyrd Skynyrd” were closely identified with the American South, and Van Zant himself would often perform wrapped in the Confederate flag, a symbol that later became strongly associated with the band’s image among fans.
Despite this, the band consistently denied accusations of racism. They maintained that they were simply a traditional Southern band, with no racist agenda behind their music or identity.
Following a debut album "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd" that featured the immortal "Free Bird", their fan base continued to grow rapidly throughout 1973, largely thanks to their role as the opening act on "Quadrophenia" Tour by "The Who" in the United States.
Their second album, “Second Helping”, featured Ed King, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington, who collaborated with Ronnie Van Zant on songwriting duties.
Having already developed their musical identity, the band reinforced it on “Second Helping” through Van Zant’s writing, which became more direct, poetic, surprising, and revealing than ever.
His lyrics told stories with both contemporary and historical weight, including nods to Neil Young, alongside a refreshing cover of J. J. Cale’s "Call Me the Breeze".
In "I Need You", a long and slow blues ballad, Van Zant declares unconditional love to his partner just before heading out on yet another tour.
In "Don't Ask Me No Questions", the band channels the sense of inexperience they felt in their early days, as they faced overwhelming demands from agents, managers, and record labels.
Despite the criticism and pressure surrounding them, “Lynyrd Skynyrd” also had a few kind words for their label, MCA Records. Producer Al Kooper, in his memoir “Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards”, vividly described the studio where “Second Helping” was recorded as a symbol of Hollywood decadence and indulgence, filled with all the trademarks of the 1970s, from jacuzzis and bedrooms inside the building to groupies roaming the halls and a staff instructed to fulfill every whim of their guests.
The story of Curtis Loew in "The Ballad of Curtis Loew", a Black man who played blues on his resonator guitar and dobro and was considered the finest picker to ever play the blues, was written by Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Allen Collins. According to Ed King, who joined the band in 1972, Curtis Loew was actually a composite character, inspired by several real people, including Shorty Medlocke, the grandfather of Rickey Medlocke, who had played guitar in an early version of “Lynyrd Skynyrd”.
In "The Needle and the Spoon", Van Zant warns about the dangers of hard drug addiction, a struggle the band itself was already beginning to face.
The album closes with the cover of "Call Me the Breeze" by J. J. Cale. The song tells the story of a man who goes wherever the weather takes him, free from the weight of the world on his shoulders. It was a fitting statement for Cale, who made a conscious effort to keep things simple and stay out of the spotlight, embracing a philosophy of enjoying life’s simplicity and following wherever the wind may lead.
For Listening: Spotify, Apple Music
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