Lynyrd Skynyrd - Second Helping [180g Black Vinyl LP]

Second Helping turned Lynyrd Skynyrd from a promising Southern rock outfit into one of rock's essential acts. Released in April 1974 and produced by Al Kooper, the album introduced the band's signature three-guitar attack, with Allen Collins, Ed King, and Gary Rossington trading and layering parts in a way that no other rock band of the era could replicate. Ronnie Van Zant's songwriting was sharper and more assured than on the debut, and the album cemented the Jacksonville quintet as standard-bearers of the Southern rock genre. This 180-gram reissue brings the original eight-track program back to vinyl.

"Sweet Home Alabama" is the undeniable centerpiece, a song so deeply embedded in American rock culture that it barely needs an introduction. But the album earns its reputation well beyond that one anthem. "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" is Van Zant at his most affecting as a storyteller, "Don't Ask Me No Questions" swaggers with good-natured defiance, and the band's take on J.J. Cale's "Call Me the Breeze" is as loose and confident a cover as they ever recorded.

Pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, this 2015 reissue replicates the original MCA rainbow label artwork. No mastering credits are specifically associated with this pressing, but listener reports consistently note a quiet, well-centered cut.

• Format: 180g Black Vinyl LP
• Standout Tracks: "Sweet Home Alabama," "The Ballad of Curtis Loew," "Don't Ask Me No Questions," "Workin' For MCA," "Call Me The Breeze"
• Pressing Details: MCA Rainbow Label Reproduction
• Genre/Style: Southern Rock, Hard Rock, Blues Rock, Classic Rock, Heartland Rock
• UPC: 600753550175

Second Helping remains one of the defining statements of Southern rock, a record built on three interlocking guitars, Van Zant's uncommon gift for storytelling, and a loose, confident energy that no amount of classic rock radio play has ever managed to diminish.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Sweet Home Alabama
2. I Need You
3. Don't Ask Me Questions
4. Working For MCA

Side B:

1. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
2. Swamp Music
3. The Needle And The Spoon
4. Call Me The Breeze