Very few bands in the history of rock ‘n’ roll have had the highs and lows of Skynyrd and even fewer have such a legacy of outstanding music. The most blue collar and down to earth honest band in the United States, when they announced their decision to do one last, farewell, tour it was with a bittersweet acceptance that their countless fans around the globe reacted. Here was a band who had paid their dues many times over and were still hitting the roads year after year, bringing great new material and some true classics to thousands at each show.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp5u_DFTl1k&w=560&h=315]
It was though time to slow things down and, if ‘Last of the Street Survivors’ is to be their swansong then there is no finer way to end their recording career. One of the most deeply personal tracks they’ve ever written, it’s a brilliant and heartfelt tribute to their fallen comrades, capturing the very essence of what’s made them so popular over the years.
The undisputed Kings of Southern Rock, this can stand proudly alongside some of their best ballads, the guitarwork of Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Mark Matejka gleaming like polished chrome and Johnny Van Zant’s soulful vocals arguably a career best. With one last album on its way there’s never been a better reason to raise a glass to fallen friends and salute a band of brothers who came out of Jacksonville and changed the world.
Review by Paul Monkhouse for MPM
