Lynyrd Skynyrd - Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd
Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd was released as a debut album in August 1973. The album launched Lynyrd Skynyrd across the US and to a worldwide audience. It was very successful for a first release and contained four of their five most popular songs.
The band seemed to appear out of nowhere and then into the charts. But like many groups, their apparent overnight success came after years of hard graft. They first emerged as My Backyard in 1964 and went through a few name revisions before reaching their final title of Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1969. They based that on an old high school teacher Leonard Skinner.
Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd was quite a triumph and a double platinum album in the US. Many of the tracks from the album remained firm favorites afterward. In particular, “Freebird” is nine minutes of sheer delight.
This debut album has several of the band's most popular songs based on downloads including “Gimme Three Steps” and one of the first rock-based power ballads, “Tuesday’s Gone”.
Although the lineup has changed dramatically over the years, especially impacted, of course, by the horrific air crash in 1977, a version of the band continues to play live. Currently part of The Sharp Dressed Simple Man Tour with ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd still features those great four tracks from that first album on their setlist.