One thing about Freebird

[Faber]

It's actually a really good song - sure it's overblown and I'm sure that to an american audience it's played to death, but take that away and there's a very good song played by a kicking band. Besides, the song was never played much here in Denmark - I can't remember it ever being played on the radio or by a bar band, so it haven't been worn completely out. I was just listening to One More From the Road last night, and that version is good fun rock and roll.

[Elias Graves]

I wish I lived in Denmark.

 

EG

[cratz2]

I like the song and I only heard it eleventy times yesterday.

[Kevman]

Being an American only means that we have heard the song 875,432 more times than you. It's still a great song, I personally don't listen to music on the radio much so nothing gets overplayed unless I want it to. If I want to hear Freebird I can just find it on my MP3 player and hear it. I don't know if the classic rock stations still overplay it as there are so many other great songs from Skynyrd to choose from.

[aenemated]

the one thing that i can't stand about freebird ... is, and yes allen collins recorded a great performance ... but his approach to that solo is to just play the same lick over and over again then choose another lick and play THAT one over and over again then go back to the first one and play it over and over again ...

 

then you have a 5 minute solo.

 

come on, dude - you were better than that.

[BG76]

Most songs that are played so much they're cliche are great songs.

[Elias Graves]

there are so many other great songs from Skynyrd to choose from.

 

Ballad of Curtis Loew.

 

EG

[aenemated]

"four walls of raiford" is a {censored}ing beautiful, brilliant song.

[BeanoBoy]

 

the one thing that i can't stand about freebird ... is, and yes allen collins recorded a great performance ... but his approach to that solo is to just play the same lick over and over again then choose another lick and play THAT one over and over again then go back to the first one and play it over and over again ... then you have a 5 minute solo. come on, dude - you were better than that.

 

Free Bird was definitely Allan's claim to fame. I agree, it's basically made up of Repetitive Clapton Cream licks. I always felt non-musicians held Free Bird in higher esteem than most musicians, resulting in ALL of us HAVING to play it back in the day. Skynyrd were better at concise solos. Ed King and Steve Gaines had serious chops, Gary Rossington and Allan Collins were frankly, average players. Still, a fine band who wrote and arranged some classic stuff. Gotta give Ronnie mucho props for his songwriting contributions.

[aenemated]

man, steve gaines had a lot to offer. it's a goddamn shame he was lost so early.

 

ronnie, as well.

 

i have no doubt he would NOT dig the direction his stupid brother has taken that band.

[fu2jobu]

Great Song but after hearing it 20,000 times I wouldn't miss it if I didn't hear it again for another 10 years.

[drawdeep]

Big Skynyrd fan...

 

I saw them do it a few weeks ago on a TV show here and I enjoyed it, but I was thinking about 3/4 of the way through that was about enough

[MrChitlins]

man, steve gaines had a lot to offer. it's a goddamn shame he was lost so early. ronnie, as well. i have no doubt he would NOT dig the direction his stupid brother has taken that band.

 

Truth.

[Surfdude]

Best 12 minute song out there. I saw old Skynard concert footage with Peter Frampton filling in on guitar. He tore that song up.

 

Surfy

[catscurlyear]

saw skynyrd at knebworth 1976 with the stones,10cc,todd rundgren and a couple of other bands ,skynyrd were massive at that time and i think everyone and his dog came to hear the freebird solo, funny thing is when it got to that solo the mixer guy didn`t put it up in the mix you couldn`t hear it ,people were just looking at each other and saying i can`t hear it:cry: ,don`t know why? , it did piss a few people off, i have seen that particular concert footage of freebird since and the solo is mixed fine on that. allen collins wrote good solo`s .

[soundcreation]

 

Best 12 minute song out there. I saw old Skynard concert footage with Peter Frampton filling in on guitar. He tore that song up. Surfy

 

 

Rhyme of the ancient mariner...maiden.....

 

WAAAAAYYYYY better.

[Oldskool Texas]

I loved Freebird when I was 17. Then I grew up and realized what bull{censored} it is, from start to finish. Sophomoric lyrics, and a self-indulgent solo. I'm glad I bought "Second Helping," as it is perhaps their only redeeming album, IMO.

[fu2jobu]

 

Rhyme of the ancient mariner...maiden..... WAAAAAYYYYY better.

 

 

Good musicianship, bad song.

[EADGBE]

 

It's actually a really good song - sure it's overblown and I'm sure that to an american audience it's played to death, but take that away and there's a very good song played by a kicking band. Besides, the song was never played much here in Denmark - I can't remember it ever being played on the radio or by a bar band, so it haven't been worn completely out. I was just listening to One More From the Road last night, and that version is good fun rock and roll.

 

 

What does it sound like to Danish people? Over here we call it southern rock. Yeah I really liked the song too when I first heard it. They do tend to play it too much here on radio though.

 

Here's a couple more songs by Lynyrd Skynyrd you'd probably like:

 

Tuesday's Gone

Simple Man

Don't Ask Me No Questions

On the Hunt

[mockchoi]

You know, I (an American) actually can't remember the last time I heard that song. I'm sure it's been years.

[guitarman3001]

 

the one thing that i can't stand about freebird ... is, and yes allen collins recorded a great performance ... but his approach to that solo is to just play the same lick over and over again then choose another lick and play THAT one over and over again then go back to the first one and play it over and over again ... then you have a 5 minute solo. come on, dude - you were better than that.

 

 

I disagree. Repetition is what makes that solo great. It fits the song perfectly and is one of the great guitar solos of all time.

[Angry Tele]

not a bad song but the solo is absolutley horrible. Its crazy because Steve Gaines is pretty damn good. I just dont get that weedly, bull{censored} lick solo that just goes on and on forever.

[bonaventura]

well im 33 and rather ashamed to tell you that i just heard the song a couple of days ago. and i like it

 

an office colleague is starting up a classic rock band so he is pouring his personal faves on me last week.

 

have heard the solo lick a couple of times before. one was, i think, featured in one of dream theater's live performances and i think for a fraction of a second, i went like "whose song was that?" but never really bothered to look for it.

 

im psyched to do our first rehearsal

[catscurlyear]

not a bad song but the solo is absolutley horrible. Its crazy because Steve Gaines is pretty damn good. I just dont get that weedly, bull{censored} lick solo that just goes on and on forever.

i suppose you had to be their back in the day to appreciate it, there hadn`t been any epic solo`s like that on the commercial scene before it, apart from stairway to heaven , steve gains was brought in to replace king who had that off the top of the head loose feel about his playing which complemeted collins who constructed his solo`s.

[guitarman3001]

 

not a bad song but the solo is absolutley horrible. Its crazy because Steve Gaines is pretty damn good. I just dont get that weedly, bull{censored} lick solo that just goes on and on forever.

 

 

Just curious, how old are you? That is one of the classic solos of all time. Personally, I love playing it.

 

I'm guessing you don't like southern rock in general? A ton of southern rock songs have epic leads that go on forever. Highway Song, Green Grass And High Tides, a ton of Allman Brothers songs, etc...