''Skynyrd Frynds'' is a tribute album to the American

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar specula ...

band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 1994 on

MCA Records MCA Records was an American record label owned by MCA Inc., which later became part of Universal Music Group. Pre-history MCA Inc., a powerful talent agency and a television production company, entered the recorded music business in 1962 w ...

. It features

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s of ten Lynyrd Skynyrd songs, as performed by various

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

artists. The album reached #8 on

Top Country Albums Top Country Albums is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The 50-position chart lists the most popular country music albums in the country, calculated weekly by Broadcast Data Systems based on physical sales ...

upon its release. The album was executive produced by Gary Rossington.

Content

The album was executive-produced by Lynyrd Skynyrd member Gary Rossington.

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

's rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama" includes a rewritten verse, which omits the references to Watergate and George Wallace. Wynonna's rendition of "Free Bird" was later included on her 1996 album '' Revelations'', and Sammy Kershaw's "I Know a Little" was later included on his 2000 album '' Covers the Hits''.

Confederate Railroad Confederate Railroad (originally known as "Confederate RR") is an American country rock band founded in 1987 in Marietta, Georgia, by Danny Shirley (lead vocals), Michael Lamb (lead guitar), Mark Dufresne (drums), Chris McDaniel (keyboards), War ...

's version of " Simple Man" also appeared on the band's 1998 album '' Keep On Rockin'''. "Tuesday's Gone" by

Hank Williams Jr. Randall Hank Williams (born May 26, 1949), known professionally as Hank Williams Jr. or Bocephus, is an American singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of southern rock, blues, and country. He is the son of ...

was originally included on his 1988 album '' Wild Streak''.

Critical reception

Giving it three stars out of five,

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

reviewer William Ruhlmann said, "For the most part, those performers display a knowledge of Lynyrd Skynyrd's work and an affection for it." He cited

Travis Tritt James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...

's,

Sammy Kershaw Samuel Paul Kershaw (born February 24, 1958) is an American country music artist. He has released 16 studio albums, with three RIAA platinum certifications and two gold certifications among them. More than 25 singles have entered the Top 40 on the ...

's and Steve Earle's performance as the strongest on the album, but called Alabama's "Sweet Home Alabama" cover "gimmicky" and said of Wynonna's "Free Bird" that she "ends up undercutting its power." ''

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'' critic Dave McKenna gave a mostly favorable review, saying "the country stars on ''Frynds'' don't hide their reverence and affection for the material or its creators," but criticizing the album for not showing the band's "lighter side."

Track listing

Chart performance

Albums

Singles

References

{{Authority control Country albums by American artists Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute albums MCA Records compilation albums Country music compilation albums 1994 compilation albums Country rock compilation albums Southern rock compilation albums