| Vicious Cycle - Lynyrd Skynyrd | |
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Reviewed by Jennifer Webb
Most people would not think of country music when they heard Lynyrd Skynrd mentioned, but if you look a bit deeper you would see that they have had influence on many country stars with their blend of southern rock. While most of their songs on Vicious Cycle sound like rock and roll, you still hear a tinge of that down-home country feeling in either the music or lyrics.
The crackling heard in the beginning of "That's How I Like It" adds an old time feeling to the track with a distant bluesy sounding guitar that turns electric and loud. This song is an energetic declaration of what makes them proud - the site of an American flag - and what they truly like about life - loud music, fast cars, ice cold beer, old whiskey, and music turned "way up loud."
The whole band gets together to sing different lines of "Pick 'Em Up," which makes the listener feel like they are a group of old buddies sitting around jamming and playing their instruments together. John sings about having a good life because of Jim Beam and Rickey reminds him of another perk to being around - women. They are all free spirits and though their feet may never be totally on the ground, they will come back every once in awhile after they leave. "Don't miss me when I'm gone, because I'll be around," is what they all sing in the chorus.
"Dead Man Walkin'" is another song with a down home vibe in the beginning of the tune about how a wrong guy was accused and found guilty of murder. The innocent man was walking down the hall to his death because of a dirty lawman and a judge that said he was guilty. The lyrics asks the question of "If put in the same situation of someone hurting your woman, would you pull the trigger if you were standing in his shoes?" to which the reply is basically "of course." You have to do what to need to do sometimes is the message of the song.
"Red White & Blue" is being played on radio stations across the USA along with the great amount of other patriotic tunes out there today. Though they never have claimed to be the perfect gentlemen, they have always appreciated everything about America and have worked hard to be where they are, despite the fact that life was not easy. Their mama may have cried when they were in jail, but she never bailed them out because she knew they would have to learn their lesson in order to never make that mistake again. They prefer to have friends just like them instead of people that act fake and plastic. "My hair's turning white, my neck's always been red, my collar's still blue. We've always been here tryin' to sing the truth to you. Guess you could say we've always been red, white and blue" is how the chorus goes.
One of the only slower songs on the album, "Hell or Heaven" actually turns uptempo after a few lines. Mama always told him that you have a choice of how you want to live your life and you can either enjoy it or not. Look to the sky and the answer should be clear whether you want to live life for all it's worth or walk through fire all of the time. "Remember what mama said that day" and everything will be all right.
Kid Rock joins the group at the end of the album for a high octane rockin' re-make of "Gimme Back My Bullets." Whether you like Kid Rock or not, he fits in perfectly with Lynyrd Skynyrd as they all sing about seeing hard times but walking the straight and narrow now. They want their bullets back so they can put them where they belong and then they vow that they "Aint gonna see no more damage done." The song really gets the listener pumped up and is a perfect way to close "Vicious Cycle."
Song List:
Album cover courtesy of Sanctuary Records.
Sound clips courtesy of Barnes & Noble.
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