Nuthin Fancy

by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Overview

Second Helping brought Lynyrd Skynyrd mass success and for the follow-up they offered Nuthin' Fancy. It was a self-deprecating title for a record that may have offered more of the same, at least on the surface, but was still nearly peerless as a Southern rock record. The biggest difference with this record is that the band, through touring, has become heavier and harder, fitting right in with the heavy album rock bands of the mid-'70s. The second notable difference is that Ronnie Van Zant may have been pressed for material, since there are several songs here that are just good generic rockers. But he and Skynyrd prove that what makes a great band great is how they treat generic material, and Skynyrd makes the whole of Nuthin' Fancy feel every bit as convincing as their first two records. For one, the record has a rawer edge than Second Helping, which helps make the slight preponderance of predictable (but not bad) material easy to accept, since it all sounds so good. Then there's the fact that many of these eight songs still showcase Van Zant at the top of his game, whether it's the storming opener "Saturday Night Special," "Railroad Song," "On the Hunt," or the rollicking "Whiskey Rock-a-Roller." Yes, this does pale in comparison with its predecessors, but most hard rock bands would give their left arm for a record that swaggers and hits as hard as Nuthin' Fancy. [The 1999 MCA reissue adds a pair of bonus tracks: live versions of "Railroad Song" and "On the Hunt."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Product Details

Release Date:	08/03/1999
Label:	Mca
UPC:	0008811202422

Tracks

1. Saturday Night Special
2. Cheatin' Woman
3. Railroad Song
4. I'm a Country Boy
5. On the Hunt
6. Am I Losin'
7. Made in the Shade
8. Whiskey Rock-A Roller
9. Railroad Song
10. On the Hunt

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Lynyrd Skynyrd   Primary Artist
Ronnie Van Zant   Vocals,Multi Instruments
Jimmy Hall   Harp
David Foster   Piano,Keyboards
Bobbye Hall   Percussion
Edward King   Guitar,Soloist,Moog Bass,Slide Guitar,Guitar (Acoustic)
Allen Collins   Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Soloist,Percussion,Moog Synthesizer,Vocals (Background)
Billy Powell   Piano,Keyboards
Ed King   Guitar,Slide Guitar,Fender Rhodes,Guitar (Acoustic)
Gary Rossington   Guitar,Soloist,Guitar (Acoustic)
Leon Wilkeson   Bass,Fender Rhodes,Vocals (Background)
Al Kooper   Organ,Piano,Percussion,Moog Synthesizer,Piano (Electric),Vocals (Background)
Artimus Pyle   Drums,Percussion,Guitar (Acoustic)
Barry Harwood   Dobro,Mandolin

Technical Credits

Ronnie Van Zant   Composer,Lyricist
Michael Braunstein   Remix Assistant
Jim McCrary   Photography
Steve Kessler   Reissue Design
Beth Stempel   Reissue Coordination
Lee Kiefer   Remixing,Mastering
Rodney Mills   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Jeff Lancaster   Reissue Design
Edward King   Composer
Kenneth Duncan   Mastering
Allen Collins   Composer
Andy McKaie   Reissue Coordination
Billy Powell   Composer
Ed King   Composer
Gary Rossington   Composer
Doug Schwartz   Assembly,Audio Restoration,Digital Remastering
DeWayne Blackwell   Composer
Ron O'Brien   Liner Notes,Photo Research,Reissue Producer
Al Kooper   Composer,Engineer,Producer,Remixing
Dave Evans   Engineer,Assistant Engineer
Kalifornia Kurt Kinzel   Remix Assistant
Larry Bastian   Composer
Vartan   Reissue Art Director