![]() ![]() Plant – the Mighty Ones were just going to pummel you with the Hammer Of The Gods(tm) and you were gonna like it. There was never any “How can we please you” chatter from Mr. Zeppelin, on the other hand, were an entity unto themselves. This is obvious to anyone who’s ever been to a Skynyrd show, and, to a lesser extent, an Outlaws show. They encouraged the fans express themselves freely, no matter the personal disgrace. You see, Skynyrd was a much more egalitarian band. As one Tom Clark from this long forgotten listserv conversation put it: They never cared what you wanted to hear. Now, Zeppelin would NEVER beseech the crowd for requests. The overwhelming answer is “Freebird,” a response which some believe this now all-too-lame tradition is paying homage to. During a break on Skynyrd’s One More From the Road live album, Ronnie Van Zant asks the crowd what they want to hear. The answer may be in another theory of the tradition’s origin. Why? And why do some dopes still call for it from bands who have no business covering Southern Rock? Does anyone really expect indie rockers to bust out some Steve Gaines licks? But in the end, “Freebird” wins out as the Grande Dame of cover songs. Both songs do have immediately identifiable chord progressions that are sure to raise the Bud-filled glasses of roughnecks throughout the nation and are therefore perfect as lubrication for a hostile audience. But who am I to question the masses? These are the two songs that EVERY guitar player in the world can play (to varying degrees of success). Odd choices if you ask me since they’re both pseudo-ballads that jar the unsuspecting slow dancer into a weird funk as they both crescendo into 70s rock guitar bliss. In the late 70s, two songs in particular were most prevalent: Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and Skynyrd’s “Freebird.” Most bands have a go-to cover that they can pull out to win over an audience. An extension that was well past its relevancy some 10 and 15 years after half of Skynyrd was wiped out in a plane crash, but an extension nonetheless. As a teenager going to concerts, I thought it was just the natural extension of yelling for requests. ![]() Like most traditions, the origins of this one are cloudy. But what is the origin of this banal hollering? Why do the culprits keep it up? And is there anything we, the good people of rock and roll, can do about it? I went to the ranks to try and sort out the why’s and how’s and came back with some odd ideas. The yelling of the name of a Lynyrd Skynyrd song has become so ingrained in our culture that it is assumed someone will yell it at some point during a show-any show. It has become the most annoying aspect of live performance and one that never dies. Finally, when the band has that awkward space in their set between songs-maybe they’re switching instruments or tuning their guitars-it comes like a knife through the air. It’s the never-ending joke with no punchline. You know it’s going to happen and it’s just a matter of time. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |