Greatest Southern Rock Song

[bluesbassman]

Well, I was ridin' home from a Thanksgiving dinner that couldn't be beat today, and caught a few Southern Rock classics on the radio. Got to thinkin' this might make a nice poll for y'all. In alphabetical order are some of my favorites, but bust out your own if'n ya got one!

1. Black Betty - Ram Jam - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-aHSJT8btQ

2. Can't You See - Marshall Tucker Band - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhsGnS9av_A

3. Flirtin' With Disaster - Molly Hatchet - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhhtRxqSrys

4. Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PENBU3lrpE

5. Green Grass & High Tides- The Outlaws - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqJ_V7ay3E8

6. Jim Dandy - Black Oak Arkansas - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPsaGPzCHkQ

7. Rockin' Into The Night - .38 Special - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCvfcSfnM8I

8. Train, Train - Blackfoot -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDH-xcwA_LY

9. Whipping Post - Allman Brothers Band -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHhKnc0XZrs

Edited to make links useable - bbm

[Droopy]

1. Can I vote twice?

It's a tie between "Green Grass and High Tides" and "Whipping Post" of the options that you have listed, but there are a lot of great southern rock songs out there. I really like "Tuesday's Gone" by Lynyrd Skynyrd and I love the pianist in that band, I don't care what his/her gender is. :) Another great southern rock classic In "Dreams" by Molly Hatchet. I'd say I like all of the songs in this post equally.

[bluesbassman]

5. You could if I had my way!

You're so right. There are a ton of great Southern Rock tunes out there. "Greatest" polls are always kinda hard with music for just that reason. "Tuesdays Gone" is a great tune and "Simple Man" is another of my Skynard favs, but I wanted to get as many bands on the poll as possible.

[underpants]

2. ONe Big Holiday by My Morning Jacket --other than Driver 8 of course

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5gipOwIbM

[bluesbassman]

6. Cool pick!

I'll be putting these boys on my current listening list. Thanks!

[underpants]

8. Dey's for real

I'm Amazed is real good too

The BAND element completely overshadows the lyrics part which they seem to get out of the way in the first half of a lot of songs


My Morning Jacket with the Boston Pops on Letterman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjLFG0i2_AE

[MorningGlow]

3. Black Betty

It's a major earworm!

[bluesbassman]

9. Ain't it though?

This version by Spiderbait rocks hard, but the vocal effects are a little odd.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtqjmuUaYXA

[XemaSab]

39. Black Betty

is not about a person. :P

[martymar64]

44. Black Betty is one of rock's best songs, period!

Take that Genesis fans!

[flvegan]

4. "Outfit" by Drive By Truckers

[bluesbassman]

12. Good stuff man.

Kinda reminds me of Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Where are they from?

[flvegan]

13. Georgia.

Jason Isbell is responsible for that song and he's no longer with the band. He's excellent. "Dress Blues" is another favorite of mine that he did.

[cemaphonic]

30. Yeah, they rule

I think I like "Life in the Factory" (a song *about* Lynyrd Skynyrd) better than actual Skynyrd songs.

My favorite song of theirs overall is "Tornadoes."

[Oeditpus Rex]

7. I gotta go with this one:

"Macon, Georgia Greasy Hambone Blues" by Wet Willie. (This version's from "Drippin' Wet: Live.")



:D

[bluesbassman]

14. Oh hell yes!

Wet Willie could definiyely bust out the blues. Check these out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8aI4HnQvaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNcaNlpLmjQ

[dawgmom]

20. Oh, I loved Wet Willie

I saw them as backup to somebody back in the 70s. I think it was maybe Marshall Tucker. They JAMMED.

[TX Screwball]

10. Molly Hatchet, cheap Mexican skunk, and Surfside Beach.

Those were the days, I think.

[LeftyMom]

11. I voted as a matter of personal loyalty.

In a sign that my family is absolute tornado bait, I'm named after another song by a band listed in this poll.

[bluesbassman]

15. Really?

I did not know you were named Hot 'Lanta. :)

[malta blue]

16. Whipping Post. imho.

I love that song, and have some great memories associated with it.

I saw an Allman Bros incarnation at First Ave in Minneapolis in 1986 where I heard an amazingly intense version. :thumbsup:

[Zomby Woof]

17. 11 Southern Rock Classics

1. "Was I Right Or Wrong?" - Lynyrd Skynyrd ('Skynyrd's First And... Last' - 1978); Ronnie Van Zant's semi-autobiography, about the pyrrhic victory of success.

2. "Whippin' Post" - Allman Brothers Band ('Live At The Fillmore East' - 1971); Never have 24 minutes of jamming ever had such redeeming value. The intensity, breadth, and depth of this piece are unsurpassed on just about any performance on a live album. Why the Grateful Dead had a bigger cult following, I'll never understand.

3. "Fall of the Peacemakers" - Molly Hatchet ('No Guts... No Glory' - 1983); A beautiful tribute to Martin Luther King and John Lennon. The music is 'Freebird' meets 'Stairway to Heaven', which is finely executed, and goes over well enough, but the lyrics resemble neither of the two aforementioned pieces, or anything else in their canon. Dave Hlubek's idealistic synthesis of King's speech lines and Lennon's lyrics were a wonderful antidote to the Cold War posturing and chest-beating jingosim of the Reagan era. Sucks to be Charlie Daniels.

4. "Ronnie and Neil" - Drive-by Truckers ('Southern Rock Opera' - 2001); Finally, the myths surrounding Ronnie Van Zant and Neil Young's relationship are effectively demolished (they were mutual admirers), and there is a powerful history lesson regarding civil rights and the influence of the Muscle Shoals music scene circa the late 60's/early 70's.

5. "This Ol' Cowboy" - Marshall Tucker Band ('Where We All Belong' - 1974); The Marhsall Tucker Band excelled at mixing western swing a la Bob Wills, with the contemporary boogie of their peers. I picked this because it's a great lead-off to their best album.

6. "Mule" - Gov't Mule ('Gov't Mule' - 1995); Warren Haynes and Allen Woody, of the 90's Allman Brothers incarnation, established one of the greatest spin-off acts in music history. The best power trio since the Jimi Hendrix Experience (and I daresay even better than Cream).

7. "Robin Hood" - .38 Special ('Rockin' Into The Night' - 1979); A fun instrumental that steps outside the boogie cliches, recorded while they still rocked, and hadn't sold out yet. A fine attempt to emerge from the shadow of Donnie Van Zant's big brother.

8. "Good Morning" - Blackfoot ('Highway Song Live' - 1982); A blistering single live album which was only available as an import for years, until recently. I treasure my original vinyl copy. Keep a fire extinguisher handy, and remove the batteries from your smoke detector.

9. "Another Man's Woman" - Atlanta Rhythm Section ('Red Tape' - 1976); the best bass solo in rock history.

10. "Don't Misunderstand Me" - Rossington-Collins Band ('Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere' - 1980); Four Skynyrd survivors stepped up to the plate in their first post-plane crash release. In a stroke of brilliant inspiration, they hired female vocalist Dale Krantz, who served up fine Motown-inspired singing. Most southern rock musicians were huge fans of classic soul/R&B music, but few ever showed their chops in playing or writing it. Drummer Derek Hess stole a Stevie Wonder percussion riff to help lift this single as one of the most surprising and satisfying of the early 80's.

11. "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" - Lynyrd Skynyrd ('Second Helping' - 1974); Overshadowed by the genius of "Sweet Home Alabama" on the same album, this is one of the most beautiful and evocative recordings ever put to wax by the band. It's autobiographical in a different way than "Was I Right or Wrong?", in that it tells the story of Ronnie Van Zant's generation, how they benefited from the civil rights movement, and sought salvation through the redemptive force of music. Always a singer of conviction, with an underrated expressive range, he delivered the best vocal of his career.

[Droopy]

21. I forgot about "Fall of the Peacemakers,"

That's a killer tune that you never hear around here on the local classic rock station. "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" is another great tune that they never play. About the only song they do play on that list is "Whippin' Post," and even the cut down version is too long for them, but the song is simply too great to ignore.

"The Ballad of Curtis Loew" really surprised me the first time I heard it. That was before I knew about the joke with Neil Young in "Sweet Home Alabama." I think a lot of people who aren't familiar with Skynyrd's music beoynd the big hits would be surprised as well.

[Zomby Woof]

31. For such a brief tenure - 4 years

The original (read: real) version of Skynyrd in the 70's had a remarkably deep catalog. If you judge a band by the 'filler' on albums, then they were certainly at the top - very little of it was disposable - and Ronnie had a lot to say. Even when he didn't, he said what he had to with a clarity and forthrightness that left an indelible mark in its wake.

I love my iPod because I can create my own classic rock station, lol.

[bluesbassman]

22. Excellent choices,

and great background info on those songs.

Interesting point on the Allman Brothers. Perhaps it was geographic in nature. With The Dead being from the Bay Area, they certainly had a larger pool of people to attract a "following" from.

BTW, I almost put "Don't Misunderstand Me" on the list. Absolutely superb tune. Glad you brought it up.

[Zomby Woof]

33. Thank you for your poll

30 years or so of loving this music always invites a fresh look.

BTW, I like the Dead - I actually saw them for the first time just a few months before Jerry died. But I took them at face value, and not as the Ultimate Jam Band icons. Jerry had excellent taste and an encyclopedic knowledge of Americana roots music, and for that reason, "Workingman's Dead" is exempt from my cynical remarks above. :-)

[dawgmom]

18. I would add "Gimme Three Steps" by Lynard Skynard

I just have a real fondness for that song, and it's so much fun to sing along to. Great lyrics.

Any song with a girl named "Linda Lou" in it is just automatically a great Southern song. ;)

I voted for "Can't You See," however.

I'd also add Allman Brothers "Statesboro Blues" -- although I don't know if you'd count that as Southern "Rock."

Thanks for posting this. Southern Rock was the music of my youth......

Edit: I'd also add the Black Crowes to the list. "Twice as Hard" "Jealous Again" or "Hard to Handle."

[bluesbassman]

26. Glad you liked it dawgmom.

I knew you had a little "southern Belle" in you! ;-)

Can't You see is one of those tunes that always lifts my spirits whenever I hear it.

My last band had an excellent slide player and "Statsboro Blues" was one of the tunes that always got the crowd going. It's always a blurred line with "Blues" and "Rock" with Southern bands.

I like the earlier Black Crowes. I think they lost a little of their "edginess" in later albums.

[dawgmom]

42. I agree with your comment about the Black Crowes

And also, "Statesboro Blues" is one of those songs with such a recognizable opening -- it just automatically makes you reach for the knob and turn up the radio if you're driving.

Same thing with "Ramblin' Man." Is there any lyric in music that is as much fun to sing as "I was born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus, rollin' down Highway 41."

[JeffR]

19. Some fine choices there.

Had to go with Black Oak Arkansas. Hadn't thought about that tune in years.

If I'd suggested something myself, it would probably have been "Up On Cripple Creek" or "King Harvest". Ain't nothin' as good as Levon Helm and his four buddies from the south of Canada!

[pitohui]

23. i'm sick of all of them as they've all been overplayed in these parts but...

if i must vote, i suppose "whipping post" is the winner

shouldn't "sweet home alabama" be on that list or are we all REALLY sick of that one?

[bluesbassman]

24. True, most of those songs have been "played to death", but...

that's what's cool about these polls, they bring up other songs. Start Checking out some of the tunes people come up with for the "Other" category. I'm listening to Atlanta Rhythm Section's "Another Man's Woman" right now, and it rips! Hadn't thought about it in a long time.

Happy listening!

[NNadir]

25. In Memory of Elizabeth Reed.

My personal favorite.

[Orsino]

27. "Whipping Post" is great, though not the Allmans' best...

...but "Free Bird" is rawer and more mournful. I give it the edge.

[Lindsey]

28. "Amy" by Pure Prarie League. n/t

[dubeskin]

29. Green Grass and High Tides, although of all that listed

I'd chose some different ones. For example, I don't think Whipping Post was the Allman Brothers Band's best, and would have preferred Ramblin' Man. Likewise, there are too many great Skynyrd tracks to chose from, and my favorite .38 Special song is Caught Up In You, although not exactly Southern-y.

And finally, Flirtin' With Disaster is a close second, although the Outlaws won again.

[elshiva]

32. Whipping Post.

[kwassa]

34. Anything by the Allman Brothers, the rest of those bands ..... suck.

[old mark]

35. You got Allman Brothers right, but the wrong song ;

should be "Ramblin' Man".

mark

[KamaAina]

43. Megadittos from Young Mark!

well, middle-aged Mark, anyway...

[Mudoria]

36. Always been partial to "Highway Song" by Blackfoot

with "Rambling Man" by the Allman Bros. a close second.

[gmoney]

37. It's probably an "alt-country" song, but "Cocaine Parties" by the Star Room Boys is an epic work of

...genius

[pokerfan]

38. "too many chords"

Ronnie Van Zant thought at first that this song "Had too many chords to write lyrics for," Skynyrd guitarist Gary Rossington commented in an interview with Blender magazine, "But after a few months, we were sitting around, and he asked Allen to play those chords again. After about 20 minutes, Ronnie started singing, 'If I leave here tomorrow,' and it fit great. It wasn't anything heavy, just a love song about leavin' town, time to move on. Al put the organ on the front, which was a very good idea. He also helped me get the sound of the delayed slide guitar that I play - it's actually me playing the same thing twice, recording one on top of the other, so it sounds kind of slurry, echoey."

http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1703

[bridgit]

40. Other: Marshall Tucker Band - Can't You See

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEOV5vWfSgI

[bluesbassman]

41. Nice version bridgit!

I saw the Marshall Tucker Band at Winterland around the time that clip was made. Ended up trying to crash an after concert party at the Kabuki Hotel in Japantown. Didn't make it into the party, but we did ride the elevator up to the floor with Toy Caldwell and George McCorkle. Lynyrd Skynyrd was the 2nd billing, although they may have just been trading headliner spots on that tour.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

45. The Black Crowes - "Hotel Illness"....

or "American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.