**Introduction**

In 1977 at the height of Lynyrd Skynyrd's popularity the band were involved in a fatal plane crash left it's devastation in the manner of the death of Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines and Assistant Road Manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray. The crash led to a 10 year hiatus from the band who lost lead singer Van Zant and new guitarist Steve Gaines. Lead guitarist Gary Rossington suffered horrific injuries in the way of two broken legs, broken arms, both wrists and ankles and his pelvis he needed three years to recover and had steel rods inserted in his arm.

**Rossington Collins Band**

In 1980 the remaining guitarists from the band Gary Rossington and Leon Wilkeson teamed up with original members Leon Wilkeson and Billy Powell and also hired Dale Krantz, Derek Hess and Barry Harwood. The band recorded two albums between 1980 and 1982 and then disbanded. The albums released were Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere and This Is the Way. Allen Collins contribution diminished for the second album and in 1983 a year after Rossington Collins disbanded he started The Allen Collins Band.

**Twenty**

In 1987 Lynyrd Skynyrd went on tour and four years later released the comeback album "1991" Six years after the new Lynyrd Skynyrd recorded their first album back Twenty was released to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Plane Crash. The band had recorded two studio albums since the reunion of Lynyrd Skynyrd and this album was recorded with the following line up.

Gary Rossington - Lead, rhythm, slide & acoustic guitars
Johnny Van Zant - lead vocals
Leon Wilkeson - bass
Ricky Medlocke - Lead, rhythm, slide, acoustic, Dobro guitars and background vocals
Hughie Thomasson - Lead, rhythm, slide & acoustic guitars, and background vocals
Billy Powell - Piano & Hammond B-3 organ
Owen Hale - drums & percussion
Ronnie Van Zant - Vocals on "Travelin' Man"

Track listing

1 We Ain't Much Different
2 Bring It On
3 Voodoo Lake
4 Home Is Where The Heart Is
5 Travellin' Man
6 Talked Myself Right Into It
7 Never Too Late
8 QRR
9 Blame It On A Sad Song
10 Berneice
11 None Of Us Are Free
12 How Soon We Forget

**My View**

"We Aint Much Different"

The Album opens with this track which has a similar opening to something you might hear from Deep Purple, The Lynyrd Skynyrd sound then comes in and the track features the new hard edged sound that Ronnie Van Zant had developed in the first few albums. Good flowing start about people all having the same needs as others.

"Bring It On"

This is a Country tinged Southern Rock belter. Billy Powell plays his distinctive piano parts in the background of the flowing melody. This is a very flowing track with great use of all instruments, I love the female backing vocals from "The Honkettes" on this track.

"Voodoo Lake"

This is a great track, It opens with a dark eerie sound with bluesy guitars and then the beat comes in with Johnny's vocals. This track is about a great dark quality about it. I love one particular part where the drumming breaks down and then soon the guitar solo comes in from Gary Rossington. This track has a superb build up.

"Home is where the heart is"

This track is about moving around from place to place but keeping your home in your heart. This has some great guitar melodies and I really like the flow of the track. Johnny's vocals are strong and the backing vocals are great too. This is bound to be a fab live track with audience participation.

Travelin' Man

This is a really brilliant version which features a sample of Ronnie Van Zant's vocals from the original version. Johnny opens the track and then Ronnie comes in on the sample. This is a fabulous idea and the brothers have quite different voices although in some places they are similar. Great version.

"Talked Myself right into it"

This is a catchy swinging Track which has a fabulously catchy melody. This track is about when you are living life too quickly. This is a very flowing track which has a great message about slowing down now and again. Continues the fast pace of the album musically.

"Never too late"

This track opens with a great melody with some great drum parts and once in full swing this is a very strong song about it never being to late to fulfil your dreams. This has some great instrumentation and is one of the best songs on the album.

"O.O.R"

This has a catchy opening with acoustic guitar and a heavy drum beat, the electric slide soon comes in from Gary Rossington and this track has a great melody to it. This is one of the most flowing tracks on the album and has some great musicianship.

"Blame it on a sad song"

This is a really beautiful song which has a tender opening and Johnny's emotive vocals really add a nice touch. This is a clear indication of the range of Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is a full on emotive ballad which builds throughout and finishes superbly with some great guitar work from Gary Rossington in particular. Great song.

"Berneice"

This track is a fabulous tribute to Gary Rossington's Gibson Les Paul which was named after his mother, There is some great guitar work on this track which you would expect from Gary Rossington playing a guitar like the Gibson Les Paul. Fantastic flowing track which sounds like Stevie Wonder's Higher Ground.

"None of us are free"

This is a fabulous cover of this amazing song, nothing will beat Solomon Burke's version but this is just about as close as you can get. A phenomenal track which has some great melodies and some great guitar
solos, The backing vocals are superb as well. Just an all round brilliant song.

"How soon we forget"

This is another fabulous track which has an old school Lynyrd Skynyrd feel with Johnny sounding like his older brother Ronnie. This has a great opening and as the drums come in it takes a whole different swing and the female backing is absolutely superb. This is a fabulous closer for the album and is one of the best tracks on the album. I love it when it breaks down and the Honkettes sing "how soon we forget" in different styles.

**Overall**

Twenty years on from the plane crash and this is a superb tribute to the memory of those great musicians and the other people involved in the crash. Lynyrd Skynyrd have shown an incredible ability over the years to overcome tough situations with the numerous deaths in the band with Billy Powell and Leon Wilkeson now deceased. This is a fabulous album which continued the Lynyrd Skynyrd legacy that they continue taking on 36 years on from the first album.

Also posted on dooyoo as Lakerfanster