Freebirds: The Lynyrd Skynyrd Story

I waited a long time for a book about Skynyrd and this one is good. Tells me a lot about what I wanted to know behind the scenes and the quotes from past and present band members are really interesting. Don't know why there are a couple of one star reviews here. Especially ones that don't really criticize the book but criticize the things being said by the people being interviewed. Hearing how people really feel make the book that much more interesting and these guys don't hold anything back. Can't believe these one-starrers say the book is boring or badly written. Stories like Ronnie Van Zant putting a gun to the head of the drummer during rehearsal and Artimus Pyle turning Linda Blair's head around are funny as hell. The one about Pyle saving Paul McCartney's life is priceless. Makes me think the one-starrers had another agenda or maybe didn't read the book (or at least the same one I did!) This book tells you what you want to know about Skynyrd right up to 2002, and tells it mostly through the people who lived it. The author provides a lot of background material too. It's a good book.

I liked this book. The stories are very entertaining and I learned a great deal about the Band from the very early days until now. It's quite a story and much deeper than I had known. For that alone, I appreciated the book. While everything obviously hasn't been rosy and there are disagreements today, I felt the book was fair. I enjoyed the pace of the book and would recommend it as a "must read" for any Skynyrd fan.

Brant lets the reader decide in this biography of Lynyrd Skynyrd. As you would expect with the money and ego involved, the many characters involved with Skynyrd over the last 25 years have a different perspective on events. They are not hesitant to give their versions. The author has not taken sides, nor tried to interpret, the sometimes destructive relationships that were defined by casual sex, drug addiction, alcoholism, and money. Instead she lets the band tell the story. The reader is left to his own conclusions. In my opinion, these are talented, but not very nice people. This is a fan's book, and there is much to enjoy about the band's story. The author has obviously talked to many people, and the story is very interesting. The message I get from the book is that Rock and Roll, for all it's glamour, is a tough business, for tough people. Skynyrd has suceeded while most have failed. These guys have a lot to offer. Read this book, and you will understand them much better.

A great personal account. I've been a L.S. fan for all their various incarnations and I don't think I am missing any of their albums but his book opened my eyes to a lot of facts I didn't know. I didn't know that Ed King was in the Strawberry Alarm Clock and I saw them in person back when he was. This is one of many facts in this book. It's almost like a day by day account of their career and you really get an insight into the personal habits of each member. I've read Ms. Brant's other books but this is the best (so far).

In a nutshell, I loved it!If you're reading this review, I will proceed with the assumption that you are familiar with (1) the incomparable power of a Skynyrd song gripping your soul and not letting go or (2) the enjoyment of reading a truly well researched, well written contemporary biography.There have been stories of Skynyrd's humble beginnings, rock & roll antics, head-strong personalities and individual excesses since Day One. CREEM and Rolling Stone kept watch. Cameron Crowe offered his tip-of-the-hat to them in "Almost Famous." But the real story? The real people? Finally, it's here. And it's every bit as compelling as Skynyrd's timeless compositions.FREEBIRDS is a fascinating book about the roots and evolution of Lynyrd Skynyrd from its beginning through present day. It was never as simple as blue collar rough neighborhoods and kids with a dream. The book reveals a highly kinetic mix of intelligent, complicated individuals and their talents, friendships, differences and colliding fates. Not to say there wasn't the private or very public fight here or there... The actual events are discussed by the people who were there. Brant maintains an even hand in presenting different sides of the same story. Contradicting recollections of events (whether through past "impairments" or 20-20 hindsight) are examined and placed before the reader for consideration. The information in the book far exceeds anything published before (or that probably ever will be) by virtue of the sheer depth and number of events discovered, disclosed, investigated, tales told and recollections shared. It is evident Author/Biographer Brant had the professional credibility and respect to write FREEBIRDS. It was a book that needed to be written and the author has given the reader both solid fact-finding and spellbinding story telling blended together artfully in top notch writing.FREEBIRDS "reads" very well -- it's comfortable and engaging, evenly paced and balanced in it's approach. I was very drawn in by it. As the old saying goes, "It's a real page turner!" To reiterate: I loved it!