Thursday, April 10, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Mercury

CDVS

Classic rock radio has ruined Lynyrd Skynyrd. Through constant repetition over two decades, Skynyrd's cache of hits, from "Sweet Home Alabama" to "Free Bird," has become so familiar that the Jacksonville, Fla., band is no longer taken seriously by most critics and is summarily dismissed by young music fans eagerly courting the latest trends.

It's unfortunate, because Lynyrd Skynyrd was real good, taking the Southern-fried jam boogie of the Allman Brothers and making it accessible to a wide audience, while at the same time proffering a feet-on-the-ground populist philosophy that was more progressive than the band's critics suggested.

As you might expect, some of Skynyrd's best songs are not regularly heard on FM radio, such as the majestic and powerful "Simple Man" and the signature ode to the Delta blues, "The Ballad of Curtis Lowe." Ronnie Van Zant's strong, soulful voice has rarely been eclipsed since he died in a plane crash in 1977, and the triple-threat guitar work of Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and, later, Steve Gaines (also killed in the crash), is still impressively textured, if slightly indulgent at times.

After Skynyrd's fatal crash, Southern rock endured for a few years (see Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot), but all but died out in the alternative and grunge wave of the early '90s. The 21st century's retro rock revival, however, has opened the door for young bands to give dad's LPs another spin and put a new twist on old conventions.

Kings of Leon, from Tennessee, are among the best to come along thus far. These three brothers and a cousin, all named Followill, have delivered a debut EP that may be most closely aligned with neo-garage rock, but is grounded in the Southern heritage of Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Kings' five-song EP opens with the driving single "Molly's Chambers," which is certainly more garage than downhome boogie. But right off the bat the voice of Caleb Followill--modest, earnest, soulful--tells you he is no retread of Julian Casablancas. "Wasted Time" is another high-energy rocker that owes a debt to, perhaps, Tom Petty and ZZ Top. "California Waiting," echoing the jangly guitar sound of the Strokes, should be on the radio right now--it's an infectious piece of pop rock. The acoustic "Wicker Chair" is the Kings' obligatory melancholy ballad, but it evolves into an anthem. The closer, "Holy Roller Novocaine," combines Caleb Followill's EP-best vocal performance with a genuine Southern rock groove. All told, this EP gives a tasty sample of what's to come: a full-length album due out later this year.

Still, this is not a fair fight. Lynyrd Skynyrd is a veteran heavweight, while Kings of Leon are too fresh and young to qualify for more than, say, junior welterweight status. Let's wait a few years, and see whether the Kings can make a legitimate challenge for the heavyweight title. The early indications are that they can.--Geoff Schumacher