Second Helping
| Second Helping | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd | ||||
| Released | April 15, 1974 | |||
| Recorded |
June 1973 (track 1) January 1974 | |||
| Studio |
Studio One, Doraville, Georgia (track 1) Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 37:15 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | Al Kooper | |||
| Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Second Helping | ||||
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Second Helping is the second studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released April 15, 1974. It featured the band's biggest hit single, "Sweet Home Alabama," an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man".[1] The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1974. This L.P. was the last to feature Bob Burns on drums.
The album reached #12 on the Billboard album charts. It was certified Gold on September 20, 1974, Platinum and 2x Platinum on July 21, 1987 by the RIAA.
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |
| Robert Christgau | A− link |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed) link |
Background
After the success of debut (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd), Lynyrd Skynyrd's fan base continued to grow rapidly throughout 1973, largely due to their opening slot on the Who's Quadrophenia tour in the United States. Second Helping features King, Collins and Rossington all collaborating with Van Zant on the songwriting, and cemented the band's breakthrough.
Track listing
| Side one | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "Sweet Home Alabama" | 4:43 | |
| 2. | "I Need You" |
| 6:55 |
| 3. | "Don't Ask Me No Questions" |
| 3:29 |
| 4. | "Workin' for MCA" |
| 4:49 |
| Side two | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 5. | "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" |
| 4:51 |
| 6. | "Swamp Music" |
| 3:31 |
| 7. | "The Needle and the Spoon" |
| 3:53 |
| 8. | "Call Me the Breeze" | J. J. Cale | 5:09 |
| 1997 CD reissue bonus tracks | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 9. | "Don't Ask Me No Questions" (Single Version) |
| 3:31 |
| 10. | "Was I Right or Wrong" (Demo) |
| 5:33 |
| 11. | "Take Your Time" (Demo) |
| 7:29 |
- Tracks 9-11 are previously unreleased
Personnel
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals
- Gary Rossington – guitar
- Allen Collins – guitar
- Ed King – guitar, backing vocals, bass on "I Need You" and "Don't Ask Me No Questions"
- Billy Powell – keyboards
- Leon Wilkeson – bass, backing vocals
- Bob Burns – drums, except "I Need You"
- Additional personnel
- Mike Porter – drums on "I Need You"
- Merry Clayton, Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews – background vocals on "Sweet Home Alabama"
- Bobby Keys, Trevor Lawrence and Steve Madaio – horns on "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and "Call Me the Breeze"
- Al Kooper – backing vocals, piano on "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and "The Ballad of Curtis Loew"
Charts
| Chart (1974) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[2] | 12 |
References
- ↑ Back, Les (2000). "Voices of Hate, Sounds of Hybridity: Black Music and the Complexities of Racism". Black Music Research Journal. 20 (2): 142–143.
- ↑ "Lynyrd Skynyrd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.