Freebird: The Movie

I just watched "Freebird...The Movie" I recommend this movie to anyone who grew up in the late 70's. If you did and Lynyrd Skynyrd didn't touch your life in some way or another...check your pulse. I LOVED it, the live footage, the backstage footage, the personal footage all blended together to create a beautiful memorial to a band that hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of their musical power. I know I can speak for all L.S. fans "We Miss You"

Excellent!!! Triple guitar action at it's best.

When Ronnie died the band died. He's an American gem.

Don't listen to anyone who sez to play the album and get the same effect.

When you start watching them in England opening for the Rolling Stones you can tell that the crowd is only mildly interested. By the end they are rocking and then you hear that they booed the Stones when they came on because the crowd wanted more LS.

WOW!!!!

These guys are the greatest live band of all time.

Ronnie Rocks!

FREEBIRD!!!!!!

The movie isn't much ... some nice home movie footage, and lots of fine performances by the band (esp. "Freebird," of course), but for whatever reason (original footage or eventual editing) the choice of camera shots is v.frustrating. Whichever guitarist is playing a solo, the camera inevitably shows someone else; even "Freebird" has as many shots of the crowd as it does of the band. I'd give it a six on a scale of ten; play a CD, you'll be just as happy.

A very good look into the original lineup of Lynyrd Skynyrd, or now known as "The Encore From Hell" by Spin magazine. Anyways, this shows some scenes of the last performances done by the band before their plane crash in 1977. As well as some of their older performances. The band recalls events while they were touring, and recording albums. This has some pretty classic performances in it, but it's not really anything to get excited about. The ending is a little sad, showing moments caught on camera of the take off just an hour or 2 before their 1977 plane crash, that killed Steve and Cassie Gaines, and Ronnie Van Zant.

I remember the days of 1976 (although I was only 13 at the time) and the BBC used to have a people's choice on New Year's Eve, the footage of Lynyrd Skynyrd performing "Freebird" at Knebworth won every year it was one of the choices. Unfortunately, this movie does not include this triumphant, jubilant performance and it is instead replaced by, in comparison, a pedestrian version from an altogether different source. Colour me disappointed.

While the music of Skynyrd is well represented, and for this alone I rate this at 7, the failure to include one of their greatest moments on stage ~ especially when the footage was available (clips of it are shown during the end credits while another song entirely provides the backing) ~ is an atrocious error in judgement.

Enjoy what is there, but remember it could have been so much better.