Awful songs you just can't get enough of

[GasHouseGang]

1975 interview with Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original band members). One minute into the interview they are asked about the band's name. Check it out on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep15rFi6rMQ

I tend to believe this story since it was repeated so many times over the years.

[mcgwirecom]

So the OP called it "awful songs you can't get enough of". But really they are mostly great songs that you don't want to admit you like. A lot of these I have on my iPhone But in keeping with what everyone is posting I will submit Anne Murray's Snowbird. I also am a closet ABBA fan.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

1975 interview with Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original band members). One minute into the interview they are asked about the band's name. Check it out on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep15rFi6rMQ

I tend to believe this story since it was repeated so many times over the years.

Well, check out the Netflix documentary also if you can. It mentions both the name from the Allie Sherman song, and the high school teacher, being sources for the name.

[irv]

Originally Posted by mark evans

I guess off-topic because the following are excellent songs IMO. I would distinguish rock and roll from ballads. Free Bird in my mind is a classic rock song but I'm partial to Southern rock. The other song I would cite among rock classics is Can't You See by the Marshall Tucker Band. I saw the original band in Maryland in the 70s -- excellent.

My favorite ballad would be Adele's Someone Like You. For me, it replaced Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles which I bought as a 45 in 1960 when a ten-year old.

All above available on YouTube.

I love Southern Rock as well. Years ago some friends of mine got to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws and I believe another band or 2 at a concert in Gainesville Florida. When they told me this, I thought what a concert to be at! When my wife and I went to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special opened up but our train was delayed so we missed every bit of them but the last song . Thankfully, however, we got see an excellent show put on by ZZ Top but since I had never seen 38 Special before live, I was disappointed. Would have loved to see the Marshall Tucker Band!

Originally Posted by BobC

Well, check out the Netflix documentary also if you can. It mentions both the name from the Allie Sherman song, and the high school teacher, being sources for the name.

Bob, if you don't mind, what is the name of the documentary? I have seen a couple but I do know Artimus was coming out with one a year or more ago that I never seen so I am curious if the one you speak of is his?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by irv

Bob, if you don't mind, what is the name of the documentary? I have seen a couple but I do know Artimus was coming out with one a year or more ago that I never seen so I am curious if the one you speak of is his?

It is titled 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow - A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd'. Shows it having a 2018 release date, so I don't believe it is the same one you are looking for, though it does include clips and interviews with Artimus Pyle. It is fairly comprehensive, starting all the way back when they were just kids growing up in Jacksonville, playing sandlot baseball and hanging out. It goes through the history of the band, and all the personnel issues and changes, from their high school days and playing as The One Percent, through the fatal crash in 1977. There's also a slight follow-up on the group's continuance after the crash, but the gist is all the details of the group through the crash. A lot of greats clips and voice recordings of most all the groups members, including a lot of Ronnie Van Zant, and wonderful archival footage from interviws and performances. There's also a lot of scenes throughout the film with then present day clips of Gary Rossington talking about the band's history and the numerous members, along with him making present day visits to old sites and locations in the group's history, including a visit to Ronnie's grave. One thing that surprised me was how so few members of the band that survived the crash, or weren't even involved in it, are still with us today.

From reading this thread, it got me reinterested, and I ended up watching the entire film again last night. Well done film/documentary and worth the time to watch, even if you're not an over-the-top Skynyrd fan. And of course, as you would expect, they end the film with the band live on stage doing their long, extended climax ending to 'Freebird'.

[Peter_Spaeth]

The lyrics always sounded to me like one big long cliché lol.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The lyrics always sounded to me like one big long cliché lol.

They say in the film/documentary I referenced that they wrote their songs for simple, blue collar people. Peter, you're too intellectual and sophisticated to get it.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

They say in the film/documentary I referenced that they wrote their songs for simple, blue collar people. Peter, you're too intellectual and sophisticated to get it.

Simple Man, perhaps ironically, had much better lyrics.