Lynyrd Skynyrd "Last of a Dyin' Breed"

They may not be the Last of a Dyin’ Breed, but they may be one of the few bands still making new music. Fans of Led Zeppelin can wait with bated breath for a new album. Beatles? Highly Unlikely. The Stones…possibly not. But I have forgotten that Van Halen, Rush,  and ZZ Top and Aerosmith have all released new albums this past year as well, so take that however way you want. Aside from having that one iconic song that people joke around with at concerts, and several others too, do they still have  anything to offer listeners? You don’t have to be a longtime fan to enjoy this album, but is that disrespectful to their legacy? Their classic sound with a modern twist pretty much sums it up. From the prelude that is the title track to the anthem that is “One Day At A Time,” there is plenty to like in these two tracks alone. It is important to plan for the future, but it is often easier to live in the moment; because then you don’t always miss the little things. Would you like a sexy stripper anthem that can rival, and one up, those of modern rock bands like My Darkest Days or Saving Abel? Take a taste of this “Homegrown” tea to ward off the thirst, or will that be counterproductive? The next song is an ode to a mother “Ready To Fly,” and unafraid to die.  A “Good Teacher” will tell you that your time has come, but a better teacher will have you believe it. Those driving drums, and the funky energy may ask for gratitude, while the lyrics offer it. We all need “Somethin’ To Live For,” and while it may or may not be referring to where our country is headed, this much is true: “Caught up in a game that I know we can win/To lose it all now – oh, what a sin/I’ll keep my faith – no I’ll never change.” We know that “Life’s Twisted,” but even with all those comparisons between snakes and switchblades “sometimes you’ve gotta risk it.”  My favorite stanza has to be the immediate one after the chorus. Here is an example of fine sequencing because “Nothing Comes Easy.” Anything that is truly worth it in the end usually will not be easy. You don’t have to worry about this song being too subtle, because you know exactly what they’re thinking in this song; social commentary, some may say shallow, and a plead to the president. If the last song left a bitter taste in your mouth because what they said was basically true, then maybe a trip to the “Honey Hole” may do some good .                                                                                                                                                                          It hurts to see a loved one slowly kill themselves trying to escape their trials and tribulations by drugs and alcohol, and that is what makes this anthem effective: experience. It urges those who barely survive their life because they’re often in a stupor to “Start Livin’ Life Again.” For the deluxe there are four more songs: The song that sounds like a “Poor Man’s Dream,” or at least gives you some insight; the countrified and horn-infused song that can “Do It Up Right” enough to withstand the onslaught of another “Sad Song.” Maybe a song that can git ya “Low Down Dirty,” and maybe even do it on the rhodes. Favorites: Last of a Dyin’ Breed, One Day At A Time, Homegrown, Good Teacher, Life’s Twisted, Start Livin’ Life, and Do It Up Right.