Rating: 
Summary: A rare objective approach to a book such as this.
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I do not read music books very often as they are usually written by "someone in the know" who just wants to tell their own side. This book is written objectively. Ms Brant uses her vast knowledge of the business and her ability to interview key players to paint a down to earth accurate picture of the band. I feel sorry for those individuals who were on the fringe of the band and think they "know" the true story. Ms Brant went to the source to find out, and wrote an excellent account. I liked it so much, I bought two for gifts.
Rating:
Summary: A rare objective approach to a book such as this.
Review: I really enjoyed this book. I do not read music books very often as they are usually written by "someone in the know" who just wants to tell their own side. This book is written objectively. Ms Brant uses her vast knowledge of the business and her ability to interview key players to paint a down to earth accurate picture of the band. I feel sorry for those individuals who were on the fringe of the band and think they "know" the true story. Ms Brant went to the source to find out, and wrote an excellent account. I liked it so much, I bought two for gifts.
Rating:
Summary: Skynyrd Rules
Review: I waited a long time for a book about Skynyrd and this one is good. Tells me a lot about what I wanted to know behind the scenes and the quotes from past and present band members are really interesting. Don't know why there are a couple of one star reviews here. Especially ones that don't really criticize the book but criticize the things being said by the people being interviewed. Hearing how people really feel make the book that much more interesting and these guys don't hold anything back. Can't believe these one-starrers say the book is boring or badly written. Stories like Ronnie Van Zant putting a gun to the head of the drummer during rehearsal and Artimus Pyle turning Linda Blair's head around are funny as hell. The one about Pyle saving Paul McCartney's life is priceless. Makes me think the one-starrers had another agenda or maybe didn't read the book (or at least the same one I did!) This book tells you what you want to know about Skynyrd right up to 2002, and tells it mostly through the people who lived it. The author provides a lot of background material too. It's a good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Read It If You Need It
Review: I was very excited when I saw this book.There are not too many Skynyrd books out there.Lots of good stories about the early days, but too many quotes from Artimus Pyle and and none from Gary Rossington make this an unfair portrait, even though Artimus may be "on the money" with his remarks about the current "Skynyrd". Someday someone will write the definitive book, but for now I guess this will do.Also check out Lynyrd Skynyrd:An Oral History and for fun listen to the Drive-By Trucker's Southern Rock Opera.
Rating: 
Summary: Inside Skynyrd
Review: I watched "Almost Famous: the bootleg cut" and director Cameron Crowe mentioned interviewing Ronnie Van Zant right before the crash. Ronnie confided to Crowe he was fed-up with a certain member of the band and wanted to fire him, but couldn't bring himself to do it because of loyalty. That got me really interested in reading something about Lynryrd Skynyrd! I've always enjoyed a good Skynyrd tune, but knew next to nothing about the the band members. This is a great book with lots of first hand accounts and interviews. I have nothing to compare it to, as this is the first book I've read on Skynyrd. I do know it kept me interested from beginning to end, and I'm not even what you'd call a "hardcore" fan. It's just a well-written and interesting book, very insiteful look at this band.
Rating:
Summary: Inside Skynyrd
Review: I watched "Almost Famous: the bootleg cut" and director Cameron Crowe mentioned interviewing Ronnie Van Zant right before the crash. Ronnie confided to Crowe he was fed-up with a certain member of the band and wanted to fire him, but couldn't bring himself to do it because of loyalty. That got me really interested in reading something about Lynryrd Skynyrd! I've always enjoyed a good Skynyrd tune, but knew next to nothing about the the band members. This is a great book with lots of first hand accounts and interviews. I have nothing to compare it to, as this is the first book I've read on Skynyrd. I do know it kept me interested from beginning to end, and I'm not even what you'd call a "hardcore" fan. It's just a well-written and interesting book, very insiteful look at this band.
Rating:
Summary: Inside Skynyrd
Review: I watched "Almost Famous: the bootleg cut" and director Cameron Crowe mentioned interviewing Ronnie Van Zant right before the crash. Ronnie confided to Crowe he was fed-up with a certain member of the band and wanted to fire him, but couldn't bring himself to do it because of loyalty. That got me really interested in reading something about Lynryrd Skynyrd! I've always enjoyed a good Skynyrd tune, but knew next to nothing about the the band members. This is a great book with lots of first hand accounts and interviews. I have nothing to compare it to, as this is the first book I've read on Skynyrd. I do know it kept me interested from beginning to end, and I'm not even what you'd call a "hardcore" fan. It's just a well-written and interesting book, very insiteful look at this band.
Rating:
Summary: SOLID Platinum and Gold
Review: In a nutshell, I loved it!If you're reading this review, I will proceed with the assumption that you are familiar with (1) the incomparable power of a Skynyrd song gripping your soul and not letting go or (2) the enjoyment of reading a truly well researched, well written contemporary biography. There have been stories of Skynyrd's humble beginnings, rock & roll antics, head-strong personalities and individual excesses since Day One. CREEM and Rolling Stone kept watch. Cameron Crowe offered his tip-of-the-hat to them in "Almost Famous." But the real story? The real people? Finally, it's here. And it's every bit as compelling as Skynyrd's timeless compositions. FREEBIRDS is a fascinating book about the roots and evolution of Lynyrd Skynyrd from its beginning through present day. It was never as simple as blue collar rough neighborhoods and kids with a dream. The book reveals a highly kinetic mix of intelligent, complicated individuals and their talents, friendships, differences and colliding fates. Not to say there wasn't the private or very public fight here or there... The actual events are discussed by the people who were there. Brant maintains an even hand in presenting different sides of the same story. Contradicting recollections of events (whether through past "impairments" or 20-20 hindsight) are examined and placed before the reader for consideration. The information in the book far exceeds anything published before (or that probably ever will be) by virtue of the sheer depth and number of events discovered, disclosed, investigated, tales told and recollections shared. It is evident Author/Biographer Brant had the professional credibility and respect to write FREEBIRDS. It was a book that needed to be written and the author has given the reader both solid fact-finding and spellbinding story telling blended together artfully in top notch writing. FREEBIRDS "reads" very well -- it's comfortable and engaging, evenly paced and balanced in it's approach. I was very drawn in by it. As the old saying goes, "It's a real page turner!" To reiterate: I loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Good Book - Don't Miss It
Review: LYNYRD SKYNYRD is an enjoyable, well written book. It tracks the band from its scrappy beginnings to international recognition, honky tonks to stadiums. I liked quite a few things about this book. Author Brant conducted many personal interviews and the resulting first person accounts made for very interesting, often amusing and occasionally poignant reading. There were also wonderful photographs, many I had never seen and I am a longtime fan. The story was told chronologically and that made for easy reading, as the book has quite a cast of characters. I would recommend this book to a friend without hesitation.
Rating:
Summary: Skynyrd's Innyrds..but just the skeleton only
Review: This book is an interesting conglomeration of the "In their own words" vein, soapbox mud slinging and cut-and-paste rock journalism. Brant obviously fawns over the members by the selection of her quotes so she isn't exactly an impartial observer. There is too much padding and back slapping when the members of the pre and post 1977 lineups are discussing the merits of one persons musical ability over another. (King seems to have the most critical musical eye though) The book would have been one third shorter without this. We don't really get any insight into Ronnie Van Zant as well, all we find out is that he and his father didn't always get along. The trials of Allen Collin's life are examined a bit better but Brant could have asked some incisive questions. Why did Dale Krantz drive a wedge between Gary and Allen? Furthermore, some of King's, Pyle's and Hall's comments do leave you wondering why the post-77 lineup has not treated their own very well. (I was shocked to learn that Powell's VH-1 BTM quote about Cassie Gaines demise was a total fabrication) Is there any merit to the claims of continuing drug and alcohol abuse? Brant shrugs it off as if the boys are blowing off some steam. Besides Judy Van Zant Jeness, Brant should have interviewed Lacy Van Zant and Allen Collins' mom to get an insight into the people involved. This book is akin to a blurred photograph, we never really get the full picture of the band and the demons that haunted them and still do. Maybe someday we'll get a book that delves into the complex mind of a "Simple Man"
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