Skynyrd Serves Second Helping - TIMH

How do you top a debut album that would serve as a greatest hits record for the average band? Well, if you're Lynyrd Skynyrd you simply release another album eight months later that is even better than the first. (So easy, why doesn't everyone do it?)

Today in 1974, Skynyrd served up "Second Helping", an album chockablock with hit after hit. After the release of their debut in August 1973, and the subsequent opening slot on The Who's tour, Skynyrd found time to record their sophomore effort. And what an effort it was.

Knowing they had to top the songs from the debut - "I Ain't the One", "Tuesday's Gone", "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", "Freebird" - Skynyrd responded with an album that included "Sweet Home Alabama", "Don't Ask Me No Questions", "Workin' For MCA", "The Needle and the Spoon", "Call Me the Breeze", as well as the finest song they ever wrote, "The Ballad of Curtis Loew".

Whew! That is a helluva lot of all-time great classic rock set on wax in less than a year. It almost had to be for Skynyrd to get noticed during this time in rock history. The mid-70s were a time dominated by the likes of KISS, Alice Cooper and David Bowie. Skynyrd wasn't about to put on makeup and prance about the stage, so they did the only thing they were capable of doing - crank out superior rock and roll. The listening public certainly responded, landing "Second Helping" at #12 on the album chart.