Free Bird........ughhh

[57pbass]

Like it or not it’s a true classic.
The live version is also excellent along with the rest of that live album.
They were really coming into their own when the accident happened.
Sorry I never saw them when they came through town.

 

[Dave TB Killer]

At least you don't have to play the beans in my ears song.

 

[lbbc]

This, and so many other "standards" people here on TB despise, are songs the audience request. If played well, the audience is happy, the venue owner is happy and our tip jar gets filled....win-win-win! I'm not a prima Donna and surely don't enjoy all these songs but if I'm getting paid to entertain... that's exactly what I will do.

 

[Altitude]

…never seeing a single episode of "Friends"

Suit yourself, but that was a generationally good show. Tier 1 writing and Jennifer Aniston. Come on.

 

[evil dewars]

I grew up in north Carolina and can say I loath that song. I have never liked it. For a while there was a rock station in Phoenix that you could set your watch to Freebird. It played at 1530 every day.

Dear Lord, Phoenix radio sounds worse than NC's.

Classic Rock 92! once an hour you can count on Bad Company or Boston.

 

[GreyBeard]

Here in WV Freebird is pretty much required playing. I don't mind playing it if the guitar player is up to it.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Those dudes kill it in the studio and that live version too.

 

[Mickey666]

Didn't like it when it came out, don't like it now. Actually is one of the reasons I quit playing in bands.

 

[juancaminos]

Well over the past 30 years or so I can state with honest joy that I have never had to play Free Bird on a gig. I considered this to be a badge of honor, kind of like never seeing a single episode of "The Voice" or "Friends". (I also hold this badge

That is until now......I have to play it next week, so I sat down to learn it. I guess I never payed attention to how interesting and cool the bass line is. I am actually really excited to play this: )! Take a listen to the iso track.

I was a very early connoisseur of Skynyrd but of course got real sick of bar bands and their treatment of Free Bird and Southern Rock in General. Fast forward many years, say 2007. We were playing an Eagles Lodge once a month and it was a great gig for us. BUT they kept yelling for Free Bird. Even though I was totally against it, we learned it and had a blast playing it. So much so that it became an end of the night song for us for many years.

 

[5StringBlues]

Could be worse. Could be hotel California...

 

[InhumanResource]

I don’t understand the snobbery on this song. It’s beautiful and has great parts from all musicians on the track. To each his own, I happen to love it and when my band has played it we tear the house down with it because our guitar players are awesome. So much energy.

Just general snobbery. The same stuff that overtakes “real musicians” and keeps them in the garage playing the “cool” 4 chord jams versus the 4 chord jams people actually like.

Let them have it while the rest of us have a good time and earn a few bucks.

 

[Spectrum]

In the Northern Virginia / DC area there used to be (maybe still is?) a bluegrass band called Amanda and the Lost Indians that responded to the jokers yelling "Freebird!" by, well, playing a bluegrass version, of course:



And then later on we find out that none other than legendary thrash metal band Slayer was doing Freebird for their soundcheck. Why? Because no matter what the haters say, it's a freaking awesome song and always will be!

 

[Cadillac_Mike]

It cracks me up how Free Bird became the go-to cover song joke or whatever.... Has anyone actually heard a live band play Free Bird even 3/4 good enough? I mean vocals and everything else aside there's THREE freakin' guitarists playing lead on the outtro OMG!! If I heard a cover band actually play that 3/4 as good I'd probably give them $10,000 lol.

 

[CB3UK]

It's a jam, plain and simple. Any self respecting Southerner ought to know it. Whether you should play it or not depends on if you can give her the justice she deserves.

 

[Colin Cunliffe]

I was in the UK army as a musician back in the 70s. Home on leave friends got me tickets to knebworth. So a brilliant day laying in the sun listening to great LIVE music. The stage suddenly filled, Id only seen that many on stage in an orchestra. Dave says to me "this is that Skynny(?) Band I told you about". So I sit up to see better and from note 1 Im a fan. Loved the sound, the energy and lots of words could have been poems.

Then its Freebird _ Ive been an addict since. It does talk about me as my first wife pointed out in the divorce (thats got to be a first - Freebird citied in a divorce!). Just regret as Im getting old(er) and cant keep up with the energy now.

Brilliant rock, music, poetry just so many deifferent levels. AND Simpleman.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Aw man, that's my jam! I still turn it up every time it comes on the radio. We don't play it in the band. That bass part is a workout.

 

[tothemax]

We still play it, depending on what our lineup is we have two versions. I like to wind down with Stay (Jackson Browne) and then wrap it with the "Bird". One version is the more traditional with slide guitar, the other when we have our female vocalist is the Wynona Judd version - which always goes over well... That Bluegrass version was great... good music is just that - good music. Sometimes we have a local violinist that sits in with us and she's always a hit.

​

I can understand the mixed feelings, I was in high school in the early 70's and I just learned how to "Stairway to heaven" last year, I was ready to burn any "Band on the Run" 8 track I found. Radio stations can burn you out with their playlists.

 

[2F/2F]

What kinds of cretins actually want to hear that $#!%!

 

[Bill Murray]

Honestly, I would charge extra or just turn down the gig over that song.

 

[bassinflorida]

Well over the past 30 years or so I can state with honest joy that I have never had to play Free Bird on a gig. I considered this to be a badge of honor, kind of like never seeing a single episode of "The Voice" or "Friends". (I also hold this badge

That is until now......I have to play it next week, so I sat down to learn it. I guess I never payed attention to how interesting and cool the bass line is. I am actually really excited to play this: )! Take a listen to the iso track.

Welcome.