Lynyrd Skynyrd: Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd

Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) as their debut studio album on MCA Records in 1973. The album launched Lynyrd Skynyrd into rock n' roll stardom, which was primarily driven by the rock anthem "Free Bird".

Pronounced includes several tracks that went on to become concert staples and some of the band's most well known songs, such as "Gimme Three Steps", "Simple Man", and "Tuesday's Gone". The album peaked at 27 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Skynyrd's outlaw image and aggressive Southern rock style led them to become one of the top bands of the 70s. This was supported by extensive touring, successive charting albums, and a series of hit singles, including the classic "Sweet Home Alabama."

Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs' vinyl release of (Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) is a solid effort. Given that MOFI has added a digital step to their vinyl pressing process, there seems to consistently be a warmth missing from most, if not all, of their digitally transferred (Gain2 or DSD) releases. As such, highs tend to be pushed out a little far. On occasion the bass can be elevated and the mids set back.

On this release, however, MOFI seems to have balanced the sound to create a solid sonic stage with nice dynamics. The release is very quiet, with no evidence of surface noise. This pressing is very comparable in many ways to the all analog release by Analogue Productions (AP). However, the AP release does sound a little warmer and slightly more dynamic.

If you are a Skynyrd fan and in the market for an audiophile version of this exceptional record, the MOFI release is certainly worth a "reasonable" investment. However, if the price pushes too far the AP release is as good, if not better. 💰

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