Lynyrd Skynyrd, Memphis Blues (1973) and assorted morsels

Lynyrd Skynyrd was famous for its three-guitar attack, as Allen Collins, Gary Rossington and Steve Gaines (who replaced Ed King) – the axe wielders during the band’s mid-‘70s heyday, when they recorded their classic live album, One More For From the Road – wailed away with their fingers flying and their long hair blowin’ in the breeze.

Little known fact: for a time in the late ‘70s, Lynyrd Skynyrd had a fourth guitarist. Every time they hit the stage to crank through their country-tinged blues rockers and sped-up boogie woogie tunes, from the anti-gun ode “Saturday Night Special” to classic rock staple “Freebird,” there was an extra man on stage. Hitting all the notes, whooping it up with the boys, sweating under the hot lights, this extra string bender put in the work, but never got any of the glory.

I was that unsung hero.

I jammed with the band every chance I got, usually when my parents weren’t home, and I could freely make a fool of myself with my air guitar in their living room. I was 11 years old when One More For From the Road came out, and spent a lot of time over the next few years playing the hell out of it.

OK, anyway, back to reality, and a bit of history.

The band started out in 1964 as the Noble Five, and after some personnel changes, changed their name to Lynyrd Skynyrd in mock tribute to a gym teacher who was anti-longhair.

The band put out four albums -- Pronounced Leh-nerd skin-nerd, Second Helpings, Nuthin’ Fancy and Gimme Back My Bullets -- by early 1976.

Over Labor Day weekend in '76, both Collins and Rossington were in serious car accidents, which slowed down their tour and the recording of their fourth album, Street Survivors.

In October 1977 the band’s chartered plane crashed en route to Louisiana, killing singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Gaines, and Gaines’ sister, back-up singer Cassie, as well as three others. The remaining members of the band all suffered serious injuries.

The band broke up after the tragedy, although the members played in a variety of other bands before reuniting in 1987 for a tour. Over the ensuing 25 years, the band has undergone countless personnel changes. In some cases, band members died; in other cases, they were kicked out or left. Keyboardist Billy Powell died in 2009, leaving Rossington as the only pre-plane crash member still in the band.

But tragedy and drama aside, the show available at the link below features 11 great tracks from the band’s early days (including "Freebird," natch) when they looked like this…

…and all they had to worry about was playing music, passing by the barber shop, slipping on some bellbottoms and finding the next party.

Here's the show, the first five songs from which were recorded in Memphis in '73, the remaining six of which were recorded in London in '76. Enjoy!