The Best of Lynyrd Skynyrd Deep Cuts and Rarities – The Johnny Van Zant Years

I’ve heard the name Lynyrd Skynyrd throughout my whole life, but I didn’t dive into their catalog until after Gary Rossington’s death. While I love their classic stuff with original singer Ronnie Van Zant, I also really dig their songs with Johnny Van Zant, Ronnie’s younger brother. However, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s decision to reform and carry on caused a huge rift in their fanbase. While some were happy to see the band record new music together, others were dead set against the idea because Ronnie wasn’t with them anymore. I get that both bands sound different from each other; but this is what Rossington, Leon Wilkeson, and Billy Powell wanted. They wanted to continue the band and keep the music alive, which is what they did, to a sense. 

I say “to a sense” because they’re keeping the Ronnie Van Zant era of the band alive, while the Johnny Van Zant era is left in the dust. Because a lot of old-school Skynyrd fans aren’t giving those albums a chance, the band keeps playing the ‘70s stuff over and over again, which is a shame. I know there are fans that appreciate the post-plane crash albums, but the general public speaks louder, unfortunately. As mentioned before, I enjoy both eras of Lynyrd Skynyrd and I think it’s unfair to compare them to each other for obvious reasons. If people could just focus on the music, rather than the band’s past, then maybe they’d be able to find stuff that they like from the Johnny Van Zant era.

For this post, I’ll go over 10 deep cuts from the Johnny Van Zant era of Lynyrd Skynyrd that’s worth investigating. I tried my best not to include singles or songs that are featured on the band’s compilation albums. With all that said, let’s get on with the music!

10. “Money Back Guarantee” from Edge of Forever (1999)

First of all, Powell’s piano intro is brilliant. Actually, Powell’s keyboard parts are all over “Money Back Guarantee.” Second of all, this track is freaking heavy and the raunchy guitar work is incredible. It’s dirty, groovy, and filled with so much swagger. I can imagine someone playing “Money Back Guarantee” in a jukebox at an old western bar. Johnny’s vocals are excellent too. 

9. “Life’s Twisted” from Last of a Dyin’ Breed (2012)

This is the only Skynyrd song on my list that the band didn’t write. But it sounds like something Johnny and the guys would’ve written. “Life’s Twisted” was written by Blair Daly, John Lawhon, and Chris Robertson. The latter two are from American rock band Black Stone Cherry. The lyrics remind me of that quote from Rocky Balboa (2006), where he’s telling his son that the world ain’t all rainbows and sunshine, and that it’ll beat him to the ground if he lets it. “Life’s Twisted” has a great hook, a lot of melody, and the guitar outro is so good.

8. “Backstreet Crawler” from Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (released that year)

Just the title, “Backstreet Crawler,” sounds cool. Everything from the guitars, the drums, the keyboards, the female backing vocals, and the bass line is brilliant. For Johnny’s first album with the band, this is not bad at all. I love the line “where your ego meets defeat and your pride can’t get no smaller” because of how relatable it is, especially in society today. I’ve seen clips of Skynyrd performing “Backstreet Crawler” live in 1992 and they were unbelievable. 

7. “O.R.R.” from Twenty (1997)

Twenty is the first album with guitarists Rickey Medlocke and Hughie Thomasson in the band. Both co-wrote a bunch of the album tracks and you can clearly tell, especially with “O.R.R.” Medlocke and Thomasson gave Skynyrd an edge and it’s probably because their previous bands, Blackfoot and Outlaws, were heavy southern rock bands. They inspired Lynyrd Skynyrd to get heavier and it worked. “O.R.R.” is also a great song to blast while driving down a highway.

6. “Unwrite That Song” from God & Guns (2009)

I fell in love with “Unwrite That Song.” It’s one of my favorites from the God & Guns album because it’s a beautiful track. It’s very commercial, but I don’t mind that. Actually, more than half of the album was made for country radio, but unfortunately, there wasn’t a lot of promotion for God & Guns, which is a shame. I think “Unwrite That Song” is one of Skynyrd’s best ballads from the post-plane crash lineup. Great melody, memorable chorus, heartfelt vocals, and the string instruments are a nice touch.

5. “Good Thing” from Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991 (released that year)

Recently, I watched a clip of Johnny’s interview with SiriusXM from late 2019, where he talked about writing new material with the band for the 1991 album. Instead of trying to write like his brother, Johnny wanted the songs to come out naturally. The 1991 album is filled with great tracks and actually it was the first Lynyrd Skynyrd album that I bought with my own money. I’m all about supporting the underrated stuff, and honestly, it’s not a bad Skynyrd album to start with. “Good Thing,” in particular, has everything you could want in a Lynyrd Skynyrd song. Big keyboards, killer guitar work, charismatic lead vocals, a nice groove, and storytelling lyrics.  

4. “All Funked Up” from Vicious Cycle (2003)

If you read the song title really fast, it looks like something completely different, but that’s the fun of it. The bass line is killer, the guitar riff is dark and menacing, and there are spots that remind me of “Preacher Man” from Edge of Forever. I love the lyrics too. “We had some leaders, and they were cheaters / But they came out smelling like a rose / We should reject them, but we respect them / For what they do when the door is closed.” Plus, Johnny sounds like a boss on lead vocals.

3. “Comin’ Back for More” from God & Guns (2009)

I absolutely love “Comin’ Back for More.” The chorus is insanely catchy and it’s actually stuck in my head now, as I’m typing this out. The guitar riff is killer and the overall instrumentation for this track is amazing. Rossington, Allen Collins, and Ronnie received a lot of praise for being a great songwriting team. But Rossington, Medlocke, and Johnny were a great songwriting team, as well. “Comin’ Back for More” is one of those tracks that can please both country and southern rock fans.

2. “Outta Hell in My Dodge” from The Last Rebel (1993)

What does “Outta Hell in My Dodge” mean? I have no idea, but the song title is memorable. I love the bluesy guitar work and Powell’s keyboard parts add the right amount of flavor to the track. Ed King and Randall Hall actually helped write this song, which is cool. The first couple of Lynyrd Skynyrd albums from the post-plane crash lineup, with King and Hall, have different vibes from the latter Skynyrd albums with Medlocke; definitely more soulful and bluesy. I mean, Skynyrd still had blues rock influences in their sound, but they were more noticeable on the first two post-plane crash albums. 

1. “Rockin’ Little Town” from Vicious Cycle (2003)

First of all, the horn section is amazing, and they blend well with the guitars and keyboards. This is a really good party song too. It’s fun and upbeat, but it also kicks butt. I looked at the setlists from the Vicious Cycle tour (through setlist.fm) and strangely enough, the band only performed “Rockin’ Little Town” live once. Should Lynyrd Skynyrd add it back into their setlist? Absolutely. There’s a reason why some hardcore fans say that Vicious Cycle is their favorite album from the post-plane crash lineup.

There you have it, people! Those are my top 10 Lynyrd Skynyrd deep cuts from the Johnny Van Zant era. Most of my honorable mentions are either singles or they’re on compilation albums. Those include “Voodoo Lake” from Twenty, “Preacher Man” from Edge of Forever, “Keeping the Faith” from Lynyrd Skynyrd 1991, “Mad Hatter” from Vicious Cycle, and “Last of the Street Survivors.” The latter is the band’s most recent song, which was released in 2020. It’s also the last new song that was released before Rossington’s death in March 2023.

It would be cool if Lynyrd Skynyrd added more of Johnny’s songs into their setlist. They don’t have to give up the hits, but they should find a balance between the Johnny Van Zant era and the Ronnie Van Zant era. Besides, why play the same ‘70s stuff over and over again when the post-plane crash albums are just as good? Johnny doesn’t even give himself enough credit as a songwriter, when in actuality, he’s a very talented songwriter. “Last of the Street Survivors,” for example, is a beautiful tribute to the deceased band members and the lyrics have little references to the band’s history. I personally believe that if Lynyrd Skynyrd started playing more of Johnny’s songs live, then the crowds would eventually warm up to them. 

So, do yourself a favor and check out these Lynyrd Skynyrd songs and if you like what you hear, go get the albums! 

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Comment below your favorite deep cuts from the Johnny Van Zant era of Lynyrd Skynyrd!

Take care and see ya real soon!

Lana