Product Description

FREEBIRD: THE MOVIE: Even though they recorded only for four short years, Lynyrd Skynyrd left behind some of rock 'n' roll's most enduring classics. Go back in time and experience the band's true spirit, raw power and three-guitar attack in blistering live performances, revealing interviews, rare photos and home movies. TRIBUTE TOUR: After ten years, Lynyrd Skynyrd fans are treated to a long-awaited musical reunion. In this sensational live concert, Lynyrd Skynyrd performs favorites "Workin' for MCA," "Simple Man," "Gimme Three Steps," "Free Bird," and the classic southern anthem, "Sweet Home Alababma." This musical documentary traces the band's roots from Jacksonville, Florida, through the tragedy and triumph that makes the Tribute Tour a celebration. Join the original band members along with Johnny Van Zant, Randall Hall, Dale Krantz Rossington and Carol Bristow. The spirit, the magic, and the music continue!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #18373 in DVD
• Brand: Lions Gate
• Released on: 2001-12-18
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .20 pounds
• Running time: 197 minutes

Customer Reviews

5 stars alone for the Freebird Movie of original band!
Wow, this DVD is incredible and a gift from the Heavens. How can anyone complain about this. People like Perbes from Spain and Kevin from Missouri need to shut their mouth about audio quality this, video quality that. Listen, if you are sitting on anything better we can watch of the original Skynyrd, then by all means start whining. But last time I checked, this release contains probably the best video and audio of the Ronnie fronted band around. So that makes me happy to see. Lastly, the video is from 1976, 28 years ago. If you're a true fan, you take what you can get, and leave the bitching to the losers with the $10,000 TV's and Audio systems who can't get this in 16:9 picture ratio and 5.1 dolby surround sound! Long Live Skynyrd.

What song is it you want to hear????
I bought this VHS tape expecting a movie about the band, that is not what Freebird The Movie is. What you get is some incredible video tape of the band in various concerts from dates in 1976 to 1977. Most of the tape is from an Open Air Rock show that Skynyrd played in England. While most of the tape is in color, there are some parts that are in black and white, believe it or not that does not really detract from this film. The band plays 15 songs on this tape, they are as follows: Workin For MCA, I Ain't The One, Saturday Night Special, Searching, What's Your Name, Whiskey Rock-A-Roler, Travelin Man, Gimmie Three Steps, That Smell, Gimmie Back My Bullets, Cry For The Bad Man, Call Me The Breeze, T For Texas, Sweet Home Alabama and Freebird of course. The song Simple Man plays as the credits roll. There are interviews with band members (live and dead) family and frynds between most of the songs. While this tape does not tell the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd the band (for that look for the VH1 Behind The Music episode) or the terrible accident that happened to them on that October day 1977 it does catch them in all their splendor, both tragic and glorious all at once. There is indoor BW footage taken from New Jersey and from San Francisco, CA. The outdoor open air footage from England and from A Day On The Green in Oakland, CA is wonderful, flawless footage with spectacular sound. The segment from Oakland was filmed only 2 months before the crash, it will make you cry...be warned. From comparing the England footage against that of Oakland it is clear America has better looking girls (even in 70's duds) and better dentists. Two of the three surviving members have reformed the band and added Johnny Van Zant, Rickey Medlock of Blackfoot fame and one of the founders of the band The Outlaws...the Three Guitar Attack Lives! Let hope that the future for Lynyrd Skynyrd is filled with as much good fortune as the past was filled with bad fortune. Good film a steal at this price.

Freebird the Movie (Lynyrd Skynyrd Tribute)
This movie is fantastic for true Skynyrd fans. I grew up very near to some of the guys in Jacksonville FL and have been a true Skynyrd fan for years. I even have a photo in my early 70's Ed White High School yearbook showing them playing at a school dance. Some of the footage showing their neighborhoods on the West side of town brought back so many memories for me of a place I haven't seen now for many years. And, to think that these young guys could be such powerful forces in the music world is amazing.

Of course the highlight of the film is the concert footage featuring a lot of the band's geatest songs. The movie also shows early raw footage and precious (although too short) interviews with Ronnie Van Zant.

I wish the music quality was a little better but, it's still very, very good. Some of the scenes showing the band on stage and the reaction of the fans to Freebird brings a tear to the eye. The ending is unbelievable as they show actual home movies of someone in the band holding a video camera and walking right onto the plane, into the cockpit and film it taking off and you can see the pilots briefly.

For me it was the 2 second clip showing Ronnie Van Zant playing poker on the plane that stuck in my mind the most. He was staring out the window, turned to place his bet and then turned back to the window. I could really imagine how he was probably thinking up more great lyrics for some song which would tell a story or maybe he was dreaming of bass fishing back in Florida. You could always see that these people were not phony baloney rock stars but, real people that loved their craft and loved presenting it to the world.

The closing credits are one of the best parts with a high fidelity version of "Simple Man" playing in the background while home movie footage along with candid photos are intersperse with the credits.

After the tragic crash we had so little to remember except of course the music. This movie brings the people themselves right into your house.

The second movie on the DVD is also good. It shows the reorganized band but, still covers the past too. One interesting note you learn from the second movie is the tragic car accident which left Allen Collins paralized. As a follow-up, (according to the Skynyrd website) he died several years later of pneumonia. I was really bummed to read that.

In short, if you're a Skynyrd fan, then this is THE DVD you have to own.