Nuthin' Fancy (Remastered)

By 1975, Lynyrd Skynyrd were best known for helping invent the power ballad with “Freebird,” and defining the good-time, down-home feel of Southern rock on “Sweet Home Alabama.” Under pressure to deliver even more gold-standard rock ’n’ roll anthems, the band stripped down to its bare essence and delivered Nuthin’ Fancy, a lean cut of hard rock garnished with sandpaper grit. The title song is one of Skynyrd’s defining moments, a vivid chronicle of late-night violence from someone who had seen his fair share; unexpectedly, the song closes with a subtle anti-gun message. “Cheatin’ Woman,” “I’m a Country Boy,” and “On the Hunt” are blues songs on the band’s terms: slow, sulking, and kneaded with Florida dirt. There was always something forlorn lying behind Skynyrd’s swagger, and Nuthin’ Fancy revealed this somber undercurrent. In a bid for radio acceptance “Am I Losin’” brought the band’s taste for wistful ballads dangerously close to Eagles territory, but “Railroad Song” and “Whiskey Rock-A-Roller” — redeeming tributes to a life of lonely hauls and tough travel — rang truer.