ARTIMUS PYLE And THE ARTIMUS PYLE BAND
Anthems Honoring the Music of Lynyrd Skynyrd (2024)

Titres – Guests :
01. I Know A Little – Micheal Ray
02. Sweet Home Alabama – Ronnie Dunn
03. Simple Man – Sammy Hagar
04. Needle And The Spoon – Lindsey Ell
05. The Ballad Of Curtis Loew – Chris Janson
06. Workin' For MCA – Lee Brice
07. That Smell – Jerrod Niemann
08. Gimme Three Steps – Marty Raybon
09. Call Me The Breeze – Billy Ray Cyrus
10. Saturday Night Special – Warren Haynes
11. The Hunt – Artimus Pyle Band
12. What's Your Name – LOCASH
13. Freebird – Dolly Parton, slide guitar: Gary Rossington

Personnal :
Bass – Dave Fowler
Drums – Artimus Pyle
Electriques guitars – Lindsay Ell, Scott Raines
Slide guitar – Jerry Lyda
Keyboards – Brad Durden, Dane Bryant
Percussions – Artimus Pyle, Chris Pyle
Backing vocals – Christine Winslow, Kent Wells, Kim Keys, Mica Roberts

This is a surprising and absolutely extraordinary album that will both make Skynyrd fans happy and despair. The happiness, of a rare intensity, will come from finding the most famous of the superb compositions of the group really very well interpreted, with valuable guests and respectful of the spirit of this music. The despair is to note today that all this creativity unfortunately belongs to the past, and that we can no longer wait for a next release of an album of the group filled with future emblematic titles. Artimus Pyle really loves very deeply this music in the creation of which he participated, for the most recent titles, on this CD at least, and which he interpreted for many years, it is felt in the result. He sincerely wanted to honor this style, and by there the extraordinary musicians who created it and we cannot say that he missed his shot, helped by the very beautiful production of Dave Fowler and Kent Wells! A damn fine job, respecting both the clarity and the "juice" that must inhabit the sound that made Skynyrd famous. A gourmet pleasure: we finally find the sound universe that had made us addicted to southern rock a few decades ago. We take a big slap with the intense return of disappeared or dulled emotions. Here no invasive snare drum, no metallic sound, no superfluous effects, it lives! The main lines are respected but the musicians can let their interpretation shine through provided they stay in the spirit. We are not in a fixed or academic "note by note" but in a real musicality that leaves all its place to the mixture of energy and real subtlety that is the salt of this music. This album is full of feeling and musical competence, quite simply. A real pleasure! I started listening to it without any preconceived ideas, without expecting more than a nice interpretation of songs I had heard a thousand times, just hoping that it would live up to the legend, and I was totally blown away. In addition, it may contain the last recording of Gary Rossington, who gave his approval to the project by providing the slide part of an incredible "Freebird" literally haunted and sublimated by Dolly Parton. In my long interview with him, Artimus suggested that a volume 2, with remarkable but lesser-known songs (from "First and Last" for example) was not impossible. If it is to be in the same vein, we must not be kept in suspense. "This project took a year, but when fans hear it, they will understand why it took so long," said Len Snow, president of Get Joe Records. I get it! This record is addictive for any Lynyrd fan who has a bit of an ear. A more than successful tribute, thank you Artimus!

Y. Philippot-Degand