re: Lynyrd Skynyrd vs CCR

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This is something people fail to acknowledge. Ronnie Van Zant was one of the group's principle songwriters. His death warrants the speculation of what sort of material would have been produced had he not passed away.

The band was undergoing a pretty noticeable shift in sound when Street Survivors was released, and I have to wonder which direction they would have ultimately taken had it not been for the plane crash.

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I've long thought Skynyrd would have eventually morphed into a country band (albeit one that rocks) and be viewed as the godfathers of modern country. And I think Street Survivors points to that direction.

By the time albums like Nuthin Fancy and Gimme Back My Bullets were released the band and their songs felt labored and perfunctory. Steve Gaines came along at the exact right time to infuse the band with some fresh energy and give them their second wind. They were having fun again and the creative juices were all over that last record.

It's one of the great tragedies in music that we didn't get to see them fulfill that promise.