Second Helping

Second Helping
Studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Released	April 15, 1974
Recorded	Record Plant Studios, Los Angeles, California, January 1974 (except for track 1, Studio One in Doraville, Georgia, June 1973)
Genre	Southern rock, blues rock, country rock, hard rock
Length	37:15
Label	MCA
Producer	Al Kooper
Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology
(Pronounced 'Lĕh-'nérd 'Skin-'nérd) (1973) Second Helping (1974) Nuthin' Fancy (1975)

Second Helping is a 1974 album by Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was the band's second album, and featured its biggest hit single, "Sweet Home Alabama", an answer song to Neil Young's "Alabama" and "Southern Man". The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in August 1974. This was the first Lynyrd Skynyrd album to feature the band's trademark triple guitar attack.

The album reached #12 on the Billboard album charts. It was certified Gold on 9/20/1974, Platinum and 2x Platinum on 7/21/1987 by the R.I.A.A.

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	link
Robert Christgau	(A-) link
Rolling Stone	(mixed) link

Track listing

Side one

1. "Sweet Home Alabama" (Ed King, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 4:43
2. "I Need You" (Ed King, Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 6:55
3. "Don't Ask Me No Questions" (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:26
4. "Workin' for MCA" (Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant) – 4:49

Side two

5. "The Ballad of Curtis Loew" (Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant) – 4:51
6. "Swamp Music" (Ed King, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:31
7. "The Needle and the Spoon" (Allen Collins, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:53
8. "Call Me the Breeze" (J. J. Cale) – 5:09

1997 CD reissue bonus tracks

9. "Don't Ask Me No Questions (Single Version)" (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:31
10. "Was I Right Or Wrong (Demo)" (Gary Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 5:33
11. "Take Your Time (Demo)" (Ronnie Van Zant, Ed King) – 7:29

• Tracks 9-11 previously unreleased on compact disc.

Personnel

• Ronnie Van Zant - lead vocals
• Gary Rossington - Gibson Les Paul - guitar, rhythm and acoustic guitar on "Sweet Home Alabama"
• Allen Collins - Gibson Firebird - guitar
• Ed King - Fender Stratocaster - guitar, slide guitar, rhythm guitar and bass on "I Need You"
• Billy Powell - keyboards, piano on "Sweet Home Alabama"
• Leon Wilkeson - Gibson Thunderbird - bass
• Bob Burns - drums except "I Need You"

Additional:

• Mike Porter - drums on "I Need You"
• Clydie King, Sherlie Matthews - background vocals on "Sweet Home Alabama"
• Merry Clayton and friends - background vocals on "Sweet Home Alabama"
• Bobby Keys, Trewor Lawrence and Steve Madiao - horns on "Don't Ask Me No Questions" and "Call Me the Breeze"
• Al Kooper - backing vocals, piano on "Don't Ask..." & "The Ballad of Curtis Loew", producer