Vicious Cycle (album)

Vicious Cycle
Studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd
Released	May 20, 2003
Recorded	November 2002 – January 2003 at Cartee Day Studios, except 15
Genre	Southern rock
Length	70:40
Label	Sanctuary
Producer	Ben Fowler and Lynyrd Skynyrd, except 15
Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology
Christmas Time Again (2000) Vicious Cycle (2003) God & Guns (2009)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone

Vicious Cycle is the eleventh studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 2003. It was the first album by the band following the death of original bassist Leon Wilkeson, the song Mad Hatter being a tribute in memory to him. He died during recording, but does appear on two songs, "The Way" and "Lucky Man". "Vicious Cycle" is marked as the first professionally recorded album to use laser guitars^{[citation needed]}. It included the single "Red, White & Blue" which peaked at *1 on the US charts.

The CD booklet contains a recount by year of events in the band's history since 1964.

In the album, Kid Rock features in the bonus track, a remake of "Gimme Back My Bullets".

Track listing

1. "That's How I Like It" (Rossington, Van Zant, Thomasson, Medlocke, Blair) – 4:33
2. "Pick Em Up" (Van Zant, Medlocke, Hambridge) – 4:20
3. "Dead Man Walkin'" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Bowe) – 4:30
4. "The Way" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson) – 5:32
5. "Red White & Blue (Love it or Leave)" (Van Zant, Van Zant, Warren, Warren) – 5:31
6. "Sweet Mama" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson) – 3:59
7. "All Funked Up" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Peterik) – 3:33
8. "Hell or Heaven" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Peterik) – 5:14
9. "Mad Hatter" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Tom Hambridge) – 5:38
10. "Rockin' Little Town" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Hambridge) – 3:36
11. "Crawl" (Rossinton, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Peterik) – 5:09
12. "Jake" (Rossington, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Tom Hambridge) – 3:41
13. "Life's Lessons" (Rossinton, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson, Peterik) – 5:59
14. "Lucky Man" (Rossinton, Van Zant, Medlocke, Thomasson) – 5:35
15. "Gimme Back My Bullets" (Van Zant, Collins) – 3:41 (Bonus Track Featuring "Kid Rock")

Personnel

• Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals
• Gary Rossington – guitars
• Billy Powell – keyboards
• Ean Evans – bass guitar
• Michael Cartellone – drums
• Carol Chase – background vocals
• Rickey Medlocke – guitars & vocals
• Hughie Thomasson – guitars & background vocals
• Dale Krantz Rossington – background vocals
• Kid Rock – vocals in "Gimme Back My Bullets"
• Leon Wilkeson - bass guitar on "The Way" and "Lucky Man"

Chart performance

Album

Chart (2003)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	30

Singles

Year	Single	Peak chart positions
		US Main	US	US AC
2003	"Red White & Blue (Love it or Leave)"	27	-	-
	"—" denotes releases that did not chart