Gimme Back My Bullets

Gimme Back My Bullets
Studio album by
Lynyrd Skynyrd
ReleasedFebruary 2, 1976
RecordedSeptember 7–9 (tracks 2, 4, 8) and November 28–30, 1975
StudioRecord Plant, Los Angeles (tracks 2, 4, 8) and Capricorn Studios, Macon, Georgia
Genre
Length35:16
LabelMCA
ProducerTom Dowd
Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology
Nuthin' Fancy
(1975) 		Gimme Back My Bullets
(1976) 		One More from the Road
(1976)
Singles from Gimme Back My Bullets
  1. "Double Trouble"
    Released: February 2, 1976
  2. "Gimme Back My Bullets"
    Released: 1976
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[2]
Rolling Stone(mixed)[3]

Gimme Back My Bullets is the fourth studio album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on February 2, 1976. Produced by Tom Dowd, it reached number 20 on the U.S. albums chart and was certified gold on January 20, 1981, by the RIAA.[4]

Critical reception

[edit]

Record World said the title track had "a sinewy, guitar-heavy number sound the group is most comfortable with," and said that "the beat is reminiscent of Bad Company and rocks with a stormy aggression."[5]

Robert Christgau, who gave the album a positive review, stated: "Ronnie Van Zant may intend those bullets for 'pencil pushers' (which means not only me but you, I'll bet) but that's no reason to shoot him down. In fact, it's just the opposite—his attraction has always been the way he gets his unreconstructed say. Unfortunately, the music could use some Yankee calculation—from Al Kooper of Forest Hills, who I figure was good for two hooks per album, and Ed King of New Jersey, the guitarist turned born-againer whose guitar fills carried a lot more zing than three doodooing Honnicutts."[6]

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gimme Back My Bullets"
3:28
2."Every Mother's Son"
4:56
3."Trust"
  • Collins
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
4:25
4."I Got the Same Old Blues"J. J. Cale4:08
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Double Trouble"
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
2:49
2."Roll Gypsy Roll"
  • Collins
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
2:50
3."Searching"
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
3:17
4."Cry for the Bad Man"
  • Collins
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
4:48
5."All I Can Do Is Write About It"
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
4:16
  • Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–9 on CD reissues.
1999 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Gimme Back My Bullets" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976)
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
4:18
11."Cry for the Bad Man" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976)
  • Collins
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
5:35
  • Tracks 10 and 11 are previously unreleased
2006 CD deluxe edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
10."Double Trouble" (Live at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, November 4, 1975)
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
3:13
11."I Got the Same Old Blues" (Live at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, November 4, 1975)Cale4:13
12."Gimme Back My Bullets" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976)
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
4:18
13."Cry for the Bad Man" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976)
  • Collins
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
5:35
14."All I Can Do Is Write About It" (Acoustic Version)
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
4:24
15."Double Trouble" (Alternate Version)
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
2:51
2006 deluxe edition bonus DVD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Double Trouble"
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
 
2."I Ain't the One"
  • Rossington
  • Van Zant
 
3."Call Me the Breeze"Cale 
4."I Got the Same Old Blues"Cale 
5."Every Mother's Son"
 
6."Sweet Home Alabama"
 
7."Free Bird"
  • Collins
  • Van Zant
 

Personnel

[edit]
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Additional personnel
  • The Honeycuts – background vocals ("Double Trouble", "Cry for the Bad Man")
  • The Honkettes – background vocals (on bonus live tracks)
  • Lee Freeman – harp ("I Got the Same Old Blues")
  • Barry Lee Harwood – dobro, mandolin ("All I Can Do Is Write About It")

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1976) Peak
position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 73
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[8] 20
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[9] 50
UK Albums (OCC)[10] 34
US Billboard 200[11] 20

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[4] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Gimme Back My Bullets – Lynyrd Skynyrd | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: L". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 0-89919-026-X. Retrieved March 1, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ McGee, David (2011). "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Gimme Back My Bullets: Music Reviews: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "American album certifications – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimmie Me Back My Bullets". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
  5. ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. May 29, 1976. p. 26. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  6. ^ Robert Christgau: CG: Lynyrd Skynyrd
  7. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4112b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  8. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  9. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  10. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  11. ^ "Lynyrd Skynyrd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
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