Summary
Gimme Back My Bullets is the fourth studio album by American Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd, released on February 2, 1976. It reached number 20 on the U.S. albums chart and was certified gold on January 20, 1981, by the RIAA.[4]
| Gimme Back My Bullets | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | February 2, 1976 | |||
| Recorded | Sep. 7–9 (tracks 2, 4, 8) and Nov. 28–30, 1975 | |||
| Studio | Record Plant, Los Angeles (tracks 2, 4, 8) and Capricorn Studios, Macon, Georgia | |||
| Genre | Southern rock, hard rock | |||
| Length | 35:16 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Producer | Tom Dowd | |||
| Lynyrd Skynyrd chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Gimme Back My Bullets | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[2] |
| Rolling Stone | (mixed)[3] |
The album was originally titled Ain't No Dowd About It, in tribute to the producer Tom Dowd, whom the band idolized.[citation needed]
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
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Gimme Back My Bullets" | 3:28 | |
| 2. | "Every Mother's Son" |
| 4:56 |
| 3. | "Trust" |
| 4:25 |
| 4. | "I Got the Same Old Blues" | J. J. Cale | 4:08 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Double Trouble" |
| 2:49 |
| 2. | "Roll Gypsy Roll" |
| 2:50 |
| 3. | "Searching" |
| 3:17 |
| 4. | "Cry for the Bad Man" |
| 4:48 |
| 5. | "All I Can Do Is Write About It" |
| 4:16 |
- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–9 on CD reissues.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Gimme Back My Bullets" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976) |
| 4:18 |
| 11. | "Cry for the Bad Man" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976) |
| 5:35 |
- Tracks 10 and 11 are previously unreleased
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10. | "Double Trouble" (Live at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, November 4, 1975) |
| 3:13 |
| 11. | "I Got the Same Old Blues" (Live at the Capitol Theatre in Cardiff, Wales, November 4, 1975) | Cale | 4:13 |
| 12. | "Gimme Back My Bullets" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976) |
| 4:18 |
| 13. | "Cry for the Bad Man" (Live at the Winterland in San Francisco, CA, March 7, 1976) |
| 5:35 |
| 14. | "All I Can Do Is Write About It" (Acoustic Version) |
| 4:24 |
| 15. | "Double Trouble" (Alternate Version) |
| 2:51 |
- Tracks 10 and 14 originally released on the Lynyrd Skynyrd (Box Set) (1991)
- Track 15 originally released on Skynyrd's Innyrds (1989)
- Track 11 is previously unreleased
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Double Trouble" |
| |
| 2. | "I Ain't the One" |
| |
| 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" |
|
- All tracks recorded live for The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC television on November 11, 1975.
Personnel edit
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Ronnie Van Zant – lead vocals, lyrics
- Gary Rossington – guitars
- Allen Collins – guitars
- Leon Wilkeson – bass, background vocals
- Artimus Pyle – drums, percussion
- Billy Powell – keyboards
- 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
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2011). "Gimme Back My Bullets – Lynyrd Skynyrd | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b "American album certifications – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimmie Me Back My Bullets". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved December 25, 2021.
- ^ "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. May 29, 1976. p. 26. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
- ^ Robert Christgau: CG: Lynyrd Skynyrd
- ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 4112b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Lynyrd Skynyrd – Gimme Back My Bullets". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ "Lynyrd Skynyrd Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 12, 2024.