Nine of the 17 tracks on this historical curio surfaced on the 1978 LP Skynyrd's First and... Last, but more than a quarter of a century passed between the 1971/'72 sessions that produced these germinating tracks and their full appearance. Skynyrd's First: The Muscle Shoals Album documents a group of young musicians finding their footing, but by no means is it an amateurish affair. While ongoing personnel shifts are in evidence (only Ronnie Van Zant, Albert Collins, and Gary Rossington from the classic lineup appear throughout), the playing and writing is surprisingly tight. It's easy to see why veteran session man Jimmy Johnson, the producer of the sessions, insisted: "I had never heard a band that were that well rehearsed and had their songs together." The excellent liner notes make this package all the more appealing to Lynyrd loyalists. --Steven Stolder