With Lynyrd Skynyrd: An Oral History, Lee Ballinger adds another chapter to the emerging literature on southern rock and roll. Ballinger has worn a number of professional hats, though he is presently West Coast Editor of Rock & Rap Confidential and co-producer of the Rock a Mole music festivals. (It's also worth mentioning that Dave Marsh served as consultant/editor to this project.)
Ballinger uses the oral history format to tell the story of quintessential southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd, the band from Jacksonville, Florida, who rose to rock and roll stardom in the 70s until three band members, most notably lead singer Ronnie Van Zandt, died in a 1974 plane crash. As Ballinger puts it: "Their goal was nothing less than to become one of the biggest and best bands in the world: This is the story of how they did it" (xii).
Lynyrd Skynyrd was a colorful and tragic band, and their story is never less than compelling. Ballinger culls quoted material from a 41-member "cast of characters," ranging from Skynyrd members and families to producers and A&R people--and, of course, Leonard Skinner himself, the infamous Jacksonville high school gym teacher who expelled the band members for having long hair and, ultimately and ironically, gave the band its name. Ballinger's study allows the band to speak for itself, capturing the language of the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd. Skynyrd's place in rock and roll history is a significant one that deserves serious attention--especially given that too often the name "Lynyrd Skynyrd" immediately brings to mind questions about reactionary politics and jokes about epic-length versions of "Free Bird." But there are central questions about Lynyrd Skynyrd that are ignored in Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the book is the weaker for it.
One problem stems from the book's consistent lack of context. In the introduction, Ballinger observes, "Lynyrd Skynyrd was built on contradictions." Such a point is insightful and deserves more exploration than the few paragraphs it receives in the introduction. After all, Lynyrd Skynyrd appears at a time when the band's musical contributions are downplayed based on what many see as an offensive political agenda. But none of this receives any treatment in the oral history itself.
For example, an obvious issue is that of racism. Ballinger explains briefly that "Sweet Home Alabama" has been misinterpreted: "The band's redneck image was cast in stone by the massive success of 'Sweet Home Alabama,' mistaken by many people (who missed the chorus of 'Boo! Boo! Boo!') as an endorsement of racist Alabama governor George Wallace" (xi). He makes a similar observation of the band's use of a huge Confederate flag as a concert backdrop. And while Ballinger's brief explanations are compelling, these are the kinds of topics that the subjects of the history never comment on--and they need to. In addition, the "cast of characters" doesn't include any critics of Lynyrd Skynyrd to raise these issues. Moreover, the "sex, drugs, rock and roll!" excess that so defined many 70s rock bands is dulled, so there is always a lingering sense that Ballinger's history is incomplete. Too often, the 'warts-and-all" treatment that is crucial to the oral history simply isn't there, and Ballinger's portrait seems sanitized--and a whole lot less interesting than the band was.
One of the definitive oral histories of rock and roll remains Legs McNeil and Gillian McCain's story of the New York punk scene, Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk. Here two writers who were in the thick of punk use the words of artists, writers, and fans/groupies--along with their own primary experience--to create a vibrant portrait of a movement. Lynyrd Skynyrd, though, never reaches that level of primacy, perhaps because the majority of the material has been published elsewhere first. One of the problems with this book is its vague bibliography--and it's impossible to link quotes to sources. Moreover, there is no indication that Ballinger conducted any interviews himself, generally a requirement of the oral history.
While reading Lynyrd Skynyrd, I couldn't help but compare it to Scott Freeman's 1995 Midnight Riders: The Story of the Allman Brothers Band. Freeman provides a clear context for the emergence of southern rock and the Allman Brothers Band, and his treatment of the band is unflinching as he describes the successes, quarrels, substance abuse problems, and excesses. The context for the Allman Brothers' music and story is always clear. Perhaps Ballinger's story would be better served in a traditional biographical format that would provide a greater sense of why Lynyrd Skynyrd was improtant. (In fact, Marley Brant's Southern Rockers: The Roots and Legacy of Southern Rock creates a more helpful and developed picture of Lynyrd Skynyrd.)
In fairness, Ballinger's account is always readable, and the book has some great pictures. He's done a nice job of bringing together a lot of material. But the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd has yet to be written.