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, blues rock, country rock, heavy metal, hard rock, AOR
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	[1]
Rolling Stone	[2]

Vicious Cycle is the twelfth 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". This album is the first to feature Wilkeson's replacement, Ean Evans, the first with Michael Cartellone on drums, and the last album that guitarist Hughie Thomasson played on before he died. It included the single "Red, White & Blue" which peaked at number 27 on the US Mainstream Rock 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" (Eric Blair, Rickey Medlocke, Gary Rossington, Hughie Thomasson, Johnny Van Zant) – 4:33
2. "Pick Em Up" (Tom Hambridge, Medlocke, J. Van Zant) – 4:20
3. "Dead Man Walkin'" (Kevin Bowe, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 4:30
4. "The Way" (Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:32
5. "Red, White, & Blue" (Donnie Van Zant, J. Van Zant, Brad Warren, Brett Warren) – 5:31
6. "Sweet Mama" (Hambridge, D. Van Zant, Robert White Johnson) – 3:59
7. "All Funked Up" (Medlocke, Jim Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:33
8. "Hell or Heaven" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:14
9. "Mad Hatter" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:38
10. "Rockin' Little Town" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:36
11. "Crawl" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:09
12. "Jake" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:41
13. "Life's Lessons" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:59
14. "Lucky Man" (Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:35
15. "Gimme Back My Bullets" (Bonus Track featuring Kid Rock) (Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) - 3:41

Personnel

Lynyrd Skynyrd

• Johnny Van Zant – lead vocals harmonica
• Gary Rossington – guitars
• Billy Powell – keyboards
• Ean Evans – bass guitar
• Michael Cartellone – drums
• Rickey Medlocke – guitars & vocals, harmonica
• Hughie Thomasson – guitars & background vocals
• Leon Wilkeson - bass guitar on "The Way" and "Lucky Man"

Additional personnel

• Carol Chase – background vocals
• Dale Krantz-Rossington – background vocals
• Kid Rock – vocals in "Gimme Back My Bullets"

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

References

1. Theakston, Rob (2011). "Vicious Cycle - Lynyrd Skynyrd | AllMusic". allmusic.com. Retrieved 14 August 2011. Rob Theakston
2. Abowitz, Richard (2011). "Lynyrd Skynyrd: Vicious Cycle : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2011.