Vicious Cycle (album)

{{About|the Lynyrd Skynyrd album|the Reef the Lost Cauze album|A Vicious Cycle}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Vicious Cycle

| type = studio

| artist = Lynyrd Skynyrd

| cover = Vicious cycle.png

| released = May 20, 2003

| recorded = November 2002 – January 2003 at Cartee Day Studios, except 15

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{flatlist|

| length = 70:40

| label = Sanctuary

| producer = Ben Fowler and Lynyrd Skynyrd, except 15

| prev_title = Then and Now

| prev_year = 2000

| year = 2003

| next_title = Lynyrd Skynyrd Lyve: The Vicious Cycle Tour

| next_year = 2003

}}

Vicious Cycle is the twelfth studio album by Lynyrd Skynyrd, released in 2003. It was the first album recorded by the band following the death of original bassist Leon Wilkeson, who appears on two songs, "The Way" and "Lucky Man", and the song "Mad Hatter" is a tribute to him. The album is the first to feature bassist Ean Evans, the first mainstream album with Michael Cartellone on drums (who had previously appeared on Christmas Time Again), 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.

{{Album ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/r639736 |title=Vicious Cycle - Lynyrd Skynyrd |publisher=AllMusic |first=Rob |last=Theakston |year=2011 |quote=Rob Theakston |access-date=14 August 2011}}

| rev2 = Rolling Stone

| rev2Score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lynyrdskynyrd/albums/album/284542/review/6068115/vicious_cycle |title=Lynyrd Skynyrd: Vicious Cycle : Music Reviews |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Richard |last=Abowitz |year=2011 |access-date=14 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212193603/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/lynyrdskynyrd/albums/album/284542/review/6068115/vicious_cycle |archive-date=February 12, 2009 }}

}}

Track listing

"That's How I Like It" (Blair Daly, Rickey Medlocke, Gary Rossington, Hughie Thomasson, Johnny Van Zant) – 4:33
"Pick Em Up" (Tom Hambridge, Medlocke, J. Van Zant) – 4:20
"Dead Man Walkin{{'"}} (Kevin Bowe, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 4:30
"The Way" (Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:32
"Red, White, & Blue" (Donnie Van Zant, J. Van Zant, Brad Warren, Brett Warren) – 5:31
"Sweet Mama" (Hambridge, D. Van Zant, Robert White Johnson) – 3:59
"All Funked Up" (Medlocke, Jim Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:33
"Hell or Heaven" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:14
"Mad Hatter" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant, Cartellone, Evans, Powell, Chase, Krantz) – 5:38
"Rockin' Little Town" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:36
"Crawl" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:09
"Jake" (Hambridge, Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 3:41
"Life's Lessons" (Medlocke, Peterik, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:59
"Lucky Man" (Medlocke, Rossington, Thomasson, J. Van Zant) – 5:35
"Gimme Back My Bullets" (Bonus Track featuring Kid Rock) (Rossington, Ronnie Van Zant) – 3:41

Personnel

;Lynyrd Skynyrd

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

;Additional personnel

Perry Coleman – backing vocals
Melody Crittendon – backing vocals
Eric Darken – percussion
Chris Dunn – trombone
Tom Hambridge – backing vocals
John Hobbs – organ, piano
Jim Horn – baritone saxophone
Sam Levine – tenor saxophone
Greg Morrow – drums
Gordon Mote – organ
Nashville String Machine – strings
Steve Patrick – trumpet
Kid Rock – co-lead vocals on "Gimme Back My Bullets"
Brent Rowan – tiple
Brad Warren – backing vocals
Brett Warren – backing vocals
Biff Watson – bouzouki, acoustic guitar

Charts

Chart (2003) ! Peak position
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{{Album chart\|Finland\|30\|artist=Lynyrd Skynyrd \|album= Vicious Cycle\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}
{{Album chart\|France\|150\|artist=Lynyrd Skynyrd \|album= Vicious Cycle\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}
{{Album chart\|Germany4\|44\|id=19763\|artist=Lynyrd Skynyrd \|album=Vicious Cycle\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}
{{Album chart\|UKIndependent\|47\|date=20030525\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}
{{Album chart\|UKRock\|39\|date=20030525\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}
{{Album chart\|Billboard200\|30\|artist=Lynyrd Skynyrd\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=January 12, 2024}}

References

Category:Lynyrd Skynyrd albums

Category:2003 albums

Category:Sanctuary Records albums