If you’re going to buy just one ‘classic’ Southern rock album, I’d suggest that this be the one.

There may be others that are more artistically worthy, but none capture the genre’s sense of pride as well as “Second Helping.” It conveys a strong connection to southern blues, along with very impressive guitar work, and arrangements that will keep you riveted from beginning to end. It also doesn’t hurt that it contains the Southern Rock anthem, “Sweet Home Alabama,” a song that I’ve heard ten thousand times on the radio that somehow remains likeable.

As the man says with the album’s very first words, “Turn it up.”

Featured tracks:

Sweet Home Alabama

I Need You

Don’t Ask No Questions

Workin’ for MCA

The Ballad of Curtis Loewe

Swamp Music

The Needle and the Spoon

Call Me the Breeze

Billboard Charted #12 - April 1974