Street Survivors appeared in stores just days before
Lynyrd Skynyrd's touring plane crashed, tragically killing many members of the band, including lead singer and songwriter
Ronnie Van Zant. Consequently, it's hard to see
Street Survivors outside of the tragedy, especially since the best-known song here, "That Smell," reeks of death and foreboding. If the band had lived, however,
Street Survivors would have been seen as an unqualified triumph, a record that firmly re-established
Skynyrd's status as the great Southern rock band. As it stands, it's a triumph tinged with a hint of sadness, sadness that's projected onto it from listeners aware of what happened to the band after recording. Viewed as merely a record, it's a hell of an album. The band springs back to life with the addition of guitarist
Steve Gaines, and
Van Zant used the time off the road to write a strong set of songs, highlighted by "That Smell," "You Got That Right," and the relentless boogie "I Know a Little." It's tighter than any record since
Second Helping and as raw as
Nuthin' Fancy. If the original band was fated to leave after this record, at least they left with a record that serves as a testament to
Skynyrd's unique greatness. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine