I spent 4 years in Puerto Rico. I was 10 years old when we arrived in the summer of 1972 and 14 years old when we left in the summer of 1976. During that time, my brothers and I were active in many different sporting activities. Stay with me now, I’m getting to the Album of the Month.

One of those sporting activities in early summer 1974 was a Biddy Basketball League in which my younger three brothers played in. I helped out my Dad as an assistant coach. At the end of the basketball season, all the participants received a trophy and, for reasons I never understood, received a vinyl record album from various rock and pop music groups at the time. Years later, I assumed these were leftover stock from some local store who wanted to dump the unsold merchandise, but after finding out that Second Helping was declared GOLD in September 1974, I’m thinking handing out these albums for free helped reach that status.

One of my brothers received a Flo and Eddie album called The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie (released September 1972) and the other received Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s Second Helping. I commandeered both albums from my brothers not because I was aware of Lynyrd Skynyrd, but because they were not into music like I was. I already had a growing record collection and one or two more additions was alright with me. Who would’ve thought that so many great songs were on this album and would become staples in their live show.

Second Helping was the band’s second album released in April 1974 and reached #12 on the Billboard charts. It was certified GOLD in September 1974. I had never heard any of the songs but I liked them. Boy was I surprised to see that Sweet Home Alabama was a hit and I had the album. My favorite song off the album is Call Me the Breeze, which was not actually written by the band. It was written by J.J. Cale.

I still have the original album in my collection. Sadly, I no longer have the Flo and Eddie album but I do remember listening to it and enjoying its quirkiness. For bringing back great memories of Puerto Rico and family sporting activities, I chose Second Helping by Lynyrd Skynyrd to be this months Album of the Month.