Giving it three stars out of five, Allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann said, "For the most part, those performers display a knowledge of Lynyrd Skynyrd's work and an affection for it." He cited Travis Tritt's, Sammy Kershaw's and Steve Earle's performance as the strongest on the album, but called Alabama's "Sweet Home Alabama" cover "gimmicky" and said of Wynonna's "Free Bird" that she "ends up undercutting its power."[1]Washington City Paper critic Dave McKenna gave a mostly favorable review, saying "the country stars on Frynds don't hide their reverence and affection for the material or its creators," but criticizing the album for not showing the band's "lighter side."[2]
