The Essential Charlie Daniels Band

iTunes Review

This truly essential collection begins with the most epic narrative in southern twang-rock's history, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." The 1979 hit was originally titled "Lonesome Fiddle Blues" and penned an octave lower by Vassar Clements before Charlie Daniels put words to it. Flirting with a satanic theme may have spooked him because he later re-recorded such outlaw country favorites as "Longhaired Country Boy" and the sidesplitting "Uneasy Rider," omitting the booze and weed references to fit in with his born again beliefs. But for those who think that what's not broken shouldn't be fixed, those family friendly revisions are not present here. "Mississippi" from 1979's Million Mile Reflections is so lush with countrypolitan strings and piano that it could easily be mistaken for soft rock, but it's followed here with the strutting country funk of "Trudy." Fans of more patriotic songs should enjoy 1980's Russian-railing "In America" and 1982's Vietnam-venting "Still In Saigon." Ending the compilation with the 1975 boogie rock, rebel pride hit "The South's Gonna Do It Again" leaves the listener with a fun representation of CDB in their prime.