Search - Charlie Daniels :: Essential Charlie Daniels

It's CDB, What'd You Expect?

K. Fontenot | The Bayou State | 04/04/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All of the best songs by the CDB are found here. They are also the original masters, which is refreshing to see. The obvious ones are here, such as "The Devil Went Down To Georgia," "In America," "Long-haired Country Boy," "The South's Gonna Do It Again," and "Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues." My favorite songs, "Texas" and "Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye," are also here. Everything here is worth the price of the album.



People who enjoy hard driving country and Southern rock with heavy fiddle play, you'll love this album. Daniels is very talented(he plays fiddle, guitar, and mandolin), and his band is just as proficient. You won't be let down by this album.





Since it's so hard to review an album that's so chock full of great music, I'll put it to you this way: If you love Charlie Daniels, get this album. If you've never heard much from CDB and want a good starter album, get this. And above all, please see these guys in concert. They put on one of the best shows in the business."

Best 1 disc overview, BUT

James Cantrell | Tennessee | 11/17/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"As I age, I become even less able to tolerate that which is less than right. CDB compilations have tended to be only 10 songs, which means that this 14 song set is head and shoulders above those. But it is still unnecessarily incomplete. This disc could hold another 20-25 minutes of music, and there is no reason it can't be here. Do the idiots at record companies think that they will sell an Essential CDB Part 2 by shorting this one?



The 30 song, 2 disc Ultimate Charlie Daniels Band is available, but it is $24.98, and the CDB does not have the fans to sell millions of 'best of' compliations at that price. That compilation also omits the hit 'In America,' but that is my least favorite song on The Essential CDB.



If The Essential CDB had added only 'Reflections,' I would have been thrilled by it as a 15 song career overview. But even then, that would leave out such songs as 'American Farmer' (which is one of the most important songs to the founding of the Farm Aid movement), 'High Lonesome,' Saddle Tramp,' '(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks' (which is on the 3 disc Roots Remain set), 'Talk to Me Fiddle,'and 'Play Me Some Fiddle.' 'The Intimidator,' (about NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt) would be a nice addition, as would a Gospel song.



In short, this is the best 1 disc 'best of' CDB, but once a fan of these songs hears the others I've named, he'll want them too.



If 'In America,' 'A Few More Rednecks,' and 'The Intimidator' were added to The Ultimate Charlie Daniels Band 2 disc set, that would be the one to own, even at $24.98."