ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, SEPT. 16, 1983
By Steve Newton
If you happen to have a liking for Southern-fried country-rock and haven’t already invested in a good cross-section of it, then the Charlie Daniels Band’s latest collection would be a damn good place to start.
Their foot-stomping, fiddle-riddled hits “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “The South’s Gonna Do It Again” are included, as are the intriguing, storybook tunes “Uneasy Rider” and “The Legend of Wooley Swamp”. The latter is a simple yet effective tale of haunting vengeance, the former a comical view of rednecks and their run-in with an unlucky longhair. Both songs have the ability to capture one’s imagination through concise, clever narration.
Also featured is Charlie Daniels’ most recent hit, 1981’s “Still in Saigon”, a moving tribute to the Vietnam vet that really makes you wonder. The honky-tonking testimony of laidback life, “Long Haired Country Boy”, is in attendance, as well three brand new tracks–“Let It Roll”, “Everytime I See Him”, and the song from Burt Reynolds’ latest film, “Stroker’s Theme”.
All in all, A Decade of HIts is one fine compilation from a band that typifies the sound of the south.