The Ultimate Charlie Daniels Band
Nashville studio musician Charlie Daniels was 34 when he recorded his  first barely noticed solo album in 1970. Soon afterward, he organized the  Charlie Daniels Band and found his niche with a durable mixture of blazing  Southern rock, country, and plainspoken lyrics that resonated with both pop and  country fans. This 30-song retrospective, a lite version of the box setThe Roots Remain,  encompasses the band's work for Kama Sutra and Epic from 1973 to the early '90s.  It features Daniels's first chart hit, the 1973 hippie vs. redneck novelty  "Uneasy Rider," and early CDB favorites "The South's Gonna Do It Again" and  "Long-Haired Country Boy." While covering nearly every high point (his 1980 hit  "In America" is one notable omission), the collection also adds obscure singles  and album cuts. Daniels's Southern and blue-collar pride struck a powerful chord  in people, as numbers like the Vietnam vet anthem "Still in Saigon" and  "American Farmer" resonated deeply in the heartland. For those who don't need  the box, this is the place to start.--Rich Kienzle