A Decade of Hits
In 1979 redneck rock reached an apex with "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," a monster hit that reached No. 1 on the country charts and crossed over to No. 3 on the pop charts. But as this 1983 overview suggests, the Charlie Daniels Band was more than a one-hit wonder, even if the fiddle duel on "Devil" remains their definitive moment. OnlyLynyrd Skynyrdcould equal the energy of their rocking mix of Southern boogie, honky-tonk, and electric blues. At 10 tracks, this set may seem a bit skimpy, and while there's no dross, some listeners will find the nascent jingoism of "In America" and "The South's Gonna Do It Again" hard to swallow.--Roy Kasten