16 Biggest Hits

• Artist: Charlie Daniels
• Rating:
• Release Date: September 05, 2006
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Country

Review

You'd be hard-pressed to find a better single-disc Charlie Daniels Band greatest-hits compilation than 16 Biggest Hits, which indeed lives up to its billing, rounding up a balanced selection of hits that span from 1973 to 1989 -- from "Uneasy Rider" to "(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks." Granted, the Charlie Daniels of the mid-'70s sounds a lot rawer than the Charlie Daniels of the mid- to late '80s, with some listeners no doubt preferring the rowdiness of the former to the polished appeal of the latter, and vice versa. But either way, it's nice to have such a range of music represented here on 16 Biggest Hits, because it showcases how the Charlie Daniels Band -- and, by extension, country music altogether -- evolved over the decades, getting steadily streamlined for broader appeal. The Essential Charlie Daniels Band, released a few years earlier, has a lot in common with 16 Biggest Hits, though at only 14 tracks and non-chronologically sequenced, it's slightly inferior. The chronological sequencing of 16 Biggest Hits is key, for it plays out like history itself, as Charlie Daniels grew from his Southern rock and outlaw country roots -- best exemplified by Fire on the Mountain (1974), represented here by three songs -- to his flag-waving anthems of the '80s like "In America," "Still in Saigon," and "(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks." Of course, there are a lot more Charlie Daniels Band highlights than the 16 here, but few were bigger than these. And if indeed you're looking for a more definitive collection of music, The Ultimate Charlie Daniels Band is recommended, offering 30 songs over the course of two discs, and also Roots Remain, an all-encompassing 45-song triple-disc set including rarities. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Uneasy Rider		Charlie Daniels	(5:20)
The South's Gonna Do It Again		Charlie Daniels	(3:59)
Trudy	Charlie Daniels	Charlie Daniels	(4:51)
Long Haired Country Boy		Charlie Daniels	(4:03)
Midnight Wind	F. Edwards	Charlie Daniels	(3:19)
The Devil Went Down to Georgia	F. Edwards, J. Marshall	Charlie Daniels	(3:36)
Reflections	F. Edwards, J. Marshall	Charlie Daniels	(5:26)
The Legend of Wooley Swamp	F. Edwards, J. Marshall	Charlie Daniels	(4:17)
Carolina (I Remember You)	Fred Edwards, James Marshall, Charlie Hayward	Charlie Daniels	(5:12)
In America	F. Edwards, J. Marshall	Charlie Daniels	(3:20)
Still in Saigon		Charlie Daniels	(3:53)
Drinkin' My Baby Goodbye		Charlie Daniels	(3:41)
Cowboy Hat in Dallas		Charlie Daniels	(4:30)
Boogie Woogie Fiddle Country Blues		Charlie Daniels	(3:27)
Simple Man	Jack Gavin	Charlie Daniels	(3:25)
(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks		Charlie Daniels	(3:42)

Credits

John Boylan (Producer), John Boylan (Original Recording Producer), Charlie Daniels (Producer), Charlie Daniels (Original Recording Producer), Paul Hornsby (Producer), Paul Hornsby (Original Recording Producer), Mike Rutherford (Photography), Bob Santos (A&R), James Stroud (Producer), James Stroud (Original Recording Producer), Don Hunstein (Cover Photo), Howard Fritzson (Art Direction), Vic Anesini (Mastering), Jean Carbain (Design), Margie Hunt (Compilation Producer), Margie Hunt (Project Director), Stacey Boyle (Artist Coordination), Robert Goodman (Art Direction), Robert Goodman (Design)