Land That I Love

The Charlie Daniels Band’s latest album offers some of Charlie’s first patriotic studio recordings since 2003. Charlie updates his flag-waving “(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks” with an additional verse, and re-records “Iraq Blues,” a nod to the military that he penned during a tour in Iraq. The entire collection, in fact, culls pro-America hits from past albums, including fan favorites such as “This Ain’t No Rag, It’s a Flag,” “Still in Saigon” and “The Last Fallen Hero.” A freshened-up recitation of “Red Skelton’s Pledge of Allegiance” showcases Charlie as a warm and commanding speaker in as fine a voice as his “Devil Went Down to Georgia” days, while his fiddle rendition of “Star Spangled Banner” is one of the album’s standout moments. “American Farmer,” a tribute to oft-forgotten ranchers and agriculturalists, and the barn-burner classic “In America” round out the disc.