Summer Concert Series: CDB Live (2005)

Note: Hello my friends, for three days this blog will cover concert films featuring country music and rock and roll icon, Charlie Daniels. Charlie recently passed away suddenly from a stroke. Though Charlie recorded many studio albums (most as part of The Charlie Daniels Band), what he enjoyed the most about his career was being on stage entertaining audiences. That is why these films are so important now that he is no longer around to do concerts. Films last forever and so through these movies we will forever be able to enjoy the man doing what he did best.

After the early full southern rock in Volunteer Jam (1976) and the bluegrass gospel of Charlie without the rest of CDB in Preachin' Prayin' Singin' (2005), CDB Live represents what most people think of today when they think of The Charlie Daniels Band (yes The Devil Went Down to Georgia is performed). This film features them as a country-rock band that stands for redneck culture, God and patriotism. They do a run through of their big hits such as The Legend of Wooly Swamp, Simple Man, Long Haired Country Boy, In America, The South's Gonna Do It (Again) and the aforementioned The Devil Went Down to Georgia. As Charlie Daniels had become a devout Christian by this time some of these songs feature a change of lyrics that replace cuss words and drug references. This may divide some fans of the band's earlier work, but I feel that that the Volunteer Jam movie still exists for anyone who wants to see the earlier rougher edged (and less political minded for those who don't agree with the right-wing politics of a couple songs in this film) of The Charlie Daniels Band. Also a feel that a film like this is created to be a document of a concert and a piece and time for the artist recorded and this is how Charlie was at tis time until the end of his life. There is also some lesser know music picked here such as The Intimidator (Charlie's tribute to Nascar driver Dale Earnhardt), Floreeda Road (a fun instrumental song that shows that the band has lost none of its musicianship since Volunteer Jam), Preachin' Prayin' Singin' and Heart of My Heart (a duo of great gospel numbers). The band is in great form performing the entire set list seemingly effortlessly and engaging the crowd. Most of all they create such a sense of fun and excitement that transferred perfectly to the audience and transfers to whoever watches this film. Like Volunteer Jam, the filmmaking is straightforward and never calls attention to itself keeping the focus on the music, which is fantastic. This is simply a typically great concert from CDB captured in a delightful film.

-Michael J. Ruhland