Freedom and Justice For All

Charlie Daniels Band | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 22, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B00009WVS9
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,496 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Versions of Classics Old and New, July 29, 2003

By 

M. Smith (CA, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Freedom and Justice For All (Audio CD)

As I stood in the store looking at the song list on Freedom and Justice For All, I thought I was looking at another compilation. "Two new songs and a recitation," I thought. I figured I would buy it for those, and the rest would join the other compilations I have. I wasn't as excited about this release as I had been for previous new albums, which turned out to be poor judgement.

The Charlie Daniels Band released Freedom and Justice For All appropriately in July of 2003, and the album is packed with patriotism. Instead of re-releasing old versions of songs like In America and Simple Man, the band went back into the studio and recorded them again. I don't have any idea how long it took the band to record this album but like all of his albums recorded since Blues Hat, the sound is clean, polished and personal. Where the albums from the 1970s sounded great for the technology available at the time, these newer albums sound like they've been all jacked into a huge computer and digitized. This is only an observation, not a criticism. The sound is cleaner, there is no analogue tape hiss or amp feedback, and nobody misses a note.

The album starts out with Charlie taking you on a trip through America in his recitation, "My Beautiful America." Acoustic guitar, and then Charlie asks, "Have you ever spent the late afternoon watching the purple shadows deepen in the Arizona desert? Or seen a herd of elk plow their way through waist deep snow on a cold Colorado dawn?" See how he does that? He puts you right there in the fresh air of America's country, cool and quiet, reflective of morning and night. Hold on for the next few minutes and you'll be shown views of every part of the country, from shining sea to rocky coast. It's a great opener and puts you in the right mindset to enjoy a an hour's worth of patriotic music.

Next up is In America, the ripping old standard. Not the old version but one recorded especially for this album. It is as powerful and mean as ever. 'Speaking just for me, and some people from Tennessee, we've got a thing or two to tell you all."

Summer of 68 and Freedom and Justice for All may be the only newly written songs for this album, but the new interpretations of some great CDB standards come off as new songs all together. New versions of Simple Man and What This World Needs Is A Few More Rednecks are tougher, more rocking updates of familiar CDB classics.

This is a smoking album. Get a copy and take a tour of America with Charlie Daniels.

24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A patriotic redneck gives us his view of America..., August 10, 2003

By 

DanD - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Freedom and Justice For All (Audio CD)

And I say AMEN!

Charlie Daniels is one of the most patriotic sons of guns (you know what I mean) out there. And this CD allows the veteran fiddler/guitarist/singer/songwriter to express his patriotism through his music.

And if you don't cheer along, you aren't American!

"My Beautiful America" is a beautiful recitation. "In America" is still a good ol' rocker, a timeless patriotic tune. "Summer of 68" has a rhythm that'll drag you in, and "Let Freedom Ring", "America, I Believe In You," and "God Bless the Mother" rock out their patriotic messages.

"The Last Fallen Hero" is for all those who died defending or serving out country, especially all the fallen heroes of 9/11. Growing up in the midwest, surrounded by corn and bean fields, I can relate to "American Farmer," which puts it like it is. "Still In Saigon" is still a great song, and "(What This World Needs Is) A Few More Rednecks" could never be more true! The fiddle rendition of "Star Spangled Banner" is alone worth the price of the album.

This CD will make you even prouder than you are to be an American. But be warned: if you are against American values, if you are against country folk, if you are against anything that country music (and, thus, Charlie Daniels) stands for, then do not buy this CD. If those are your beliefs, then this is NOT your CD. Get out.

"Freedom and Justice For All" is not only for country music fans, but for all Americans. In a time where we're plagued with doubt, it's nice to see a man step forward with his fiddle and band and bring us the pride and values that America's all about.

God bless America! (And, while He's at it, Charlie Daniels)

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Strong words to make you proud, March 4, 2004

By 

J. Houzet "wozamoya" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Freedom and Justice For All (Audio CD)

I am not an American, but I live in this country as a foreign worker and I appreciate everything good that America stands for. I am here legally, I didn't sneak across borders, nor am I living on welfare. I love this country as though it were my own. So I despise self-hating American liberals and those who would sell out this country to the villains of the world, including the corrupt United Nations.
I thank Charlie Daniels for being one of those rare celebrities who are proud of their country and unashamed to be public about it. I listened to this entire album in Borders before I bought it. The opening track is a spoken word piece taken from Daniels' book "This Ain't No Rag." It's a beautiful description of all that's great about America.
The rest of the songs are all patriotic. Country music is not my favorite genre, but this music is good because of its lyrical content. There are even some songs that got my foot tapping, like the "Summer of '68," about the way the Vietnam Vets were persecuted by self-indulgent hippies who had neither the courage to lay down their lives nor the insight to appreciate it. "American Farmer" is a salute to the unappreciated farmers that the Democratic Party is trying to take subsidies away from. Charlie even salutes MLK Jr. on "Let Freedom Ring." "The Last Fallen Hero" is a ode to US troops currently in Iraq. It's like an anthem but it has a sound that reminds me a bit of Leonard Cohen. "Simple Man" is an expression of outrage at the lack of justice in liberal-dominated courts and Charlie suggests a few alternative means of justice!
This album is an excellent counterpoint to the empty-headed refrains of Steve Earle, the Dixie Chicks, Bruce Springsteen, Chrissie Hynde and other knee-jerk liberals.