The Ozark Mountain Daredevils - The Best (1981)

One of two CDs of classic material by the Daredevils, 12 songs drawn from their first five A&M albums, showing the different sides of the group to very good advantage, from the hard-rocking "If You Wanna Get to Heaven" to the soaring, upbeat, mandolin- and electric-guitar-driven "Homemade Wine." Some of the material seems soft today, and it's hard to imagine that this sound was ever considered viable, but a lot of it is very pretty and eminently listenable. The starting point for anyone interested, and with a little luck this and the first album will be joined at least by reissues of It'll Shine When It Shines and Men from Earth.