This special edition of GOIN' SOUTH culls tracks from both of the previous installments in the series, resulting in a well-selected set of vintage Southern rock hits. Book-ended by Skynyrd classics (the proudly defiant "Sweet Home Alabama" and the lighter-waving ballad "Free Bird"), the collection also features "Ramblin' Man," the Allman Brothers Band's exuberant ode to wanderlust, and Mountain's rowdy hard-rocker and Homer Simpson-favorite, "Mississippi Queen."

Collecting the best from both volumes of Goin' South, Goin' South Platinum Edition mixes dyed-in-the-wool Southern rock with songs that mesh well, even if they aren't technically that style. Geographically, the Band are far north of the Mason-Dixon line, but "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down"'s Southern Gothic mood makes it a good fit with the rest of the collection. There are also plenty of tracks that define Southern rock at its best: Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Free Bird" and the Allman Brothers Band's "Ramblin' Man" and "Midnight Rider" are like a four-song crash course on what the style is all about. Tracks by Mountain, the Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet, and the Georgia Satellites round out an album that may not be purely Southern rock, but is a lot of fun anyway. ~ Heather Phares