About.com Rating



Bottom Line:

If you're looking to boost your patriotic Country Music album collection with a good mix of old and new songs, then be sure to buy Patriotic Country: Volume 3. Not only will you be getting some great music, portions of the album's proceeds will go to a worthy charity. You can't get much better than that.

As the summer days roll on and we get closer to the Fourth of July, people are more likely to show their patriotism.

A good way to do that and give money to a great cause in the process is to buy Patriotic Country: Volume 3. You'll enjoy the music and know that a portion of the money goes to Our Military Kids, a charity which provides grants to children of deployed or severely injured National Guard and Reserve Military personnel so the children can continue tutoring programs, fine arts, or sports programs.

John Michael Montgomery's "Letters From Home" has always been a song that captures the right emotions when it comes to how important it is to receive a letter from loved ones while overseas. For a moment in time they forget they are so far away and it's almost as if they are back home right in the middle of things. You know soldiers feel like they are missing out on so much, so even a simple letter can brighten the mood and lift their spirits in a way nothing else can.

"Blessed" is about being grateful for everything you have; That includes not only the big things, but the small ones as well. Along the same lines is Lonestar's "Front Porch Lookin' In," which follows Martina McBride's song.

Sure, there are sights and sounds outside of your own home that are amazing but for this man it's what's on the inside that counts most in his life. "Anywhere I'll ever go and everywhere I've been. Nothing takes my breath away like my front porch lookin' in."

Another set of songs that go hand in hand are Sugarland's "Everyday America" and Tracy Byrd's "I'm From The Country." Two completely different sounding songs, but the themes are pretty much the same. In Sugarland's song, "everybody's dreaming big" and "everybody's just getting by" in a small town, while "I'm From The Country" is more of a celebration. It shows a friendliness and "down home" feel to those who live the country life. "You don't need an invitation, kick off your shoes and come on in!" just about tells everything.

On the semi-political side of things, Travis Tritt and Gretchen Wilson contribute two songs to this collection. Gretchen's is "Politically Uncorrect" (with Merle Haggard) and Travis' song is "What Say You" (with John Mellencamp). Both prove that every American has the right to hold their own political beliefs without having to apologize for them. That's what America is all about - respecting the rights of others and understanding that our differences are just as important as our similarities.

"If I Don't Make It Back" makes me tear up every time I hear it. Tracy Lawrence was the perfect person to record the song. Before a soldier leaves to go overseas, his friends try to pump him up and tell him he'll return without a scratch. Just in case, though, the soldier makes sure that his friends will take care of things if the "Good Lord calls him home." Unfortunately there's not a happy ending to this story, just like not every story in real life ends on a pleasant note.

Diamond Rio's song "One More Day" also brings tears in my eyes. For anyone who has lost a loved one, you wish that you can have just a few more hours with the person to tell them how much they are loved. But then you'd want another day in addition to that, and the cycle would keep repeating itself. I'm glad the song is included because it can apply to everyone and not only those who have lost someone in a war.

Not only are there contemporary songs on this album, but folks like Randy Travis (with "Heroes And Friends"), Waylon Jennings ("America"), Merle Haggard & The Strangers ("Fightin' Side Of Me"), and Kenny Rogers ("Long Arm Of The Law") also lend their older songs to this cause. Other artists also include Neal McCoy, LeAnn Rimes, and Keni Thomas. With this mixture of old and new tunes, Patriotic Country: Volume 3 has something for everybody.

Release date: June 24, 2008 - Razor & Tie

Track List:

1. I'm From the Country - Tracy Byrd
2. Letters From Home - John Michael Montgomery
3. If I Don't Make It Back - Tracy Lawrence
4. In God We Still Trust - Diamond Rio
5. America - Waylon Jennings
6. Heroes and Friends - Randy Travis
7. A Lot of Things Different- Kenny Chesney
8. My Front Porch Lookin' In - Lonestar
9. Not Me - Keni Thomas
10. What Say You - John Mellencamp/Travis Tritt
11. One More Day - Diamond Rio