My favorite CD of the year

I was excited the moment I saw on Ron Maxwell's website that he was going to have a Country CD of Civil War Songs. When I saw last week that it was finally available, I ordered it immediately. It arrived in my mailbox this morning, and ever since putting it in my CD player I have been near tears.

There's the story of brothers in "Charlie and Johnny Reb", sung by Ricky Skaggs... Marty Raybon sings, "I pray that God would not let me die until I've been back in your arms again..." Then comes Billy Dean's heartbreaking song, "Home".

Then there are the women back on the home-front, wondering "Where does my lover sleep tonight?" (Lee Ann Womack, "On a Woman's Heart")... The Whites sing "Woman Back Home": "For our love I'll raise the banner and to a soldier's heart be true..." And my favorite song, "One Letter": "War-torn and fragile / About to fall apart / The words have faded from my tears... 'Til you come home / My hopes and dreams are hangin' on / One letter "

Besides the touching ballads, there are the patriotic declarations such as Daron Norwood's: "I may not see the morning light / But not without a fight / I've got the good Lord on my side / And this rifle on my hand."

I'm one who likes Country music and agrees with Jeff Bates that, "If you 'aint crying or fallin' in love then you ain't heard the good stuff...and it ain't country enough!" Ron Maxwell's "America Will Always Stand" has it all--love, war, tears, patriotism--making it my favorite CD of the year.

The best CD in years!

All the songs are wonderful! You just can't help to feel proud to be an American!