About five or six years ago a retired soldier named Keni Thomas wrote and recorded an album that celebrated those that fight to protect America and what it stands for and now another retired soldier, Rockie Lynne, offers up his own project as well with his latest album Songs for Soldiers.  Originally conceived of as a thank you album made exclusively for soldiers while Rockie was out on USO Tours, Songs for Soldiers garnered such a strong response that the album has now been given a national release. 

The album kicks off with “Proud To Be A Soldier” and it’s a song that any soldier can appreciate as it discusses all the reasons a soldier has for protecting his country.  “Ain’t America Beautiful,” feels like a new patriotic song to rival “God Bless The USA” while “Boy In A Uniform” showcases how children often dream of being soldiers, or ‘heros’ and even when they become one, the parents don’t see the men and women in them but the same little children .  “We Want To Thank You” is an up tempo track that really fits the reflective nature of both Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day and even Independence Day. 

“So You Don’t have To” and “Heroes Come From Small Towns” are both up tempo songs about people who want to do what they do to protect our country ‘so we don’t have have to’ do it.  “Red, White and Blue” is the anchor song of the album and it is like “Ain’t America Beautiful” in that it could really be a new “God Bless The USA” as it really finds Lynne touching on why this country is great and how so many people from all walks of life fight and protect our country.  The military is the same melting pot that the country is itself.  “The black man, the white man and the Sioux, the middle class, the poor and the well to do, they’re red, white and blue.” 

The album ends with Lynne’s version of “Rockin’ In The Free World,” a call-to-arms of sorts for soldiers to be proud of their freedom to enjoy life while “Will The circle Be Unborken/I’ll Fly Away” is a touching tribute to soldiers who are here and those who have perished to protect us.  The last track is an instrumental medley of “America The Beautiful/Battle Hymn of the Republic/God Bless America” that features Steve Wariner on guitar. 

While this record isn’t likely to be a super colossal smash hit of an album, it really is a strong piece of music to play during the patriotic holidays and if you’re ever feeling the need to be patriotic or wishing thanks for the great job that the soldiers do in protecting America.

You can support Rockie Lynne by purchasing this album at Amazon | iTunes.