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THE POWER OF ONE Rick Tippe (Moon Tan) ****
Over a decade into a country music career that includes sharing the stage with some big names and winning a hatful of awards, Rick Tippe still delivers the goods.

After hearing The Power Of One a couple of times, it’s obvious why this guy is so popular. While his songs broach topics that have been covered countless times in country, I can’t detect a false note anywhere. From a joyous romp like “She’s A Guitar” to ballads like “Forever”, he means it. You gotta respect a guy that can write lines like “it’s a long way to paradise/ when you’re crawlin’ on your hands and knees.”

Rick and his band “The Kings Of Cool” are masters of their craft. Even the pedal steel guitar (country’s answer to the bagpipes, or backing over a cat with the pickup) isn’t overbearing, and we can appreciate their ‘roll up the sleeves and get ‘er done’ work ethic.

Country music is like any musical genre- lots of crapola, stuff that’s ‘okay’- and then there’s the good stuff. On “The Power Of One”, Rick Tippe has given us a dose of the good stuff. I wouldn’t call myself a country fan per se, but some of it I DO like- and Tippe’s new album is excellent.

KEY CUTS: “Long Way To Paradise”, the title track, “Last Call”, “The King Of Honky Tonk and Cool”