Stars and Stripes

Album Review

In a year where the September 11 attacks and their aftermath have infiltrated the very fiber of the U.S., Aaron Tippin's Stars & Stripes is a welcome return to the anchor of simple values. Not all of the material is as directly patriotic as "Where the Stars and Stripes and the Eagle Fly," but woven throughout are subtle reminders that what really matters is love. Would you rather stand under the Eiffel Tower alone in Paris or stand in line for the tilt-o-whirl at the state fair with the one you love? That's one of the hypotheticals Tippin raises in his rowdy, pointed "I'll Take Love Over Money" then reinforces later in "At the End of the Day," which ends with the line "All that really counts is how you sleep at the end of the day." Over the past several years, Tippin and his wife, Thea, have added songwriting as a new dimension to their relationship. Following up "The Best Love We Ever Made," a song the couple co-wrote about the birth of their son, the Tippins treat you with "Love Like There's No Tomorrow," on which Thea shares vocals. The song hits the mark without drowning in sap. After eight studio albums, Aaron Tippin is still a simple man who loves his country, his family, and his fans. That formula adds up again on Stars & Stripes.