American Patriot

Spurred on by 's unofficial adoption of as the new American anthem, recorded in the midst of the President's (ultimately unsuccessful) re-election campaign in 1992. sealed 's stance as American songteller extraordinaire. Every song on the album is, unsurprisingly, about America, from and to Of course, 's populist anthem takes on a different meaning in this context, but that's not surprising -- is a slick, satisfied album designed for the modern-day patriot and conservative, not for dust bowl activists or smugly sophisticated liberals. In other words, if you've been a fan of since its first incarnation in the early '80s, you'll be happy with this full-blown sequel. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine