God Bless America

by Jonathan Widran With all the American flag imagery on the packaging, it's a good bet that this post-September 11, 2001, compilation benefited the disaster recovery -- even though no such promise is made on the insert. It does say, "These classic recordings were made while America was first discovering LeAnn Rimes." The obvious intention was to gather some of Rimes' inspirational and love songs that would uplift and encourage during the national crisis, and also make a nice little stocking stuffer that fits the patriotic mood. It's a nice cross section of American classics (her version of "God Bless America" is a showstopper), Christian-themed gems ("The Sands of Time," "Middle Man"), and even a soft-spoken country-pop version of "The Lord's Prayer." "Put a Little Holiday in Your Heart" is the one tune that actually goes beyond the heartfelt and into the truly fun. Her a capella version of "Amazing Grace" is also an impressive showcase for her well-known vocal chops.