John Rich - Underneath the Same Moon

The previously unreleased solo effort from John Rich bridges the gap between his pop-country days in Lonestar and the wild rocking sound of his current partnership with "Big" Kenny Alphin (Big & Rich). While largely mainstream pop-country, Rich's 1999 effort showcases his fine singing voice, bringing together a strong collection of players and mostly self-penned tunes, and self-produced (with Sharon Vaughn), and does a fine job of showing off his talents.

Pros

Cons

I approached reviewing this disc with the caution one normally reserves for handling western diamondback rattlesnakes. But I was coaxed into doing the review after the street cred him singing with Billy Joe Shaver gave him. I will admit I don't care for Big & Rich, who in my opinion make a mockery of all country music traditions (including the outlaws however, I will also admit I think John Rich has a sparkling voice. I wish he'd use it more often to sing songs like "New Jerusalem" and "Old Blue Mountain."[p]It's that voice that kept me listening. The first time I really noticed Rich's voice was on the one Big & Rich song that made the Real Country network, "Holy Water." It's nice to know that wasn't a fluke. There's some terrific songs here, and he's gained a little more cred by the presence of Delbert McClinton, not to mention Sara Evans' awesome contributions on "Old Blue Mountain."[p]So I can't deny he's got a lot of talent; but on the whole, this isn't the sort of music I normally go for. It's neither country nor straightforward pop; mostly, it's that soggy stuff in the middle that's pushed all real country off the airwaves but is a little too country for rock stations. But if that's your kind of music, this is a pretty good disc._z_countrymusic_z_);