God Bless America

Columbia Records rushed this compilation of patriotic and inspirational favorites into production in the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The title song is a new version by Celine Dion similar to the performance she gave on the Tribute to Heroes telethon, while John Mellencamp's "Peaceful World" is included in an alternate, acoustic treatment. Each listener may find his or her own favorites, but few will be left unmoved by a selection that also includes Bruce Springsteen's "Land of Hope and Dreams," Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge over Troubled Water," and renderings of "America the Beautiful," "This Land Is Your Land," and "Amazing Grace" by, respectively, Frank Sinatra, Pete Seeger, and Tramaine Hawkins. Bill Withers's "Lean on Me" closes the disc on a plainspoken note that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of rescuers and other Americans since the tragedies. A back-cover note promises that a "substantial portion of the proceeds received by Sony Music [Columbia's parent company] from sales of this album will be donated to the Twin Towers Fund." --Rickey Wright