by Jana PendragonWhile it has been said before, Chris LeDoux is a real singing cowboy. And while he has tended to get bogged down in the pop/rock country factory business in the more recent past, he has a solid background of independence and rodeo buckles that few artists can claim. He is seemingly fueled by the kind of fire and combustible energy that only a man who has sustained eight seconds on the back of a wild beast can muster up. With a little help from pals Willie Nelson, Charlie Daniels, and rock & roll cowboy Jon Bon Jovi, LeDoux hits his mark and rides out of the chute with panache. The title cut is sweet as is his version of "Old Paint." "One Ride In Vegas" and Bon Jovi's "Bang a Drum" highlight LeDoux's faster spirit. Wilder still is "The Fever," "Sometimes You Just Gotta Ride," and the Tex-Mex sizzle of "The Borderline." Pulling out all the stops, LeDoux does a tremendous version of the Johnny Horton tune "Old Slew Foot" that is immensely satisfying. Always a showman, LeDoux is champion outside the rodeo area as well as within.