Artist:  Rick Cua
Title:  Won’t Fade Away
Label:  TAG

There is something to be said for old-school rock & roll, particularly when it is being played by an old-school rock & roller.

After a 10-year recording hiatus, industry vet Rick Cua is back with a stellar, 12-song collection of rock worship anthems that capture the freshness of modern expressions of worship while staying true to his rock & roll roots.

Although Cua is a fine songwriter in his own right, he proves you can teach an old dog new tricks by collaborating with some of Nashville’s finest tunesmiths on every track. The result is a project that bears Cua’s obvious fingerprints but never gets stale or redundant. The title cut, co-written with Gary Sadler, has a sweet and airy atmosphere that undergirds its message of hope, while throbbing tom toms accent the joyful “King of My World” (written with Joe Beck and Tom Lane). Cactus Moser and Tony Hooper contributed to the six-minute, funk-inflected declaration of faith, “Be God,” and Carrie Elder lends some lovely vocals on “Mercy Seat,” the project’s only ballad.

A canny blend of Southern rock and New York attitude, Won’t Fade Away stands shoulder to shoulder with the best the industry has to offer.     

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