You've Got to Stand for Something

A South Carolina specialist in country blues and ballads, Tippin virtually explodes off his debut disc, You’ve Got to Stand for Something, his performances fueled with the energy of a turbocharged Chevy. He uses humor, pointed language, and the vocal technique of Hank Williams — the catch in the throat, followed by a sliding moan — to sell his songs of redneck angst. Tippin zeroes in on the hopelessness of blue- collar frustration with the very first lines of ”I Wonder Just How Far It Is Over You”: ”I parked my car beside the highway/And I didn’t lock the door/ Left a note there with the keys/’If it cranks, well, friend she’s yours.”’ A