Customer Reviews

Bandera

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Every review I saw about this CD was that it was just a great record-nothing but 'rave' comments. After buying it during a visit to see friends in Austin, I have to agree! I have never bought a record (out of hundreds over the years) that I can remember enjoying any more than this one, "Bandera". It is absolutely a superb album from start to finish. Lloyd Maines production is a strong plus. Do yourself a favor-if you like John Prine or Robert Earl Keen, you will flip over this CD. An absolute must for any true lover of original Austin progressive country. This guy is a great songwriter and singer-he even sounds like Prine on a few tracks. 5-stars!!

I happened to hear Charlie Robison on "Austin City Limits" one night, and promptly ordered all his CDs. It's true that "Bandera" is less polished than his later two CDs, which are also great. However, *this* is the one I keep popping in the CD player. "Desperate Times" is quite a song, "Red Letter Day" really sticks in my head .... In fact, there's not a bad track on it.

If you like folks like Townes Van Zandt, Billy Joe Shaver, Guy Clark, Waylon Jennnings, Lucinda Williams, etc. you oughta like this one.

As another reviewer wrote, Charlie does have a different sound here than on his 2nd (& better, IMO) CD "Life Of The Party". The music & his voice are twangier. There are some awesome tunes here. My fave from this CD is the 4th track - "Desperate Times". It's a true story about one of his old high school buddies who "went bad". :-) Anyway, I would suggest that you get Charlie's "Life Of The Party" CD first. Then, go back & get this one.

This is probably Charlie Robison's best album to date... a great set of tuneful, tounge-in-cheek, wiseass honkytonk songs, chock full of great melodies and amiably snide humor. Thematically and vocally, this early, long-haired incarnation of Charlie Robison sounds a bit like what John Prine might have been like if he'd followed his hard country inclinations a bit further, rather than going the folkie route. At any rate, Robison has definitely got the goods, and this disc has one good song after another... Well worth tracking down a copy!

Five stars! What a fantastic cd! On return visits to austin a friend was always playing this at home and in the car, and i thought it was incredible and bought some copies to bring home to virginia. I later also liked 'life of the party' and 4 or 5 great songs on it, but as a whole i agree with the chicago writer and like this one even more. This 'bandera' cd is also one of my favorites ever (by anybody). I have turned many people in the d.c. area on to this cd. We like alot of austin artists here and this record is at the top of our list of the best, and that's pretty hard to beat. After reading all the reviews posted here, it is no surprise to see that the only non-5/star opinion is a guy from nashville (need i say more), who also lists on his favorite records one from kiss (hardly a source on real country or even having a clue in regard to how great this record really is). It makes sense that this guy would give such a great cd 3-stars. So, consider the source; if you prefer top-40 cookie-cutter music, most great austin cd's will never make it into your collection. But, if you want a cd that truly has the "right stuff", buy this one. You'll hear for yourself, and it will knock you out. There is a really nice mix of songs here, from great highway-cruising rockers to ballads, country & even a closing traditional bluegrass classic. The guitar by rich brotherton (for you r.e. keen fans) and david grissom (mellencamp, storyville, j. ely) is really superb, plus plenty of dobro, mandolin, piano, organ & fiddle throughout, and even banjo by charlie on one song. To top all that, you get lloyd maines on steel, one of my favorite musicians. Every record he plays on is upgraded, and this cd is no different. The best thing I can say about this cd is that it passes my hardest test; after playing it almost nonstop when I got it, I still pop it in the player several times a month, and after all those spins it more than holds water and only gets better. Unlike many other cd's that I have long ago sold to the used racks at our local stores, this one is special and reminds me of great visits down to Austin.

I got this CD after "Life of the Party", because I simply can't get enough! Charlie has a different sound here, but it's wonderful. From "Red Letter Day" to "I am a Pilgrim", this CD is filled with emotion, good music, and stories about love and betrayal with a decidedly Texas accent. Charlie is great live, too, and draws heavily from this CD in his live show. Buy it. You won't be sorry.

I was turned on to Charlie Robison by my nephew. He brought a copy of his second album Life of the Party and I immediately fell in love with it. I then got a copy of Bandera and I loved it even more.. This guy has to me what Steve Earle had in his early years, with Guitar Town and Exit 0.. This is an album about every day people getting caught up in the act of trying to live in this old world. Charlie Robison is an outstanding songwriter and a great singer as well.. If you like real country music with a twist and some soul get this album.. I listen to it all the time and I have been for over a year now.. I rank it right up there with Guitar Town.. It is well worth the bucks..

What a great taste of music before major labels get thier paws on it. Don't sell out yet Charlie.

This CD is great and the only thing better than listening to this and laughing with friends is listening to him live at a Texas bar. He writes songs that anyone who has ever failed at loving someone(always) or just wanted to stop loving someone(I don't feel that way) can relate to. Barlight is a catchy, clever drinking song, and good neighbor is a cerebral song about celebrity. I can't wait for the new one.

Well, this guy can't make a really BAD disc!, some are better that others, but I like them all, this one is one of his best, is it really country?, I think it's a hybrid, Charlie can rock with the best of them, he seems to be always having fun, he ALWAYS has a a-- kicking band! and boy do they do that on this one!, I love your music Charlie, please find a new label and keep putting out great American music!