Beautiful Day

Charlie Robison | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dualtone Music Group
• ASIN: B00274SIPQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,935 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The follow-up to his 2004 Dualtone debut, "Good Times", which included the hit single "El Cerrito Place" (made the Top 10 on CMT's Top Video Countdown). Since then, Robison got divorced from his wife Emily (Dixie Chicks), so it's only natural to assume that this new record is his "divorce album", which is not altogether untrue. But Robison writes from a perspective that draws from and speaks to larger matters and issues within human existence. Ultimately, "Beautiful Day" is about growth and redemption, and the album takes the listener through a gamut of emotions that leaves one wiser and wonderfully entertained.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A lovable rogue laid flat by divorce, June 25, 2009

By 

hyperbolium (Earth, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Beautiful Day (Audio CD)

It's been five years since we last heard from Charlie Robison. After a run on Sony's Lucky Dog label and a live album on Columbia, Robison moved to the indie Dualtone for 2004's Good Times. Though he continued to perform live, the CDs he'd been releasing every year or two dried up. Perhaps now we know why: in 2008 his nine-year marriage to Dixie Chick Emily Robison ended in divorce. Rather than writing through the dissolution, he saved up his emotions for this post-divorce album. Only he and his ex know if the venom is righteous, but whether it's well-founded criticism or angry lashing-out, it still packs a sting. One takeaway: don't leave a writer feeling you've wronged them.

No doubt many of these songs were written in the final throes of Robison's marriage, but the wreckage is viewed as aftermath rather than from the eye of the hurricane. Robison charts many of the classic stages of recovery, including shock, confusion, denial, anger, depression, and uneasy acceptance. He doesn't bother to cloak his emotions in songwriter's allusion, but there's artfulness in the way he opens up the main veins to purge his bitterness. Given that his marriage had officially "become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities," it's unsurprising that Robison would castigate his ex for the lightweight echo of her former self he believes she's become, and the broken promises with which he's left.

Robison begins his reappraisal with the title track's scathing portrait of superficial life in Los Angeles, and continues with a bitter spit of words in "Yellow Blues." The latter has a terrific country-psych arrangement, complete with Eastern influence, twangy and backwards guitars, and a thumping "Tomorrow Never Knows" styled bass line. The lyrics suggest that in an effort to bolster favorable public perception, Robison's mate kept their marital problems quiet rather than facing them down. A pair of Keith Gattis songs, "Down Again" and "Reconsider," covers the merry-go-round of depression and forlorn denial. Robison writes of self-pity, barroom self-medication, and tentative steps towards recovery, the latter is most healthily heard in the chiming mandolin and social reconnections of "Feelin' Good."

By album's end Robison's far from healed, and a defeated cover of Bruce Springsteen's "Racing in the Street" begs the question of whether failure has permanently short-circuited opportunity and hope. While Springsteen's lyrics could illustrate the stunted adolescence of American Graffiti's John Milner, Robison's version suggests he's stepping outside his own misery to consider the broader impact of his divorce. Either way, the roguish abandon of younger years has given way to middle-age doubt and regret. This isn't nearly as depressing as it might seem, and though the processing isn't pretty, the raw turmoil provides Robison the basis for this powerful album. [©2009 hyperbolium dot com]

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Charlie Robison Triumphs with Beautiful Day, June 28, 2009

By 

'Rebel' Rod Ames (Ingram, Tx) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beautiful Day (Audio CD)

The first time I heard Charlie Robison was on the Dallas community radio station, KNON's Super Roper Redneck Review back in the mid 1990's. The song was Sunset Boulevard from his debut record, Bandera. "Wow", was all I could say after hearing it. It was a song about wanting to be a rock star and being on the cover of Rolling Stone, and wishing the tabloid writers would write rumors that he was gay. All of the things we hear and see stars, whether they are film or recording stars, constantly complain about. Charlie's song was about wishing he could be a part of it all. It all sort of came true.

He has become somewhat of a star. His 1998 album Step Right Up hit the Top 40 on the country album charts and Good Times (Dualtone) released in 2004, enjoyed the best sales of his career. The video for the song El Cerrito Place made it as a Top 10 hit on CMT. He married a Dixie Chick, Emily. They lived on a nice ranch in Bandera, Texas, and they had children. Five years later there was a divorce. The difference with the Robisons and other big stars is they were somehow able to keep it all out of the media spotlight. Your never saw them on the cover of anything really. They kept their marriage and their divorce private, just like it should be.

On June 23rd he released his long awaited record that some have called his divorce record, Beautiful Day (Dualtone). I prefer to call it, brilliant. It's probably his best record yet, and he has assembled a great cast of musicians that help to make it so. The core group is, of course, Charlie Robison (vocals) with Keith Robinson (drums), Scott Esbeck (Bass), Rich Brotherton (acoustic guitar/mandolin), Charlie Sexton (electric guitars), and Bukka Allen (Hammond B3 organ). Did I say "cast of musicians"? Hell, this is an Americana super group if I ever heard one.

The record starts out with the title cut, Beautiful Day. It's a song about your wife, your lover, your girlfriend. Make it what ever you want. Let's just say it's about losing someone, but you're still observing everything about her. The lyrics tell us everything she's doing, the way she's dressing and how happy she is. We can all assume who we think he is writing about, but the fact is we can all relate to what this song is about to some degree. Most of us have been right where he's coming from. The lyrics are simple yet you can feel its yearning - Well she's leaven Colorado/Leavin' San Antone/Leavin' everybody/Goin' all alone/Her sister says she might/Need a little more glow/Before she goes. It all has a sense of finality to it. Maybe it's about closure. Maybe it's all about moving on. One thing for sure, it's real.

Another one of my favorite tunes on the record is Reconsider, written by Keith Gattis and Charles Brocco. I love the chorus to the song which is ideal -But if I tried would you reconsider/Would you reconsider comin' home/and if I cried would you reconsider/Would you reconsider coming home. A lot of feeling along with a lot of heart and soul is pumped into this song.

Feeling Good is a song about recovery from broken relationships. It's about recognizing life has dealt you a hand that's not just hard to play, but seemingly impossible to recover from, but you do. You do what you have to do to get better, to get to where you can love again, where you can trust again. It's not only a beautifully written song lyrically, musically it's a triumph.

Just when you think the record can't get any better than it already is. It does. Mr. Robison chose to end the album with Bruce Springsteen's east coast urban anthem, Racing in the Street. No offense to The Boss, but Mr. Robison out does him here, and on his own ground. Mr. Robison may disagree with me on this but I don't care. I prefer his version over the original. Don't get me wrong, I like Bruce Springsteen's version. It's his song. I just prefer Charlie Robison's voice more. I like the way he has simplified the song without taking anything away from it. He remains devoted to the way the song was intended. He just sings it better. My opinion, but this is my review, so I get to do that.

Musically the album is absolutely perfect. Every song is not just listenable, every song is remarkable. It's a rarity when I listen to a record, where I'm not hitting the skip button at some point. I did not ever have the desire to do so on this record. In fact, I could barely wait to hear the next song. It is safe to say this record is almost flawless. The reason I say almost? I truly believe there must always be room for improvement no matter how good something appears to be.

Beautiful Day is expertly produced by Charlie Robison. He has, in my opinion, put together his best work yet. I've been a huge fan of his since Bandera was released in 1995. He has consistently gotten better and better. I can't wait for his next record. Hopefully it won't be another five years before we get new music from this master.

`Rebel' Rod says forget everything else. Skip a meal at McDonald's, drop one of your channels on cable. Do what you have to do, but whatever you do, go buy this record. You will not be disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Robison rocks, July 17, 2009

By 

Benjamin D. Dow "charlie fan" (Amarillo, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beautiful Day (Audio CD)

This is another great album from Charlie. After the first listen, I was a little underwhelmed, but upon a few subsequent spins, I quickly came to enjoy this album as much as most of his previous works. Several of the songs on Beautiful Day are written by other artists, and I could do without the remake of Springsteen's Racing in the Streets. However, there are a couple great songs by Keith Gattis, the best of which is Down Again. Charlie's individuality comes through in his unique lyrics and voice on If The Rain Don't Stop, and Middle of the Night is what I consider to be classic Charlie. Overall, a very good record and nice follow up to Good Times.