Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Robison returns to the indie circuit, September 28, 2004
The grand experiment that was Sony's Lucky Dog imprint never really managed to turn the renegades (Bruce & Charlie Robison, Jack Ingram, BR549, The Derailers, among others) into commercial stars, and one-by-one, they're fruitfully returning to their indie roots. To give the label its due, the albums these artists put out under the Lucky Dog imprint, smoothing out rougher edges with mainstream production hands, were artistically interesting, if not commercially successful.
Perhaps none of the Lucky Dog releases benefited more from this combination than Robison's 2000 release, "Step Right Up," with its flagship single, "Right Man for the Job." As a man in transition (recently married, soon-to-be father), the album found Robison advancing his party-boy songwriting to more adult (but not necessarily less rowdy) subjects. This follow-up, waxed for the busy Dualtone label (and recorded in Austin, TX with Lloyd Maines at the board), finds Robison a few more years into his marriage and two years into fatherhood. He's neither as prickly as on his earlier releases, nor as radio-polished as on his last, resting instead in a middle ground of mid-life.
The album isn't filled with autobiographical songs of family life (though the lascivious "Love Means Never Having to Say You're Hungry" and the sentimental "Photograph" certainly count), but Robison does use his new found roles as a path away from the bachelor life touched upon in the title track. As on earlier albums, he's especially successful when writing in the Texas school of Van Zandt and McMurtry with story songs like "New Year's Day" and the waltz-time "Magnolia."
In addition to guest harmonies from brother Bruce and bandmate-in-law Natalie Maines, Robison sings songs from Keith Gattis, Waylon Paine and Terry Allen. The latter's "Flatland Boogie" is particularly fine, managing to evoke both the windswept plains of Texas and the romance of Springsteen's highway sprites. It's a fitting piece to summarize Robison's music - down home at its heart, but with an ear that took in rock radio of the '80s, and feet that still need to wander.
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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Charlie Robison delivers us some GOOD TIMES and good songs, October 8, 2004
GOOD TIMES is a CD filled with ballads, honky tonkers, and good ol' Texas country music. Charlie Robison is an incredible performer--he can do it all: sing, write, and play. We call that an "artist", where I'm from.
GOOD TIMES does indeed feature an ecclectic selection of songs. There're the tongue-in-cheek honky tonkers that Robison fans have come to expect: "Good Times," "Love Means Never Having to Say You're Hungry," "Something in the Water,"and others. There's a driving, bluesy, absolutely intoxicating Keith Gattis tune ("El Cerrito Place", featuring perfect harmonies by Natalie Maines). There're also the two best songs (in my opinion) that Robison ever wrote: the touching "Photograph" and the haunting "Always" (the former is written in little brother Bruce Robison's style; the latter is pure heartbreaking Charlie Robison).
No, that's not it--but that's pretty damn enticing, don't you think? GOOD TIMES is a great CD by one of the best singer/songwriters Texas has given us these past few years. Full of attitude, yet laced with enough heart to move you to tears at points, it is an album that will more than satisfy Robison's legions of fans, and invite some new ones into the honky tonk fold.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Way to go Charlie - Best CD to Date, September 22, 2004
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMM - yeah!! Been following Charlie for years and have all his CD's. This one you must have!!!! Blues, rock and roll, country and great Charlie writing style make this CD a keeper! You can't get any better than this. Cowboy - you really take us away on this one!!!!!
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