CD Review: Step Right Up - Charlie Robison
|
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||||
|
"When you're a man with a plan, got a hammer in your hand, there ain't nothing that you can't do when you're the right man for the job." As soon as I heard the first note of this song I thought to myself, "He's back and better than ever!"
Next is a cover of the old NRBQ tune, "I Want You Bad." Charlie's version is a little slower, yet it pumps out more energy than NRBQ ever even thought about. Keeping with Charlie's sense of humor, the video for this song features him as a Private Investigator that is trying to catch the person taking pictures of a lady's granddaughter. The funniest part is when he is outside of a house and it is raining while he looks in the window. The expressions on his face are priceless. Brought in from his "Bandera" album, "Desperate Times" is about how a good guy turned bad. In the beginning, he graduated high school, and a year later he wanted to see the world so he joined the Army. He was depressed when he got back because nothing had changed, so he ran off to San Antonio to become a police officer. After getting married, the couple had tough times with the amount of money they were getting so he decided to rob the bank where his wife worked . After he ran off to Bandera and buried the money, the wife called the authorities and they arrested him. When he asked her why she did it she said, "Because these are desperate times." Instead of having a sweet and sappy duet, Mr. Robison opted for one that was more realistic. He chose Natalie Maines (of the Dixie Chicks) as his singing partner in "The Wedding Song." Beautiful weddings are often portrayed in current songs and videos, yet do not happen all the time in "real life." Also, this song shows that couples can have their differences and love each other at the same time. I love it when they are done individually, stating their opinions on one another, and they sing "And we will get by, for the rest of our lives." Later on they sing (together) "So play some old BTO, for our friends don't you know. Keep your dogs in the truck till ya leave. Get out the weiners and buns, cause the brisket's all gone, At our wedding, in suburban Seguin. I said I love you in suburban Seguin." Then there's a little Tim McGraw and Faith Hill spoof as they say "Now let's make love." "John O'Reilly" is an upbeat tempo Irish sounding tune. "Tonight," written by Charlie's talented brother, Bruce, starts off beautifully with "When you were young they say you never know. But I remember laughing wherever I'd go. A flirt or a flame, or a friend or a fight. Can't come home now mom, 'cause anything might happen tonight." The combination of the words and music, along with vocals make this song sound so wonderful. Not only can Charlie sing the energetic tunes, he can also sing the slow ones just as well (if not better). This one makes you want to close your eyes and enjoy his soulful voice, or slow dance with your boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. "Comes To Me Naturally" sounds like it could have been written by Charlie himself, but it was penned by Alan G. Anderson. It has that undescribable "Charlie Robison" sound to it that reminds me of "Poor Man's Son" (musically not at all lyrically) and makes you want to dance the night away. The song is all about being a lady's man, "All around town my name is mud, but I can't help it cause it's in my blood. I can't quit it, 'cause it comes to me naturally." The last track, "Life of the Party," is one you just have to listen to in order to believe. It is humorous and a play on words, so do not expect to hear what you think you will. Is Mr. Robison concerned about being rich and famous? No. He only wants to keep on doing what he does best. He also says his home will always be in Texas, and in my book, you can't go wrong with that. Song List:
Audio Clips courtesy of Sony Nashville.
Buy Charlie Robison.
| |||||||||||
