Charlie Robison: Step Right Up : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

Down Austin way, a few hard-core fans of Charlie Robison are already grumbling that the devil-may-care Texas singer-songwriter has lost some of his edge in his transfer from Sony's Lucky Dog imprint to the big leagues of Columbia. But if Charlie Robison is the sound of a sell-out, then the guy got away with a hell of a deal. Song-for-song, Robison's last outing, 1998's Life of the Party offered more honky-tonk kick, but his trademark smart-ass wit and ability to detail the lives of small-time losers remains fully intact, particularly on "Desperate Times" and "Life of the Party," which recall the best story-telling and humorous elements of fellow Texan Robert Earl Keen's twin anthems, "The Road Goes On Forever" and "Merry Christmas From the Family." Dixie Chicks Natalie Maines and Emily Robison (his wife) lend vocal and fiddle help on "The Wedding Song" and "John O'Reilly," respectively, but Robison brings so much raw charm and energy himself to the table that the Chicks are merely gravy. (RICHARD SKANSE -- April 10, 2001)