Charlie Robison opens with the blistering triple wallop of “Nothing Better to do,” “Good Time” and “New Year’s Day.” After thirty years on the road Robison has a deft hand for laying out a playlist. He partners his own “Barlight” with the Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs’ novelty tune “Wooly Bully.” “Feeling Good” sandwiches perfectly between “Big City Blues” and “Down Again.” The album highlights most of the fan favorites that make up what could be called his singles. “El Cerrito Place” opens the second album. “Sunset Blvd.” is here, with a quick third verse rewrite that implies audiences might not be familiar with Kato Kaelin these days. The album is light on deeper album cuts and ballads like “Magnolia” or “Always.” His whiskey saturated cover of “The Bottom” does a lot to make up for the lack. He does a haunting rendition of “Loving County.” And, of course, the perfect song to follow up a classic oil field murder ballad is with an equally classic Elton John song. Robison makes “Rocket Man” sound like it came straight out of Houston. This gives way to the whimsy of J. J. Cale’s “They Call Me the Breeze.” Robison closes the album with what is quite possibly his best known song, “My Hometown.”
Charlie Robison’s Live at Billy Bob’s feels less like an album and more like the fulfillment of a prophecy. Both he and the venue have reputations for being among the best in Texas country. Both he and the venue have been playing together for close to two decades. Charlie Robison’s Live at Billy Bob feels almost like a reissue of an album that has already been made. Yet, is it as fresh and frenzied as seeing the man himself live. Charlie Robison Live at Billy Bob’s is one of the best live albums, and one of the best slices of Texas country fans will experience all year.
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