Beautiful Day is the followup to Charlie’s 2004 Dualtone debut, Good Times which included the hit single and video “El Cerrito Place” and climbed into the Top 10 on CMT’s Top Video Countdown. Let’s just get it out of the way right up front: In the five years between, Good Times, and his new release, Beautiful Day, Charlie Robison got divorced from his wife Emily (of The Dixie Chicks). So it’s only natural to assume that this is his “divorce album,” which is not altogether untrue. But as with all devoted songwriters, Robison writes from a perspective that draws from and speaks to larger matters and issues within human experience and life in these times. And as the title indicates, even if this album is to a notable degree about and informed by the end of his marriage, there’s something different and more at work here.
Beautiful Day is ultimately an album that chronicles the processes and resulting growth one goes through and finally the redemption to be found within such a major life event In between one finds such compelling new Robison compositions as the psychedelically tinged “Yellow Blues,” the upbeat and spry “Feelin’ Good,” the emotionally stormy “If The Rain Don’t Stop,” the somber “Middle of the Night” and the kicking country-rock hoedown of “She’s So Fine.” As with his last album, Robison includes two numbers by one of his favorite songwriters, Keith Gattis, “Down Again” and “Reconsider,” both of which fit the album’s theme perfectly, as does Bobby Bare Jr.’s “Nothin’ Better to Do.” All told, it’s an album that takes the listener through a gamut of feelings that by its end leaves one wiser and more mature as well as wonderfully entertained.
“Akin to Willie Nelson’s “Phases and Stages” and Tom Petty’s “Echo”, “Beautiful Day” delves
into a tornado of emotions.” –Boston Globe
“The stories here are as deep, raw and painful as Robison’s life must have been as he watched his marriage
dissolve . Like on “Reconsider,” which much like Faith Hill’s “Cry,” is a broken-hearted lament for love to come
back home…” –CMT.com
“If there's such a thing as a happy divorce record, Charlie Robison may have recorded it.”
–Dallas Morning News
“Beatiful Day, beautiful music.” –AOL
“Robison revitalized in new album Beautiful Day…” –Austin American Statesman
“Lyrical masterpiece…” –San Antonio Express-News
“A powerful album…” –Amazon
“Robison’s pain is his listeners’ gain…” –Oakland Press
“Best album to date…” –Austin360.com
“Sweet victory for Robison” –Austin Chronicle
“A winner…” –Music Row
“The old adage is that every cloud has a silver lining, and if anything good came
of the split, it has to be this very fine album…” –Country Standard Time
“Robison revitalized.” –Cox News Syndicate
“As much as “Beautiful Day” marks an end, this new collection of songs from Charlie Robison also
signals a beginning as well.” –Knoxville Examiner
