Soaking Up Bruce Robison's Country Sunshine
Hopefully you had a chance to read our interview with Bruce Robison, one of my favorite singer-songwriters. The Austin-based musician collected some of his most popular cuts on his newest album, Greatest Hits, but for me, I think I'll always go back to Country Sunshine from 2001. There's a certain humility that comes across in these batch of songs that's very endearing, and if you are just about over somebody, the lyrics capture that lingering moment effortlessly.
Plenty of big stars have covered his songs (George Strait, Tim McGraw, Dixie Chicks), but Lee Ann Womack's version of "Blame It on Me" gets me every time, especially that line about having no cool friends and driving an old car. How did he know? On the flip side, I also giggle whenever I hear "What Would Willie Do," later covered by Gary Allan, and the playful "Devil May Care." If you collect Allison Moorer's albums, you'll probably recognize "Can't Get There From Here," which they co-wrote. Need another reason? Kelly Willis' harmonies are all over this album. I don't know if Country Sunshine ever found its intended audience, but I know I've played it enough over the years to make up the difference.
©2008 Country Music Television, Inc., a Viacom company. A division of
Leeann says:
Thanks for highlighting another great album!
Dan M. says:
I second Leeann’s comment - another great album and artist you’ve spotlighted here. Robison’s one of my all-time favorites.
RedMaZ says:
Those Robison boys are pretty darn good. Thanks for keeping this blog site somewhat balanced.
Leeann says:
Bruce is among my favorites too. I’m not a fan of Charlie though. I don’t really like his voice and can’t seem to get into his songs.
Rich says:
yeah…. i hated country sunshine when it came out. maybe hate is a little strong, but it took a while for me to come around. It’s now one the best in my collection. I’ve been listening to his stuff since for a long time and he’s always managed to keep me wanting more.