Bruce Robison – “Born To Roll”
1. Bruce Robison defies the term singer/songwriter in the conventional definition. Widely known for writing hits for George Strait, the Dixie Chicks and Tim McGraw, he also cultivates his own following who appreciate the songs that don’t trickle up to mainstream radio. It is this deep catalog of great songs that might never make it to the top of the charts but will never lack for listeners that set Robison apart. On his latest, titled From the Top, Robison partners with Rodney Crowell, who has followed a somewhat similar path. The first single “Born to Roll” heads up a set of songs that are unashamedly Texan and absolutely country. The song’s rapid fire delivery and simplicity make it a sure bet for fans who appreciate the simple, well written music that those genres suggest.
2. Robison puts the pedal down from the beginning of this song to the end, saying he was born “in the steeple of a diesel”and drawing influence from both the hum of the road and the songs from the radio that his parents sang to him. Learning to read from a road map and filling his baby bottle at the truck stop, Robison paints his character as a child of the highway. When Crowell’s agile voice comes in on the second verse, he assumes the second person role of the brother, who takes the “diapers and the mortgage and the Drano” while Bruce takes on the highway “from Boston to Austin”. If there was more to write about the plot, I would have written it. Crowell and Robison know the value of creating a simple song that does its job well and doesn’t aspire to change the world. Clocking in at 2:43, the song is in and out in a way that mirrors a semi barreling down I-35.
3. The track has some of the slick production that Crowell has lent to his recent productions, but a song this simple could be dressed up a million ways and still succeed. The heritage that Robison inherits from Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, and Lyle Lovett has blazed a trail that surrounds great songs with exactly what they need. Basing a career on the strength of a song has created careers for his heroes, and Robison shows no signs of straying from that with “Born to Roll“.
Bruce is the greatest.
Thanks a lot for the great site!
[...] Sounds Country commented on the new Bruce Robison single “Born to Roll,” which features Rodney Crowell and will be released on Robison’s next album From the Top. I can’t find a release date, but the album can be heard on Robison’s site. UPDATE: The album is available in the store section, so maybe it’s already been released? [...]