Charlie Burton and the Texas Twelve Steppers
Fri., April 18, 1997
No question about it, Charlie Burton has a way with words: There are few contemporary musicians who could sing either "non-Caucasian" or "chillun'" with such alacrity. Even more impressive, however, is the range and depth of Burton's songs, the sum of which belies his reputation as something of a novelty act -- amusing, perhaps, but hardly a genuine heavy, right? Not quite. Casting about for comparisons is rather futile, although the articulate versatility of such early Seventies eclectics as the Flamin' Groovies and Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen does come to mind. Even in songs that deserve to be genre standards, such as the Western-swinging "I'm The Guy Who Let Miss Universe Slip Thru His Fingers," the crazy Cajun "Thin Ice/Deep Water," and the almost folky "Livin' On Borrowed Time (Livin' On Borrowed Money)," there's no mistaking the vibrant blend of wit and poignancy for anyone but Charlie Burton. Just as happily, David Sanger's production is faultless, raw, and clear, every guest turn is notable (especially Erik Hokkanen's slithery fiddle and Lucky Oceans' and Scott Walls' zany steel), and guitarist Mark Korpi rips it up at every opportunity. Burton's Rustic Fixer-Upper achieves the rare trick of not simply mimicking tradition, but enlivening it as well.
(4.0 stars) -- Brian Berger
