Roger Creager – “A Good Day For Sunsets”
Songwriters: Radney Foster and Roger Creager.
Roger Creager has developed quite the cult following around his home base of College Station, Texas–and for good reason: His unique blend of Texas country, rock, Latin and Red Dirt music is upstaged only by the incredible way he works a crowd and the rabid fan base that flocks to his more than 150 shows each year.
Unfortunately, I’m a couple thousand miles away from any live Lone Star show Creager may be rocking tonight, and his latest single “A Good Day for Sunsets” gives me no reason to start packing for a cross-country trip.
The song follows the prototypical “always a best friend, never a boyfriend” on a quest to win over a heartbroken woman who is on the rebound. The answer is, of course, to go on a fix-it-all road trip similar to Rockie Lynne’s more engaging Top 30 hit “Lipstick.” The song’s premise rests upon the linked imagery of sunsets and romance; but just in case that cliché were to fall on deaf ears, Creager drives the point home with the chorus: “It’s a good day for sunsets baby/And falling in love.”
At best, the song’s pleasing production solidly plays to his enthusiastic, if not over-earnest, performance. At its worst, “A Good Day for Sunsets” comes off as Pat Green-lite, with awkward inflections and borderline creepy lyrics: “You look sexy with your eyes all sleepy/Is it too early for going that far?”
The Texas country sound that makes up the majority of Creager’s catalog is an interesting study, especially for outsiders looking in. Its artists have a talent for juxtaposing nose-thumbing outlaw sentiments with inclusive “let’s share a beer” party anthems, all while walking a line between traditionalism and experimentation.
Creager’s hard work on the road has paid off on Here It Is, his first studio album in five years. Its first single, “I’m From the Beer Joint,” was the number one song of 2008 on the Texas Music Chart (following in the alcohol-soaked footsteps of fan-favorite “The Everclear Song”) and his latest effort has already gained traction in the sub-genre’s fourth highest spot.
Unfortunately, Creager’s bid for national success may get lost in translation between the energetic, addictive live performances of this Texas favorite and a weak, scattered song like “A Good Day for Sunsets.”
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March 26, 2009 at 10:24 am Permalink
at least he wears a real cowboy hat…
March 26, 2009 at 4:55 pm Permalink
And I’m always surprised by a Rockie Lynne reference, so this review has served a purpose.
March 26, 2009 at 5:00 pm Permalink
I have had this album and song for quite a while and I’d actually forgotten about it until I was told this was a single. Always willing to give any song a shot, I have to say I agree here. This one feels wonky to me. Perhaps it’s Roger Creager’s vocal more than the wonky lyrics that turn me off to the song, which surprised me since I’ve enjoyed stuff from Roger in the past.
March 26, 2009 at 7:11 pm Permalink
Roger is just another face in the “Texas Music” crowd (of artists) to me. So many of these artists sound basically alike there is no way I can keep them straight, or separate, or whatever….
I have found the Texas Regional Music Charts to be extremely useful to me personally. I can typically count on not liking any of the artists that make the Top 10 on a consistent basis so I don’t have to waste time listening to their music! It’s almost like the more popular a Texas artist is in their home state, the less I’m bound to find their music interesting or worth listening to….
March 26, 2009 at 7:18 pm Permalink
Holy Crap Rick, I wont even start..nevermind, I will. If you cant see the difference between Jason Boland or Reckless Kelly and Roger Creager then you need to listen a little more closely before bashing the chart or the region….
March 26, 2009 at 7:20 pm Permalink
BTW, Matt B. – I’m with you on the vocals. When he sings that line about her eyes “all sleepy”, it sounds kinda fake to me…
March 26, 2009 at 7:29 pm Permalink
Nice review, Karlie. I’ve liked several of Creager’s songs in the past, but I’ve never been able to shake the feeling that he’s like the Kenny Chesney of Texas country.
March 26, 2009 at 8:12 pm Permalink
Thanks Brody. I was kind of afraid maybe I just wasn’t “getting” it, so I’m glad this feels off to you guys as well. That’s interesting, the Kenny of Texas country. I can see that, from some of the performances I found on YouTube.
Matt and Kelly, I agree on the wonkyness…it’s just the ways he says some of the words (”there’s so much LIFE”) that don’t ring quite right. Of course, there’s always that sometimes icky awkwardness of a friend trying to become more than a friend, so maybe he’s right on target…
March 26, 2009 at 9:01 pm Permalink
Dang, Mark. That’s a pretty broad judgement to make! There are a ton of outstanding artists in that market. Yes, some of them suck and their success in the charts has a lot to do with the family atmosphere and fans. Us Texans stick together. But to assume that it all sucks, not good. You’re missing out! I would love to lead you in the right direction…..
March 28, 2009 at 9:12 am Permalink
Wonky? Did Kevin start a revolution?
March 30, 2009 at 5:05 pm Permalink
I’ll be the first to say a lot of the stuff on the Texas Country chart isn’t great. Like some of you have said, I guess you just have to be here to “get” Roger and others on the Texas scene.
As far as the scene goes, it used to be a lot more indistinguishable. At first Pat Green sounded like Robert Earl Keen, then Roger sounded like Pat, now there are other artists who all sound like Cross Canadian Ragweed.
There are a lot of people who just don’t get the scene, and never will. Oh well. These guys are out there on the road playing sell-out shows and having the times of their life. Most of them could care less about Nashville and making millions of dollars. They just want to do something they love. Can’t hate them for that.
March 31, 2009 at 1:42 pm Permalink
it takes nothing more than a tacos and beer reference to sell records or concert tickets around college station. some performers grow out of this and some don’t. roger has no reason to grow out of it because college kids in texas still buy all this crap. as far as being alcoho soaked, roger didn’t even write the everclear song. that one was written by the infamous mike ethan messick. i dare say roger has neither the artistic depth or huevos to take a chance on real everclear or real songwriting.
March 31, 2009 at 3:02 pm Permalink
I wouldnt say that the “Everclear Song” has the slightest bit of artistic depth. Thats one of the songs that makes people roll their eyes when they think of “texas music”.
April 2, 2009 at 10:25 am Permalink
Wasn’t suggesting that it did. But its one of his most popular songs and he didn’t even have the creativity to come up with that one. when i think of texas music, i like to think of pantera and the getto boyz.
April 2, 2009 at 10:21 pm Permalink
Texas Country is the only type of country worth listening to. Face it, Nashville is crap. Rascal Flatts-’nuff said. Nashville wil do to country what hair metal did to metal in the 80s
April 2, 2009 at 11:03 pm Permalink
Chuck,
Texas Country has as much ‘crap’ as Nashville country does, for example this song. I generally like most of Radney Foster’s songs but this one just feels boring and bland. Perhaps if a singer with more color to his voice sang this generic song then it’d hit me different. As for Roger, I like about 1/2 of his songs from his albums (I own them all) so I don’t think I don’t “get” Roger Creager, I just didn’t get this wonky song
Leeann, I’ve used “wonky” for a while now.
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