Robert Earl Keen, Jr. Albums (14)
What The Critics Say
The Rose Hotel is Texas songwriter Robert Earl Keen's first studio album since 2005's What I Really Mean; he released Live at the Ryman in 2006. In other words, it's been a while. Keen enlisted now-legendary fellow Texan Lloyd Maines to produce him this time out, and that was a solid decision -- Maines knows how to produce guitar sounds, acoustic, electric, pedal- and lap-steel, mandolins and banjos, as well as fiddles, and this set is full of them. Maines plays more than a few of those guitars himself. Marty Muse handled the pedal steel duties, longtime mate Rich Brotheron plays a slew of stringed instruments, and former Bad Livers member Danny Barnes handles banjo duties. The material ranges from the title track, which is one of his spun-out story tunes that looks at a pair of lovers who can never quite connect as they think they're meant to, fueled by a shuffling rhythm, mandolins, Bukka Allen's accordion, and some electric guitars for support. The chorus "Sometimes you run, sometimes you stall, sometimes you don't get up at all/Sometimes you run, sometimes you fall" is catchy, and with a whining steel guitar, makes for another notch in his trademark tunes belt. The cover of Townes Van Zandt's "Flying Shoes" is rocked up a bit, with a bassline that sounds like it would be more at home on a Brian Setzer Orchestra record than this one. And rock plays a real role here as it has on most of Keen's records for the past decade. "Throwin' Rocks" may have banjos and steel guitars, but it's pure Texas shuffle and boogie. "10,0000 Chinese Walk into a Bar" features guest vocalist Billy Bob Thornton on lead and harmony vocals in a duet with Keen on one of his trademark joke numbers. Greg Brown appears in the same capacity on "Laughing River," a song he contributed to the set which is, along with the title track, one of the album's clear standouts. An acoustic road song, it is fueled by an upright bass, a banjo, and a harmonica, and the two men singing together sounds backporch and natural. "On and On," is loaded with '70s-style country phase shifters on the steel and electric guitars, and feels out of time and space. "Village Inn" is another displaced travel number, a type of song that's a clear strength in Keen's stable, and this one measures up. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. has built a career out of making albums that straddle the line between the thoughtful and the comic, and twenty years into the game he isn't about to stop now -- nor should he, since he's still quite good at it. What I Really Mean, Keen's ninth studio set, typically veers back and forth between compelling meditations on life and love (such as the sweeping album opener "For Love," the impassioned "The Wild Ones," and the lonesome travelogue of the title cut), and surreal comic vignettes which show that his sense of humor is getting a bit stranger with the passage of time. "The Great Hank" imagines meeting a risen Hank Williams as he performs in drag in Pennsylvania; "Mr. Wolf and Mamabear" takes an old fairy tale into wholly unexpected directions, and "A Border Tragedy" is easily the oddest of his many tunes about traveling through Mexico (with a beautiful but wildly incongruous cameo from Ray Price). If there's news here, it's that after years of being regarded as a songwriter who isn't much of a singer, Keen has been gaining an impressive new control of his instrument, and What I Really Mean features some of his most compelling performances to date, especially on a superb cover of Jimmie Driftwood's "Long Chain," and the production by longtime associate Rich Brotherton shows him off to fine advantage. In some respects, What I Really Mean is "another Robert Earl Keen album," but it's also another good one, and shows he's still one of the most viable voices in the Texas singer/songwriter community. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Live at the Ryman is the fourth live album from Texas songwriter Robert Earl Keen, and while there isn't much arguing that the man is a terrific performer who knows how to work a crowd, the puzzler is, does the world really need another document of Keen on-stage? It's not an unfair question, but at very least Live at the Ryman captures him on a better than average night. There are no real surprises in the set list on Live at the Ryman, which seems to be the way his audience wants it -- the crowd on this disc is loud and wildly enthusiastic, frequently singing along with Keen and chanting his name between songs as if he were some sort of conquering hero, and Keen and his band serve up the "hits" just the way the fans want 'em. Thankfully, Keen seems pretty jazzed by the crowd's enthusiasm (no wonder, since he was getting such a warm welcome at Nashville's former home of the Grand Ol' Opry), and he and his band deliver these 14 songs with a large portion of energy. Keen's road band is in solid form here (with the great Danny Barnes sitting in on banjo), and though Keen has sung these songs with more soul, he's never short on fire and brings a showman's passion to the presentation. If the song selection is a bit predictable, why wouldn't you want to hear Keen sing "Gringo Honeymoon," "I'm Comin' Home," "Corpus Christi Bay," or even "Merry Christmas from the Family" on-stage? Live at the Ryman was obviously recorded for Robert Earl Keen's loyal fans, and they won't feel shortchanged by this disc, even if it covers ground he's covered several times before. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Live from Austin TX'
Release Date 11/2/2004
Tracks 17
Label New West
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What The Critics Say
For close to two decades, Robert Earl Keen has been one of the great archetypical Texas singer/songwriters, offering up well-crafted narratives and witty slice-of-life tunes accompanied by melodies that flowed on a river of tart, dusty twang. But Keen offers a bit of a changeup on his eighth studio album, Farm Fresh Onions; while Keen's songwriting remains as sharp as ever and his vocals -- a regular-guy drawl that proves to be an especially malleable instrument, capable of delivering comedy and tragedy with equal skill -- are in fine shape, it appears Keen felt like rocking out a bit more on this set, and rock out he does. The chugging guitars on "Train Trek" and "Beat the Devil," the loose and casual funk of "Floppy Shoes," and the Farfisa-and-chicken-scratch goofiness of the title cut don't exactly turn this into Keen's bid for the cover of Circus, but much of Farm Fresh Onions does swing harder and offer more challenging textures than many fans would expect, and even by the standards of the author of "Five Pound Bass" and "The Bluegrass Widow," "Farm Fresh Onions" and "Floppy Shoes" rank high on the silliness meter. But while Keen wanted to have some fun with this set, he also offers a goodly portion of music that will please longtime fans -- the small-town blues of "Out Here in the Middle," the dour gig-gone-bad of "Furnace Fan," and the late-night laments of "Famous Words" and "Let the Music Play." Farm Fresh Onions shows that Robert Earl Keen is still finding new directions to take his talents, while at the same time staying in touch with the music that's made his name, and he's in solid form on both sides of the fence. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
'Gravitational Forces'
Release Date 8/7/2001
Tracks 12
Label Lost Highway
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What The Critics Say
If anyone needs to be convinced that Robert Earl Keen is the reigning champion of Texas twangers, Gravitational Forces makes one forceful knock-out blow. The disc paints a multitude of vivid pictures backed by memorable melodies and superb instrumental backing. Keen delivers his goods early and often, starting with the singalong chorus to Joe Dolce's "My Home Ain't in the Hall of Fame." It's not perfectly clear what exactly he's singing about in the chorus -- something about his home and his songs on Top 40 radio -- but with a hook so infectious, you'll mumble along anyway. Of course, none of these tracks are destined for Top 40 radio, but they're surely bound for glory in the realm of Americana. The colorful duo in Terry Allen's "High Plains Jamboree" typify Keen's penchant for vivid caricatures. Few of us -- hopefully -- can relate to a honky tonk woman with gold teeth and a family man who spends a night at the motel lounge with her while his wife's at home. But Keen's portrait of these two slightly unwholesome but otherwise common folk brings them home like a crazy uncle, a bit on the edge but loveable just the same. After all, these two are just looking for a good time. And that's precisely what Keen delivers throughout this stellar release. ~ Scott Cooper, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sometimes a disc comes along without any expectations and hits one right out of the ballpark. Such is the case with Robert Earl Keen's Walking Distance. Although much less of an alt-country affair than his earlier work, Walking Distance comes across warm and friendly. Keen's humor crops up on "That Bucking Song," which he says is all about riding a horse, while "Down That Dusty Trail" is full of childhood memories. "Feelin' Good Again" shows that for all the bad times, it is the good times that make us feel, and then some. Perhaps that's the message that Keen is trying to convey this time out, and if it is, then sit back and feel good about feeling good. We get the next installment of Keen's twisted take on an original Christmas song in "Happy Holidays, Y'All." Once you hear it, you won't be able to help yourself from singing along to a tale that nearly everyone who's spent the holidays with the family can identify with. No matter what, Keen's Walking Distance is just around the next bend from wherever you might be. ~ James Chrispell, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Picnic finds Robert Earle Keen at the top of his form, telling detailed storeis with remarkably simple and expressive rustic accompaniment. The record boasts a somewhat cleaner sound than before, since it's targeted at the alt-country audience who have embraced the artists Keen has influenced. Even with such slight sonic compromises, the essence of his music has not been diluted, and his emotionally direct country-folk is as affecting as ever. Of particular note is "Over the Waterfall," a lovely duet with Margo Timmins from Cowboy Junkies. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'No. 2 Live Dinner'
Release Date 3/19/1996
Tracks 17
Label Sugar Hill
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What The Critics Say
Robert Earl Keen, Jr. is a Texan who did not take the express lane to the radio airwaves. Instead, he spent more than a decade seasoning his talent while entertaining folks in the -- yep, you guessed it -- friendly honky tonks of Texas, where music fans tend to like individualists with plenty of personality. No. 2 Live Dinner finished off a consistently powerful string of albums recorded for Sugar Hill Records. Taped in front of rowdy, beer-swilling crowds in two Texas towns, Keen bears his good-natured raspiness into songs of desperation, danger, and raucous humor. A contemporary of Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, and Nanci Griffith, Keen's work has been as consistent and occasionally as strong as that of his friends. It's taken him longer to gain a national profile, but it's coming at a deserving time. For those unfamiliar with him, this live album will convey how well he's loved in his home state. Listen closely, and the songs will explain why, too. ~ Michael McCall, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A well-crafted debut, not one bad song. "Armadillo Jackal & This Old Porch," co-written by Lyle Lovett, features Lovett and Nanci Griffith singing harmony. ~ Chip Renner, All Music Guide
