Customer Reviews

BEST

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm not a stranger to REK's music, but I will admit that I'm a relative newcomer. I'd say that I enjoy about half of this album, but the rest I can do without. Of course I love the standards, although the live version of 'The Road Goes on Forever' left a little to be desired.

On the other hand, 'For Love', which I'd never heard before, is an amazing song. Absolutely fantastic.

Newcomers should beware, however--on some of his songs he sounds like Dale Gribble from 'King of the Hill' when he sings. Takes some getting used to.

If you love Robert Earl Keen, you'll love this Best Of collection. (I would not recommend it for anyone who is a newcomer to REK. Some of the tracks are live, and the first three are VERY old, and not as sophisticated in sound as his newer stuff.) I bought this for my boyfriend, who loves anything REK, and he hasn't stopped playing it for two weeks straight (literally!)

I'm a relative newcomer to REK's genre, but have had a pretty good sampling of his music. I bought "BEST" for the value. It has many of my favorites from REK, however, there are some I wish would have been left off (for those who must know, I'm not a fan of Willie, Mr. Wolf and Mama Bear, Let the Music Play, and Ride). I was surprised that some of my favorites from "Picnic" and "Gravitational Forces" were left off (again, for those who must know, Shades of Gray, Wild Wind, Not a Drop of Rain were notably absent for me). All in all it's hard to complain about, but enough for me to knock it down a star.

Some people complain about the live cuts. I'm not one of them. I like for energetic songs to sound like they have...energy! Sometimes it's everything I can do to not throw up listening to the album version of Gringo Honeymoon. Good song, but it's so DULL on the album. Same goes for Corpus Christi Bay.

One chuckle to mention (I downloaded this album from iTunes), Furnace Fan is mis-labeled Furnace Fox. I smile every time it comes up on my iPod. :)

I bought this along with Picnic as a Christmas present for a friend who hadn't heard Robert Earl Keen. Of course, it doesn't include ALL his best work... any collection that did would be REALLY big :)

After finding out about Robert Earl Keen's music, he's definitely one of my top Texas musicians/songwriters. I don't know what it is about Texas song writers they just know where it's at.
This a very good collection of REK's work to date. (only one song I felt was missing from the "Best" and that is the "Front Porch Song")
So may the "Road Go On Forever and the Party Never End".

mike a.

This CD is comfortable as an old shoe! Wonderful country-rock songs for those who love great lyrics and gentle rocking.

I am a big fan, so my review will of course be biased, but I really enjoyed this CD. I especially enjoyed some of the live performances of my favorites. (I personally enjoy the live, more upbeat version of "Merry Christmas From The Family" better than the original.)

Anyway...if you like Robert Earl Keen's work (or would like to get to know it) you can't go wrong with this CD, in my opinion.

A good collection of some of REK's best songs. A fairly broad look at the different types of songs he's done, a solid intro to his music. A few live songs are here, and the choices for those are fitting:

7 Merry Christmas from the Family
8 The Road (Intro)
9 The Road Goes on Forever

16 Feeling Good Again
17 Gringo Honeymoon
18 I'm Comin' Home

All the other songs appear to be the original versions or so close that I can't really tell the difference.

And for the record, I believe REK is not "done". Three of these songs are from his last album in 2005. Of course, if it would goad Robert into putting out a new original album I'm all for saying he's over with :)

This is my first Robert Earl Keen CD. I bought it on the strength of radio play of Feeling Good Again (from Walking Distance), plus glowing fan commentary. Imagine my disappointment when I learned that the version of Feelin' Good Again on this "Best of" compilation was a live recording. I don't have anything against live recordings per se, some of my favorite songs are live versions, and some of Robert Earl Keen's live songs are great. But I like to know what I'm buying. Sometimes I prefer to take my music without audience participation.

It may be that these are great recordings of his best songs, and I just can't tell because I don't know his music. However, I can't get over the feeling of being ripped off because the record label fails to disclose that some of the songs are live. You can't tell from the outside of the CD in the store, and you can't tell from the information in Amazon. The live songs are: Merry Christmas from the Family, The Road Intro (which is very funny), and The Road Goes On Forever, from No. 2 Live Diner, and Felling Good Again, Gringo Honeymoon, and I'm Coming Home, from Live at the Ryman.

A must have for the true fan or a great starter to get someone in to REK. This cd is in my stack of regularly played albums, it never gets old.