Farm Fresh Onions

Robert Earl Keen | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 7, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Koch Records
• ASIN: B0000CD5FI
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,049 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Furnace Fan

2. All I Have Is Today

3. Out Here In The Middle

4. Train Trek

5. Farm Fresh Onions

6. Floppy Shoes

7. Gone On

8. So Sorry Blues

9. Beats The Devil

10. These Years

11. Famous Words

12. Let The Music Play

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a little more alt, a little less country, March 7, 2004

By 

tikcuf "tikcuf" (boise, idaho) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Farm Fresh Onions (Audio CD)

among a very crowded field, robert earl keen has been one of the best and most consistent texas singer-songwriters for over two decades. he has an intensely loyal following, but deserves a wider audience. his style is more implanted in the folk, rather than the country branch of the texas singer-songwriter genre, as also typified by artists such as lyle lovett, guy clark, and townes van zandt. his songs are immensely engaging, and evocative. he has a wonderful sense of humor and is not pretentious.

some of these songs depart from his usual sound with a loud guitar-driven rock sound and, even, some funk. the songs, for the most part, are superbly written and performed. the song "these years" is a classic, poignant REK song about his parents which will rip your heart out of your chest.

if you are an established robert earl keen fan and are expecting more of the same, this album might take a little getting used to, so please be patient; your patience will be rewarded. if you are new to this artist and like the alt-country, texas singer-songwriter genre, you will enjoy this album immensely. (you should also check out lyle lovett's album "step inside this house" on which REK and REK songs are featured.)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, October 31, 2003

By 

Billy R. Locke (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Farm Fresh Onions (Audio CD)

Don't listen to anyone who doesn't like this production. REK is dead on like he always is, but introduces some new wrinkles. The same intelligence that you expect is there, with the same quirky occasionally humorous style that you also expect. There are people without enough mental abstract capacity to "get it" that will not like this work. These are the same type of people who never got over Roger Waters leaving Pink Floyd. Don't listen to them, listen to REK. They don't understand that the only constant in life IS CHANGE. This is a great work and he and his band deserve credit for it. "Texas Music" has long been about partying, rivers, stale burritos, lost loves, and other universal stuff. REK reaches inside himself (and us) and expresses both sides of all of our personalites. But stops to have a little fun (as usual) along the way. This one should put REK & Co. on the map. If it doesn't I'll be very disappointed. But I WILL keep listening.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Farm Fresh Relief!, October 16, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Farm Fresh Onions (Audio CD)

I have followed Robert Earl Keen's career for years. I am a big fan and I buy every one of his records. Farm Fresh Onions is a record that I did not expect him to make, but I am glad that he did.

This record unquestionably distances REK from the dime-a-dozen "Texas Songwriters" (who know who you are) that are clogging your musical arteries with "Texas Music" sludge and convincing people that Texas is only about tacos, beer, and floating down the river. On FFO, the big dog is on the front porch and he's claiming his territory by pissing all over mediocre "Texas Music" with this superb album; An album that is not done justice by labeling it "Texas Music", as I've already done twice.

The liner notes state that this record was all about having fun in the recording studio, and that ethos comes through on this record, like it never has before on a REK record. If you've seen REK live, you know that he is indeed a lot of fun, but that only occasionally comes through on his records, until now. Although there are dark moments on this record ("Let The Music Play" and "Famous Words"), this record is mostly about fun.

"Furnace Fan" opens the album and sets the high water mark of any song REK has written thus far, only to be one-upped by the following song, "All I Have Is Today", a n upbeat musical mantra for all the "Shiny Happy People" out there.

Shawn Colvin's guest vocals on the McMurtry song "Out Here In The Middle" are welcome, but not needed. The song doesn't need the help and would be fine with REK alone.

REK seems to have found his inner hippie on "Floppy Shoes" and "Gone On", two loose-as-a-goose upbeat songs, complete with bouncy piano and organ. "Beats The Devil" is a wonderful "All Along The Watchtower" rave-up and is sure to become a favorite of his live shows.

Where this album really stretches out is in it's middle and it's end. Although not as in your face as the beginning of the disc, "These Years" and "Let The Music Play" really show us that REK has not forgotten his "old" fans. Both are introspective, somewhat dark-stark, with "LTMP's" emotional subject landing somewhere between bitterness and resurrection. Emotionally, they are the album's low points but musically, they are two stellar REK songs.

The record's tone ends in the way the Artist intended: with a laugh. A self-deprecating take on the title track is a fine way to close out an album that has all the makings of not just a great REK album, but a great album, period.

Willie fans, Neil Young fans, Lyle fans, and great music fans take note: Robert Earl Keen may have just found his way to that elusive Hall Of Fame after all.