Customer Reviews

Farm Fresh Onions

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.)

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.

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.

Robert Earl -

Still I love you, but this is so very hard to take.

Sounds like you might'a had some rejects from your last two recording sessions, had an obligation to produce a new album and just used all those rejects.

It's not bad music, in fact it's pretty good. But it's only pretty good.

Were I not an REK die-hard, and heard this album, I'd never buy it. I'd just say it's another pretty good singer/songwriter doing pretty good stuff, as many Texas musicians do, and I can't buy them all. But I am a Robert Earl Keen enthusiast, so I did buy this record (CD). And I guess that's okay - I have to have everything you've done. And maybe it'll get better as I play it again and again.

Meanwhile, I have the actual REK: "Corpus Christi Bay" "Lynville Train, "Levelland," "The Road Goes On Forever" and so many more I won't try to list them here - Until today the only REK song I ever fast forwarded through was the title cut on Gravitational Forces, which really really sucks. Everything else was sacrosanct. If I'd heard it a thousand times, I still had to hear it again. I could not make myself stop listening to any REK song. But after hearing the songs on this album once, I fast-forwarded through most of them, and don't really care to hear them again.

REK's strength is best exhibited in his story telling songs (his Texas `aw shucks' delivery in some songs is so effectively contrasted with his dooms-day tone on other tunes - in all of which his voice quality is just exactly right), his humour, the deep down understanding he expresses in his words and his delivery, as if he's lived every moment of whatever it is that he's singing about. God how I love that.

This CD is disappointing. But I still have everything he's done previously. And I'll keep on listening to those and hoping for better in the next album.

Keen's latest is a varied affair, adding more rock and modern psychedelic touches to his basic country, folk and blues. One can applaud Keen for his willingness to stretch out, even if the results aren't always successful. The opening trio, "Furnace Fan," "All I Have Today" and "Out Here in the Middle" cut a rootsy line between the organ-and-guitar sounds of The Wallflowers and Chris Knight, and the Texas dancehall rowdiness of Jack Ingram. Shawn Colvin guests on the last of the three.

From there, the album takes several twists and turns. In some cases, Keen's singing is simply outpaced by his songwriting. His thin voice finds a surprisingly good fit for the funky "Floppy Shoes," but the straight-ahead blues "So Sorry Blues" could use a voice that's either richer or more convincingly world-weary. The lengthy "Train Trek" suffers from a laid-back vocal that is overshadowed by the electric guitars. In contrast, the mournful "Famous Words," nicely plays Keen's voice against a solo, highly-reverbed electric six-string.

The album's title track throws a kitchen sink of styles at the phrase "Farm Fresh Onions.". Think of The Hombres "Let It All Hang Out" strained through 1970s Canterbury progressive noodling, garage psych organ, "Dark Side of the Moon" styled backing wails, and a funky undertow. The kitchen sink is revisited on the album's hidden track - a punk-rock meets rockabilly extension of the title track. More straight ahead, and most satisfying, are the acoustic narrative "These Years" and the closing ballad "Let the Music Play."

Fans of Keen may very well enjoy this album - in part it lives up to the song quality for which he's most known. But given the hit-and-miss quality of the productions, it's hard to imagine this will be the album his fans grab from the shelf for a fix of Keen's music, and it's certainly not the album one would use to introduce the artist to friends.

3-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings.

One thing we can always expect from REK is that he will come up with new and exciting productions. From his early acoustic sounds to his steel guitars, Keen has always had a fresh sound different from most entertainers.

Farm Fresh Onions is no different. This time, REK explores a more bluesy sound mixed in with a touch of bluegrass. The fiddles, steel guitars, and heavy drum beats are gone. They are replaced by slower, more methodical guitar riffs combined with REK's trademark raspy voice.

This CD is not filled with the type of song that you have grown used to. You will not find the "Amarillo Highway" sing-along songs of past albums. Instead, you'll get a nice CD that is perfect for kicking back, drinking a beer, and listening to.

If you want favorite songs, "Furnace Fan", "Beats the Devil", and "These Years" are great and closer to the traditional REK songs. Also, check out the hidden track at the end. It is hilarious.

All in all, I would say this CD is an excellent purchase. It will add to your REK collection.

I am more of a fan of the outlaw country REK rather than the aging hippie REK, so this was not one of my favorite REK albums. However, there are some jewels to be picked out of this LP. I found that the album started off strong, had a lull in the middle, and then picked up again towards the end. The first 4 tracks are good, including "Out Here in the Middle", which I think is the best song on the album (this song gets a lot of play on KPIG down in Cali). The next 4 songs are not very good, the music and songwritting seems to be scatter brained. Both elements pick up on the last 4 songs of the CD. Other standouts on this CD include: "Furnace Fan", "Beats the Devil", and "Let the Music Play". I would recommend this CD to anyone who is starving to listen to some new music...and go to one of REK's shows!!! He is unbelievable live!!!

Actually, I applaud the guy. He's growing, and trying different things. The production is not as heavy as the last album, but also not as spartan as the Sugar Hill albums. Whether he's being accompanied by a symphony orchestra, or 4 bums blowing across the top of some Thunderbird Wine bottles, he's still a great story teller.

I think that Robert Earl Keen is a great artist, his songs continue to impress me. Most of his cds have at least a few good songs, but I can listen the whole way through on most of them. I think it is safe to say that he is not a musician whose name everybody knows. I love his stuff but he tends to pick a tone for each album and stick with it the entire way through. Some of his albums tend to be either all laid back country or all on the rock side. This cd shows that keen has found a way to mix it up a little. He includes touching ballads, soothing country, and some energetic rock. This one might be in my cd player for a while. Go out and buy this cd. If you have never listened to one of his albums...buy Farm Fresh Onions, it will not be the last Robert Earl Keen album that you buy.

REK does it again. Though his sounds has changed recently (ever since his "Walking Distance" album) Robert Earl has brought together another great collection of songs, sung on the way he can sing them. The first two songs on the disc are my favorite for the whole album, but you will want to listen to it, beginning to end over and over. If you're a fan of Texas Country or just looking for a fresh new sound in country, give REK a listen. You are sure to be delighted.