Customer Reviews

Live From Austin TX

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

 

 

No. 2 Live Dinner has always been my favorite Robert Earl Keen CD. However, I think Live from Austin may be even better. The sound is better than Dinner and the tracks are a really good cross-section of REK's best stuff. Aside from a "new" version of Dreadful Selfish Crime (my favorite REK song) that is, well, different, the CD is flawless (I like the track, I'm just too accustomed to the versions on No. 2 Live Dinner and on Party Songs). I would LOVE to see the DVD, but cannot find here in stores (but I'm seeing REK live tomorrow night, so the problem will soon be solved).

This is my favorite record REK has made. No. 2 Live Dinner was very disappointing because you can't hear Keen for all of the yelling/singing from the crowd, it ruins that album. "The Live Album" is a great one, but this one is even better IMO. What you've got here is an older REK with his full catalog with him - without the drunken fans screaming over his voice. He is great live and this time around you can actually hear him clearly.

I love Robert Earl Keen's music........He has a quick wit about him that comes across in his songs.......Gotta love a man with a sense of humor......

I've always been of the opinion that Robert Earl Keen's live albums have always sounded better then his studio versions. This cd is no different. I feel that he puts more energy into his live songs.

The songs on this album are a great selection, each song is wonderful.

My favorites include:

"Shades of Gray"
"Blow You Away"
"Dreadful Selfish Crime"
"I'm Coming Home"

Oh heck...this album has all the good ones...I would just end up listing every track on this album.

The only drawback if there is one, would be that I miss that there are no stories/intros to the songs. They are always awesome with REK, don't know why they didn't include them. Maybe the dvd has them, I will have to buy it and see. Not a deal breaker by any means though.

What are you waiting for? Order it!

Okay, REK can't sing. Neither can Bob Dylan. That's not the point. When you combine this excellent backing group with the gravelly voice of REK it works. It's really about the energy and the story telling anyway. Personally, I love this recording front to back. If you're a long time REK fan you already own this... if you're new to REK this album is for you.

I'm not from Texas and I'm a relatively new REK fan, but this album was something of a disappointment for me. I own a number of his discs including "What I Really Mean" and "The Party Never Ends" and I love what I hear. I picked up some older ones too and loved them. I was excited to buy this live experience and it leaves me luke warm.

For a man who has a vocal range of about five notes, you'd think he could sing those few notes in tune. The opening track -- a rather odd version of "Dreadful Selfish Crime" sounds like a tone deaf drunk with laryngitis singing really bad karaoke. I could do without it. It hurts my ears. In fact, if I didn't have faith in the artist I would have turned the disc off after this track.

The band on this CD really rocks. That's the saving grace of the disc I think. "The Road Goes on Forever" is superb and REK even manages to do a decent job on the vocals on "Merry Christmas from the Family" and "Not a Drop of Rain." The instrumental music really drives this performance and it's too bad that the lead vocals can't seem to stay remotely in the same key as the rest of the band on most of the songs.

OK, I know that Robert Earl Keen is not known for the quality of his vocals, but for the intense story-telling and imaginative insight into humanity and its foibles. Love that part, for sure. He's kind of a Texas Bob Dylan of the millennium. But, I have to be truthful and say that this album disappoints because of the very tenuous vocals and the way that so many of the really hit-you-where-it-lives lyrics are lost in the mumble.