Merry Christmas from the Family [Hardcover]

Robert Earl Keen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

There's no place like home for the holidays . . . which is a good thing when you have a family like Robert Earl Keen's. As Keen tells it in this wry send-up of all those impossibly sweet, "not like our family" Christmas carols, Mom and Dad got drunk at the Christmas party, sister and brother brought their dubious significant others, the relatives' motor home blew out the Christmas lights, and a convenience store supplied all the goodies. Merry Christmas from the Family is the companion book for Robert Earl Keen's popular Christmas tune of the same name. Using authentic Keen family photos, recipes, and craft instructions, it illustrates all the verses of the song, which you can sing along with on the accompanying CD. Whether you're one of Robert Earl's legion of fans, or you've just had enough of Perry, Bing, and the other crooners, Merry Christmas from the Family is what you need to keep the holidays in hilariously skewed perspective.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

ROBERT EARL KEEN is a Texas-based singer-songwriter whose ten critically acclaimed albums include Farm Fresh Onions, Gravitational Forces, Walking Distance, Picnic, and No. 2 Live Dinner. A dynamic live performer who averages 125-140 days on the road every year, Keen has been selling out shows from Maine to Mexico and from Washington, D.C., to Seattle for the past ten years. He has performed on Austin City Limits five times and on Late Night with Conan O'Brien four times. His songs have been recorded by the Dixie Chicks, Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Kelly Willis, George Strait, Gillian Welch, and Johnny Cash and the Highwaymen, among others.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 76 pages
• Publisher: University of Texas Press (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0292712669
• ISBN-13: 978-0292712669
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 6.7 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #981,642 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Looking Glass reflection of my life!, November 10, 2001

By 

"tsuzen" (medina/lubbock, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Merry Christmas From the Family (Hardcover)

If you are a fan of Rober Earl Keen- I mean a fan of all his stuff from the rowdy staples "Road Goes on Forever" and "Copenhagen" to the skillfull subtle songwriting exhibited in No Kinda Dancer, and West Textures.

If this is you, then you will aprreciate this book. In short it is a hysterically illustrated version, verse by verse of his epic Chrismas Song "Merry Christmas From the Family". It is designed by esteemed Nashville graphic designer Buddy Jackson, and it is done with wit and humor in keeping with the songs' lyrics.(...)

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great stocking stuffer or intro to REK for your friends, January 2, 2002

By 

V. Gelczis "boss_of_rain" (Bay Area, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Merry Christmas From the Family (Hardcover)

Well, Robert Earl Keen himself said this was more of a greeting card than great literature. I think it's a delightful presentation of one of REK's best-loved songs. It's chockful of lyrics, pictures (did you know that Fran and Rita are both women?), recipes (for all those great drinks sung about), lists (10 Things You Can Do with Fake Snow, 10 Things You Won't Find in a Convenience Store), and Texas-style fun. And it includes a CD to boot, so you can listen while you read along. This is a hoot--and at this price, you can buy one for yourself and all your friends. Spread the love from the fam-o-lee!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hallelujah, Everybody Say Cheese..., December 6, 2005

By 

Robert I. Hedges - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Merry Christmas From the Family (Hardcover)

I have loved "Merry Christmas From the Family" by Robert Earl Keen since the very first time I ever heard it. I was initially exposed to this song on a cable access TV show, "Viva and Jerry's Country Videos" (which is hilarious in its own right). I hadn't caught the name of the artist, so I called Viva herself and she told me to look up Robert Earl Keen. I did so, bought a couple of albums and generally liked them, but this song (and his video that goes with it) remains my favorite of his works.

This book/CD combination is very nicely produced and is basically a funny color collage telling the story of the song. The CD has my favorite version of the song on it so you can follow along if you want, or more likely just listen and laugh.

I have given several of these as gifts over the last few years and they always get rave reviews. It's kind of sad that there is more than a little truth in the song, but nonetheless it's funny, dryly tongue-in-cheek, and very well done. While this may never overtake "Silent Night" or "O Come All Ye Faithful" in the pantheon of the world's most popular Christmas songs, it has a unique charm that is like nothing else, and I recommend it highly.