Search - Robert Earl Keen :: Bigger Piece of Sky

One of His Best

K. Henderson | Missouri, United States | 08/13/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you become a Robert Earl Keen, Jr. fan as I have, you probably own most or all of his music. I would put this CD just below West Textures and Gringo Honeymoon, and far above some of his others. Amarillo Highway and Corpus Christi Bay are a great start to this re-release, and other highlights include the story of "Jesse" (that song is good once you figure out the story), Night Right for Love, Paint the Town Beige and Crazy Cowboy Dreams. If you are a fan of REK you will not regret buying this CD!"

Keen's Greatest Album

Clayton Turcotte | Corpus Christi, TX, USA | 02/20/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is his strongest album. There is not a song on this CD that I didn't enjoy, and hopefully one day people will truly appreciate how great of a songwriter Mr. Keen actually is. As a musician/storyteller, I will always argue that he is the best (that is including Bob Dylan) around. If you disagree then I would be willing to bet that you have only listened to his more popular albums (The live ones mainly), but he goes much, much deeper. Listen to this album again, and appreciate the darkness and grit of the record. My favorites on this disk include "Whenever Kindness Fails" in which a young man is discovering the true side to the world and takes it into his own hands by leaving the men who have treated him poorly by leaving them dead along train tracks that he is traveling on. There is a great, fast-paced cover of Terry Allen's (who is one of Keen's favorites) "Amarillo Highway." "Paint the Town Beige" is about how he turned his back on the sellouts in country music and stayed true to his his roots. "Jesse With the Long Hair" is a classic story of greed, outlaws, and how friends are what matter the most in the world. "Blow You Away" in Keen's words is "The song describes all these situations which in one way could be a normal situation; in another way, there's always this trouble just bubbling beneath the surface. The message of that song, is that there is always a dark side to most of life's experiences." "Here in Arkansas" is about a family that is trying to kill the seventh son of a seventh son, because they believe he will lead to their ultimate demise. However in doing so they do find their gloomy fate at the hands of their sins. "Corpus Christi Bay" can only be described as a fun/sad song about how hard it is to change your ways for the better, and questions if it is possible to forever leave the fun times in the past or if you will forever be caught up in that existence. "Crazy Cowboy Dream" is about a rodeo cowboy's life, but it actually mirrors Keen's life in the music industry away from his loved ones for most of his days. "Night Right for Love" is a classic love duet that will be sure to strike a nerve with even the toughest of the tough. "So I Can Take My Rest" is a story about a man who leads a good life and has trouble opening up to those he loves, and wants to know what they truly think of him as he lay on his deathbed. I would highly recommend this album to anyone who loves a story and isn't afraid to shy away from mainstream music, and listen to someone who knows how to write songs for everyone to love and enjoy. To those who think that they didn't enjoy this album, then I would recommend that you give it another shot to truly appreciate how his songs drip with a dark, vivid truth while keeping you strapped in and wanting more. This is one of my favorite albums of all time by any artist, and I would encourage all to give it a chance."