Track Listing

1. Sing One For Sister
2. The Road Goes on Forever
3. Maria
4. Sonora's Death Row
5. Mariano
6. Don't turn out the light
7. Leavin Tennessee
8. Jennifer Johnson & Me
9. The Five Pound Bass
10. It's the Little Things
11. Love's A Word I Never Throw Around

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #47153 in Music
• Released on: 1993-01-05
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
Though Robert Earl Keen was previously best known as Lyle Lovett's college buddy, this 1989 release established the Texas troubadour as a master of the musical narrative. His ambitious story songs extend from the rambunctious anthemry of "The Road Goes On Forever" (later covered by Joe Ely) to the bittersweet border balladry of "Mariano." Other highlights include the deadpan hilarity of "It's the Little Things" and the deadly serious "Love's a Word I Never Throw Around." While Keen's singing tends toward nasal monotone, the strength of the songcraft and the sprite settings established by producer Jim Rooney and a virtuosic band transcend the vocal limitations. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

Another of the good ones...
Robert Earl strikes again with "West Textures," a perennial road trip, drinking and barbecue favorite.

"The Road Goes On Forever" is the jammin' ballad that turns Keen concerts into revivals, with full-grown men and women frothing at the mouth with a down-with-The-Man fervor. "The Five Pound Bass" is the time-honored search for the fish *thiiiiiiis* big [it's as big as a goddamned BABY], "It's the Little Things" the plight of annoyed married folk far and wide [and adapted by comedian Rodney Carrington in "Little Things" on "Hangin' With Rodney], and "Don't Turn Out the Light" the ever-familiar story of the drunk arriving home after a night at the bar.

In contrast, "Sonora's Death Row" spins a tale of an accidental killing on a cowboy's night off in a Mexican town, the unavoidable weight of a Guanajuato man's separation from his family in "Mariano," and the reflections of first love in "Jennifer Johnson & Me." My personal favorite, however, is "Love's a Word I Never Throw Around," a simple declaration of a man's love in spite of his ending relationship. Robert Earl doesn't often bend to the pressure for a happy ending, and that honesty makes his work stick long after the CD stops playing.

Excellent, must buy CD... this is the one that made me a fan
I bought this tape about 8 yrs ago after watching his show in College Station, TX; ever since then I have wondered why he wasn't a HUGE star. I listened to it on a couple of cross country drives and sang along for about a thousand miles before changing cassetes. Get it, listen to it, live it.

The Best Keen CD You Could Buy
This is the best. You must listen to it over and over to catch each subtle lyric. Sonora's Death Row is incredible. It's like a little movie in itself. "The Road Goes On Forever" is on this one, but that is one of REK's weaker songs on this CD. Listen to it and you won't be sorry if you're a true Keen fan. You actually feel every song on this CD. True TEXAS music. If I could only write like that! WOW