Gringo Honeymoon

Gringo Honeymoon

ASIN: B000000EX6

Track Listings

1. Think It over One Time

2. Tom Ames' Prayer

3. Gringo Honeymoon

4. Raven and the Coyote

5. Lonely Feelin'

6. Merry Christmas from the Family

7. Barbeque

8. Lynnville Train

9. I'm Comin' Home

10. Dreadful Selfish Crime

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
His hair isn't as electric as Lyle Lovett's, and his life isn't as tragic as Townes Van Zandt's, but Keen is the sort of literate songwriter Texas produces by the bushel. Joe Ely is a big fan of his songs, covering "When Kindness Fails" and "The Road Goes On Forever", but Keen has been recording low-key albums of his own since the mid-'80s. His ability to capture the lives of nickel-and-dime losers is reminiscent of Raymond Carver one minute, John Prine the next. On Gringo Honeymoon, Keen proves he can funny--his "Merry Christmas from the Family" is a wicked take on holiday dysfunction--and overall it's his most consistent album. The only misstep is "Barbecue," a slight appreciation of wood-smoked meat that feels obvious and forced. --Keith Moerer

Tracks:

Think It Over One Time
Tom Ames' Prayer
Gringo Honeymoon
The Raven and The Coyote
Lonely Feeling
Merry Christmas From The Family
Barbeque
Lynnville Train
I'm Comin' Home
Dreadful Selfish Crime

Amazon.com

His hair isn't as electric as Lyle Lovett's, and his life isn't as tragic as Townes Van Zandt's, but Keen is the sort of literate songwriter Texas produces by the bushel. Joe Ely is a big fan of his songs, covering "When Kindness Fails" and "The Road Goes On Forever", but Keen has been recording low-key albums of his own since the mid-'80s. His ability to capture the lives of nickel-and-dime losers is reminiscent of Raymond Carver one minute, John Prine the next. On Gringo Honeymoon, Keen proves he can funny--his "Merry Christmas from the Family" is a wicked take on holiday dysfunction--and overall it's his most consistent album. The only misstep is "Barbecue," a slight appreciation of wood-smoked meat that feels obvious and forced. --Keith Moerer

Customer Reviews:

Poignant musician knows how to spin a yarn..........2007-04-26

The first four songs on "Gringo Honeymoon" are great, and the album gets off to a sprightly pace with "Think it Over One Time," a brave ditty about fallen romance. Robert Earl Keen's lazy, twangy drawl is endearing right away, and his superior songwriting skills are also immediately evident. One of my favorites on this CD is the hoe-down waltz of "Tom Ames' Prayer," penned by the great Steve Earle (see Earle's The Definitive Collection 1983-1997). It's a verbose, catchy song about the wild life of, you guessed it, old Tom Ames, and features a recurring, georgeous violin part by Jonathan Yudkin.

Then there's the more relaxed tunes. "Gringo Honeymoon" is a lazy, beautiful song that would sound right at home played in a bar on a hot sunny day. Keen is a very lyrical artist, and "The Raven and the Coyote," another slower-paced song, is the type of material that gives country music a good name. "The Raven..." displays Keen's talent for portraying the very human side of life, trials and tribulations of men and women, in this case the hardships of war and love intermingled. The songs on this CD get a bit more barren mid-way through, but no less poetic, musically impressive and heartfelt. "Merry Christmas from the Family" and "Barbeque" even have elements of humor and a casual aura, perhaps to lighten the mood. A few of the songs on the album have a lusher, more epic feel, and that's the case with the sentimental "I'm Comin' Home" and the seven-minute-plus closer, "Dreadful Selfish Crime," an introspective tune about personal (but not overly serious) transgressions in life.

If you love poignant lyrics with depth told by a master storyteller, catchy songs and plenty of slide guitar, "Gringo Honeymoon" is a must-have CD.

Wishin' that the World Would Stop.......2006-11-30

Another reviewer mentioned that Gringo Honeymoon is a great way to start a REK collection, and that's just what I did several years ago (actually my wife did--asking the local CD store owner what someone would like who also listens to John Prine and Lyle Lovett). I've bought and received several other REK albums over the years, but Gringo Honeymoon remains my favorite for the title track (a great love song--wouldn't you love to live that day?); for Think It Over One Time (we heard REK play an incendiary version at a live show in Baton Rouge); for Merry Christmas From the Family (a great singalong if you can keep straight what to buy from the Kwik Pack at each visit, along with the names of all the cousins); for Dreadful Selfish Crime; for I'm Coming Home (a country version of Jimmy Buffett's wonderful Come Monday--sort of Jet Plane in reverse); really for all but Barbecue, which seriously lacks the wit and punch of REK's other redneck anthems (Five Pound Bass and Copenhagen come to mind). Only the live album "No. 2 Live Dinner" comes close, probably because it contains most of Gringo Honeymoon.

Definitely One of REK's Best.......2006-08-13

His best album along with West Textures. Great story-telling songs such as the title track and of course "Merry Christmas". Includes fan favorite (and mine also) "Dreadful Selfish Crime". That is a song that most any guy over the age of 35 or so can REALLY relate to. You would not go wrong if you began your REK collection with this CD.

Can almost taste it.......2006-08-12

Robert Earl Keen is the best of the best. I used to think Lyle was the best, and James McMurtry is right up there, but for me REK is king.

This is one of his best albums. Seven of the ten songs on this album are absolutely unbeatable (including the one written by Steve Earl) and the other three aren't bad either. This album just pulls you into a zone and if you have that kind of place in your soul it just won't let go.

Storyteller.......2005-09-16

REK is one of the greatest storytellers of our times and it is evident in every song of this album. Any fan of John Prine, Bob Dylan, Lyle Lovette, or any Texas Country artist will love this disc. Arguably the best REK album ever.

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