Robert Earl Keen,
Live from Austin TX

  

Label: New West Records
Year: 2004

(3½ out of 5)

2004 marks a banner year for fans who want to relive Robert Earl Keen's live performances.

In the summer KOCH Records restored the No. 2 Live Dinner CD to circulation, followed in November by its companion DVD. Also in November, New West Records released Keen's 2001 Austin City Limits performance on CD and DVD.

Keen has performed on ACL five times. Live from Austin TX captures his most recent appearance, which followed the release of Gravitational Forces.

While it may lack the raw energy and enthusiasm of No. 2 Live Dinner, the ACL performance showcases just how much the singer/songwriter matured in the intervening five years.

That growth in musicianship is evident from the opening track, "Dreadful Selfish Crime" from 1994's Gringo Honeymoon. Here Keen and band adopt a slower, more bluesy that runs nearly a half-minute longer than on No. 2 Live Dinner. That leisurely, jam-like pace continues throughout the 17 songs.

Keen performs several fan favorites, such as "That Buckin' Song," "The Road Goes on Forever," and "Merry Christmas from the Family."

However, since ACL essentially is a promotional showcase, Gravitational Forces is represented more heavily than REK's other albums: Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone," Townes Van Zandt's "Snowin' on Raton," "Not a Drop of Rain," "Wild Wind," "Goin' Nowhere Blues," and "Walkin' Cane."

The sound here is somewhat rougher than on No. 2 Live Dinner, but that's to be expected since the ACL format generally prohibits retakes and overdubs.

Another noticeable difference is the crowd noise—or more specifically, the absence of crowd noise. Except for an orchestrated sing-along on "That Buckin' Song" and the requisite singing of "The Road Goes on Forever" and "Merry Christmas from the Family," the audience is relatively silent except for applause between songs. This is a marked contrast from No. 2 Live Dinner or any live show packed with REK rowdies.

Paired with the absence of crowd noise is the lack of onstage banter. Keen is a storyteller by nature, whether in verse or freeform, and that staple of his live performances is missing from ACL's controlled environment.

Live from Austin TX is an interesting snapshot of Robert Earl Keen, vintage 2001. His set list today wouldn't feature Gravitational Forces so prominently. And minus the witty banter, the show lacks the personality that bonds Keen to his fans.

This may not be as essential as No. 2 Live Dinner, but it does afford REK fans an opportunity to watch their antiestablishment hero in a rare recorded live performance.

Buy: Lone Star Music (CD, DVD), Amazon (CD, DVD)

December 13, 2004