Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Robert Earl Keen is an archetypical Texas singer/songwriter, someone who can mine both laughter and tragedy from life along the dusty margins of life in the Lone Star State, and seeing that he's been recording good-to-great albums of his material since 1984, a comprehensive and well-programmed compilation offering a fully rounded introduction to his music would be more than welcome. However, 2007's Best isn't quite that album. While Keen had recorded a dozen albums by the time this was released, Best draws its 17 tunes from only six discs, two of which are live albums and three of which (Farm Fresh Onions, What I Really Mean and Live at the Ryman) are relatively recent efforts that presumably dominate the second half of this collection because they were easy to license rather than because they represent Keen's finest work. Quite frankly, a number of Keen's best songs are missing, such as "Dreadful Selfish Crime," "The Front Porch Song" and "I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight," while fan favorites like "The Five Pound Bass," "The Buckin' Song," "Barbecue" and "The Bluegrass Widow" don't make the cut, either. That said, if Best doesn't quite present Keen's best material (or even all his best known), there's little arguing that what's here is great stuff; Keen, who compiled this disc, has edited a satisfying sampler, hitting a graceful balance between crowd pleasers like "Merry Christmas from the Family" and "The Road Goes on Forever" (the latter prefaced by a rambling story in which Keen loses his car and his girl but meets Willie Nelson) and more resonant numbers like "Corpus Christi Bay," "Whenever Kindness Fails" and "For Love." If you're looking for a concise, career-spanning overview of Robert Earl Keen's long career in music, Best isn't as much help as you might wish, but the consistent quality is a sure convincer if you or someone you know wants some evidence of Keen's very real talent as a tunesmith and a performer.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Robert Earl Keen, MainArtist
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Album review
Robert Earl Keen is an archetypical Texas singer/songwriter, someone who can mine both laughter and tragedy from life along the dusty margins of life in the Lone Star State, and seeing that he's been recording good-to-great albums of his material since 1984, a comprehensive and well-programmed compilation offering a fully rounded introduction to his music would be more than welcome. However, 2007's Best isn't quite that album. While Keen had recorded a dozen albums by the time this was released, Best draws its 17 tunes from only six discs, two of which are live albums and three of which (Farm Fresh Onions, What I Really Mean and Live at the Ryman) are relatively recent efforts that presumably dominate the second half of this collection because they were easy to license rather than because they represent Keen's finest work. Quite frankly, a number of Keen's best songs are missing, such as "Dreadful Selfish Crime," "The Front Porch Song" and "I Wonder Where My Baby Is Tonight," while fan favorites like "The Five Pound Bass," "The Buckin' Song," "Barbecue" and "The Bluegrass Widow" don't make the cut, either. That said, if Best doesn't quite present Keen's best material (or even all his best known), there's little arguing that what's here is great stuff; Keen, who compiled this disc, has edited a satisfying sampler, hitting a graceful balance between crowd pleasers like "Merry Christmas from the Family" and "The Road Goes on Forever" (the latter prefaced by a rambling story in which Keen loses his car and his girl but meets Willie Nelson) and more resonant numbers like "Corpus Christi Bay," "Whenever Kindness Fails" and "For Love." If you're looking for a concise, career-spanning overview of Robert Earl Keen's long career in music, Best isn't as much help as you might wish, but the consistent quality is a sure convincer if you or someone you know wants some evidence of Keen's very real talent as a tunesmith and a performer.
© Mark Deming /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 01:15:11
- Main artists: Robert Earl Keen
- Label: eOne Music
- Genre: Country
2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC 2007 AUDIUM ENTERTAINMENT LLC
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.