When the Lord Closes the Door (He Opens a Little Window)
Sold American
Medley: They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore/Western Union Wire/H - Finlay, Danny
Silver Eagle Express
Highway Caf?
You're Welcome, Kinky -
"Kinky writes from the bottom of his heart and/or the heart of his bottom," explains Captain Midnight in the liners to this engaging 17-song tribute to the ultimate "Texas Jewboy." Friedman's songs offer a most unusual ble... more »nd of insight and irreverence, of scathing social commentary and absolute inanity, wrapped up in traditional country clothing. "Ride 'em Jewboy," despite its lighthearted title, is a moving rumination about the Holocaust, delivered sympathetically by Willie Nelson. Lee Roy Parnell assuredly honky-tonks through "Nashville Casualty & Life," a poignant ode to a mistreated Music City busker, while Dwight Yoakam dips his drawl into "Rapid City, South Dakota," a song about runaways and unwanted pregnancy--perhaps the only pro-choice country song around. Lyle Lovett invests the proper amount of resignation into "Sold American," Friedman's lament on fleeting stardom and capitalist betrayal. Guy Clark, Tompall Glaser, Tom Waits, Billy Swan, and even the Kinkster himself also issue noteworthy readings. Perhaps the impressive roster of interpreters here will show him to be more than a mere novelty--or maybe they'll prove him to be the most weighty novelty act in town. Either way, the corned beef will come by and by... --Marc Greilsamer« less
"Kinky writes from the bottom of his heart and/or the heart of his bottom," explains Captain Midnight in the liners to this engaging 17-song tribute to the ultimate "Texas Jewboy." Friedman's songs offer a most unusual blend of insight and irreverence, of scathing social commentary and absolute inanity, wrapped up in traditional country clothing. "Ride 'em Jewboy," despite its lighthearted title, is a moving rumination about the Holocaust, delivered sympathetically by Willie Nelson. Lee Roy Parnell assuredly honky-tonks through "Nashville Casualty & Life," a poignant ode to a mistreated Music City busker, while Dwight Yoakam dips his drawl into "Rapid City, South Dakota," a song about runaways and unwanted pregnancy--perhaps the only pro-choice country song around. Lyle Lovett invests the proper amount of resignation into "Sold American," Friedman's lament on fleeting stardom and capitalist betrayal. Guy Clark, Tompall Glaser, Tom Waits, Billy Swan, and even the Kinkster himself also issue noteworthy readings. Perhaps the impressive roster of interpreters here will show him to be more than a mere novelty--or maybe they'll prove him to be the most weighty novelty act in town. Either way, the corned beef will come by and by... --Marc Greilsamer
"There may be better tribute albums out there, but I don't know about them. An all-star cast delivers the goods here. I'll just mention a few of my favorite tracks: Willie's version of "Ride 'em Jewboy," while not quite as heartfelt as Kinky's own, is excellent. Guy Clark, a great singer-songwriter himself, does justice to "Wild Man From Borneo," a song with depth that popular music seldom reaches. Marty Stuart's version of "Lady Yesterday" is great; Billy Swan (remember him?) does an especially beautiful take on "When the Lord Closes the Door." I should mention that Jonathan Yudkin plays absolutely beautiful violin on that one. I can't quite get into "Ol' Ben Lucas," though. They could have left that one off, but that would have ignored another side of the Kinkster, I suppose. This album is a unique document that is an essential part of any serious country collection. The final track, "You're Welcome, Kinky," is pretty whacked. I don't want to give away the ending here, though."
A couple songs are a definite ***** (5 stars!)
designsoup | Portland, OR USA | 11/21/2001
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm hardly Jewish, but "Ride Em Jewboy" and a couple others make this record well worth the buy. "Ride Em Jewboy" is one of the prettiest songs in the world. I think I like Kinky Friedman. He's not PC (a plus) and he's not afraid of his own testosterone (a definite plus). At the same time, his songs reveal a sensitive soul, a real gentleman."
I love the Kinkster
Bruce P. Barten | 07/10/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In this day and age, when gross-out jokes pass for comedy, it's a pleasure to come across an artist who is able to mix satire with sincere feeling. He's funny and his social commentary is unbeatable. I especially love "They ain't makin' Jews like Jesus anymore," and "Highway Cafe.""
The humor is a bit raw, the songs are fine
Bruce P. Barten | Saint Paul, MN United States | 02/07/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The rendition of `Autograph' by Delbert McClinton in this CD is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I found it first on the internet, and it was only when I was trying to find chords to play it myself that I discovered that Kinky Friedman wrote this gem. "When rock n' roll was real" is the feeling that gets captured so well I can hardly believe it myself. I finally bought the CD and discovered that the corny Texas Jewboys have a lot of humor and become the perfect illustration of "They Ain't Making Jews Like Jesus Anymore.""
Track Listings (17) - Disc #1
