A Bigger Piece of Sky

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Bigger Piece of Sky
A Bigger Piece of Sky cover
Studio album by Robert Earl Keen
Released October 8, 1993
August 10, 2004 Re-Release
Recorded Nashville, TN, USA
July, 1992
Genre Folk
Alternative country
Length 39:39
Label Sugar Hill Records
KOCH Records Re-Release
Producer Garry Velletri
Professional reviews
Robert Earl Keen chronology
West Textures
(1989)		 A Bigger Piece of Sky
(1993)		 Gringo Honeymoon
(1994)

A Bigger Piece of Sky is an album by Texas-based folk singer-songwriter Robert Earl Keen. It was released in the United States in 1993 by Sugar Hill Records and re-released in SACD format with the originally intended track sequencing in 2004 by KOCH Records. The title of the album comes from a line in the opening verse of "Paint the Town Beige":

I gave up the fast lane for a blacktop country road
Just burned out on all that talk about the motherload,
I traded for a songbird and a bigger piece of sky
When I miss the good old days I can't imagine why.

The album is frequently cited to be one of Keen's best if not the best and is considered to be a transitional point in his career as an artist. [1][2][3] The album brings together various elements of alternative country such as roots-rock, honky tonk, and folk to form Keen's own cohesive blend of Texas music. Reviewers cite "Corpus Christi Bay", "Whenever Kindness Fails", "So I Can Take My Rest", and "Paint the Town Beige" as stand-out tracks. [3][2] Keen's down-beat duet with Irish singer Maura O'Connell, "Night Right for Love" is also worthy of note as is Keen's cover of Terry Allen's "Amarillo Highway". Other guest performers include Marty Stuart on mandolin and Garry Tallent on electric and upright bass.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

All tracks written by Robert Earl Keen, except where noted

  1. "So I Can Take My Rest" – 3:21
  2. "Whenever Kindness Fails" – 3:35
  3. "Amarillo Highway" (Allen) – 2:26
  4. "Night Right for Love" (Keen, Trooper) – 4:16
  5. "Jesse With the Long Hair Hanging Down" – 3:46
  6. "Blow You Away" – 3:35
  7. "Here in Arkansas" – 4:45
  8. "Daddy Had a Buick" – 2:57
  9. "Corpus Christi Bay" – 3:58
  10. "Crazy Cowboy Dream" – 2:27
  11. "Paint the Town Beige" – 4:33

2004 Re-Release Sequence:

  1. "Amarillo Highway" (Allen) – 2:26
  2. "Corpus Christi Bay" – 3:58
  3. "Whenever Kindness Fails" – 3:35
  4. "Blow You Away" – 3:35
  5. "Jesse With the Long Hair Hanging Down" – 3:46
  6. "Night Right for Love" (Keen, Trooper) – 4:16
  7. "Paint The Town Beige" – 4:33
  8. "Daddy Had a Buick" – 2:57
  9. "Crazy Cowboy Dream" – 2:27
  10. "Here in Arkansas" – 4:45
  11. "So I Can Take My Rest" – 3:21
  12. "Blow You Away - reprise" – 1:14

[edit] Credits

Musicians:

Production:

  • Produced – Garry Velletri (except "Amarillo Highway" by Garry Velletri and Dave Durocher)
  • Recorded – Jeff Coppage, July 1992 at The Board Room, Nashville, Tennessee
  • Mixed – Jeff Coppage and Garry Velletri
  • Digital editing – Neil Merrick at Merrick Music Studios
  • Mastered – Denny Purcell at Georgetwon Masters

Artwork:

  • Cover – "Slow Poke" by Ray Strang
  • Back Cover – photo by Peter Figan
  • Design – Diane Painter

[edit] External links

[edit] Notes and sources

  1. ^ "Robert Earl Keen–The Irony and Humor by Don Henry Ford Junior, AmericanaRoots.com, December 8, 2005
  2. ^ a b Review:A Bigger Piece of Sky by Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
  3. ^ a b Country Music Review: A Bigger Piece of Sky by Matt Bjorke, about.com