Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From The Family (2001)

CD Single

What gives, Mark? That ain't no CD cover up there! Well, yes and no. It's a lyric book plus a live CD single (probably from the 1996 live album No. 2 Live Dinner, recorded at the John T. Floore Country Store in nearby Helotes?). It looks like the book (and accompanying VHS) is currently out of print and that's a damn shame because it is completely irreverent and hilarious and, each Christmas, I laugh and laugh and it makes my belly shake like a bowl full of jelly. Just like the song itself.

The book not only provides the lyrics (which, I understand, vary from performance to performance) it includes lots of lyric-related family photos, comic bits, and drink recipes (champagne punch, eggnog from hell, Gatorita, instant astronaut, brisky sour, mom's margaritas, and mom's bourbon sandwich, plus various bloody Mary's). My favorite bit in the book is the "how to" instructions regarding the singing of Feliz Navidad:

This song is best sung while wearing one of those giant Mexican sombreros that no Mexican would be caught dead wearing. Also, when you come to "I want to wish you a Merry Christmas," scream it out like you're trying to heard worldwide."

Maybe that's funnier here in San Antonio than elsewhere, I dunno.

An unintentional novelty song, my wife has to hear this one a minimum of five times each December (she always calls it "Merry Christmas TO the Family" but I think she just says that to rankle and it works.). Her other favorite is The Twelve Pains Of Christmas from radio DJ Bob Rivers, but that's not on any CD I can find, so that one won't be appearing in this space, sadly.

Keen grew up in Texas, as did my family and I, so we can completely relate to the lyrics. Your mileage may vary. Sorry if they do.

Personal Memory Associated with this CD: When I saw Keen perform in 2000 with my buddy Jim, it was in the middle of summer so we weren't treated to this tune. REK has what he calls the "linen rule"

we get requests for it all year round. So, I had to create this rule, I call it the 'Linen Rule', where we don't play the song as long as you can wear linen. So it saves it and makes it fresh for the holiday season. So we start playing it around Labor Day and we play it on through the holidays.

I wouldn't have minded Christmas in July, though.