Pearls in the Snow

1. Ride 'Em Jewboy - Willie Nelson

2. Autograph - Delbert McClinton

3. Nashville Casualty and Life - Lee Roy Parnell

4. Before All Hell Breaks Loose - Asleep At The Wheel

5. Twirl - The Geezinslaws

6. Rapid City, South Dakota - Dwight Yoakam

7. Wild Man from Borneo - Guy Clark

8. Lady Yesterday - Marty Stuart

9. Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed - Tompall

10. Ol' Ben Lucas - Chuck E. Weiss

11. Marilyn and Joe - Kinky Friedman

12. When the Lord Closes the Door (He Opens A Little Window) - Billy Swan

13. Sold American - Lyle Lovett

14. Medley (They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore, Western Union Wire, Homo Erectus) - The Texas Jewboys

15. Silver Eagle Express - The Texas Jewboys

16. Highway Cafe - Tom Waits

17. You're Welcome Kinky - Kinky Friedman and Little Jewford

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording
"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

Tracks:

Ride 'Em Jewboy - Willie Nelson
Autograph - Delbert McClinton
Nashville Casualty and Life - Lee Roy Parnell
Before All Hell Breaks Loose - Asleep At The Wheel
Twirl - The Geezinslaws
Rapid City, South Dakota - Dwight Yoakam
Wild Man from Borneo - Guy Clark
Lady Yesterday - Marty Stuart
Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed - Tompall
Ol' Ben Lucas - Chuck E. Weiss
Marilyn and Joe - Kinky Friedman
When the Lord Closes the Door (He Opens A Little Window) - Billy Swan
Sold American - Lyle Lovett
Medley (They Ain't Makin' Jews Like Jesus Anymore, Western Union Wire, Homo Erectus) - The Texas Jewboys
Silver Eagle Express - The Texas Jewboys
Highway Cafe - Tom Waits
You're Welcome Kinky - Kinky Friedman and Little Jewford

Amazon.com essential recording

"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

Customer Reviews:

the humor is a bit raw, the songs are fine.......2007-02-07

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."

Great songs, great singers.......2002-09-04

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!).......2001-11-21

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.......2001-07-10

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."

A Pearl!.......2000-08-23

Ignore my close association with this effort and understand this: I would not have joined this 2 year journey had i not believed in my heart that "Pearls In The Snow" would showcase the cream of the Tradional Country Crop! Songs by Kinky, produced by Nashville's brightest new "studio magic lady", Kacey Jones, and performed with mind blowing emotion by the true blood of Real Country: Willie, Lyle, Dwight, Marty, Lee Roy, Guy, Asleep At The Wheel, and many more. It delivers smoked Texas Music on butcher paper. Eat it with your hands and let the sauce stain your sole forever...