Robert Earl Keen Live from Austin, TX 2LP

Recorded on August 22, 2001, Live from Austin, TX captures Robert Earl Keen during the most recent of his five appearances on Austin City Limits — a truly remarkable performance showcasing his artistry and songwriting at full strength.

Keen has long been considered one of the leaders of a new generation of Texas singer-songwriters, an artist whose edgy rebelliousness — much like Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark, and Willie Nelson before him — has never quite fit country music's mainstream, which is exactly why he stands out.

The 17-track set moves through catalog highlights including "Shades of Gray," "I'm Goin' to Town," "The Road Goes On Forever," "Merry Christmas from the Family," "Snowin' on Raton," and "Feelin' Good Again," covering the full range of what makes Keen essential — road-worn humor, plainspoken heartbreak, and characters drawn with uncommon specificity.

Keen has described his writing process as thinking in pictures — snapshots from memory or observation — and sitting down with a guitar to describe what he sees until a story takes shape. That intimacy translates powerfully in a live setting.

This two-disc set is now available on vinyl for the first time ever.