OUTRAGEOUS - BUT FUNNY (Kinky Friedman in General)

Member Name: lynn_bex

Product:	Kinky Friedman in General
Date:	20/10/01 (241 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Vulgar, Irreverent, Outrageous, Hysterically Funny

Disadvantages: Bad Language , May Offend the Unwary

Vulgar, irreverent, outrageous and appallingly politically incorrect… - Sounds about right for the unlikeliest of my heroes…

Here we have Kinky Friedman, country singer/songwriter extraordinaire. The one-time leader of “Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys”, an outlandish 1970’s country rock band that played support to Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Tour but never quite gelled with Nashville’s Grand Ol’ Opry… [can’t think why], who later overcame a personal drug-fuelled hell to re-invent himself as a successful and best selling, [albeit vulgar, irreverent outrageous and appallingly politically incorrect] crime novelist…

“It’s just a little trick God plays on us”, says the Kinkster.

At this point I should perhaps explain that the “Kinky” tag is in no way suggestive or improper, in fact being a reference to our hero’s kinky or “frizzy” hair. (During a live show he will remove his cowboy hat to reveal the evidence, which he describes as a “Lyle Lovett starter kit”.)

According to my reference books (which might sound impressive but actually means the 1983 Edition of “Rolling Stone Encyclopaedia of Rock and Roll” and 1994 “New Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Country Music), Richard “Kinky” Friedman was born, [obviously on the wings of a marketing dream] in Palestine, Texas, on 31 October 1944.

He wasn’t, of course… Richard Friedman was born in Chicago, where his mother (Min) kept the home fires burning while his father (Tom) served in the Eighth Air Force during World War II. Tom Friedman, a Navigator, flew 35 successful missions over Germany and, so his son tells, (when you read between the politically incorrect lines,) was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

The Friedmans moved to Texas after World War II, later establishing “Echo
Hill Ranch” - a children’s camp and power for good that continues to figure in Kinky Friedman’s detective novels. The Kinkster’s parents also figure in the books, as do his younger brother and sister and many of his friends, thus proving our hero to be a sentimental fool at heart.

Kinky Friedman was formerly best known as the writer/performer of such songs as “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews Like Jesus Any More” and “Ride `em Jewboy”, both of which are in fact powerful protest songs. [It seems to me that you either get the joke straight off, (ie Kinky Friedman is very obviously Jewish and is therefore highly unlikely to be anti-Semitic,) or you are never going to laugh at his humour, even if it is explained to you line by line…]

“They Ain’t Makin’ Jews…” is a humorous assault not just on anti-Semitism, but on ALL forms of racial/religious and general bigotry.

As the song opens, our unlikely hero encounters a “Red Neck Nerd in a bowling shirt, guzzling Lone Star Beer” [who is] “Talking religion and politics for all the world to hear…” The ensuing argument contains numerous offensive remarks and slang terms habitually used by stereotypical “Red Necks”, - so much so, that, before performing the song these days, Kinky Friedman announces it as “An equal opportunity offender.” [This brings the house down with those who are in on the joke!]

This was apparently the favourite country song of the author Joseph “Catch 22” Heller, (begging the question, according to Kinky, “What does Joe Heller know about Country Songs?”)

Joseph Heller died in December 1999, so I suppose this will remain one of those great unanswered questions, - except with those of us who habitually read between the lines and draw our own conclusions. [On this point, it should perhaps be n
oted that one of Kinky Friedman’s books was dedicated to Joe Heller]

~~~CROSS-REFERENCE NOTE~~~

Re Joseph Heller: lynn_bex much preferred Heller’s memoir, “From Coney Island to Here” (written not long before his death) to his classic “Catch 22”… - It is not in this opinion’s remit to venture further into the world of literature, so you’ll just have to read your own books if you want to know more before I get back to the Books & Magazines Op Pages!

~~TO RESUME~~

You will be pleased to hear that the particularly offensive “Red Neck Nerd” featured in “They Ain’t Makin’ Jews…” gets his comeuppance in the final verse, when our unlikely hero flattens him…

“…Well, I hits him with everything I got/Right square between the eyes/I says, “I’m gonna get you, you son of a bitch you/Spouting that pack of lies…”

The punch line (Sorry, but what else could it be?) follows, “…We don’t turn the other cheek/The way we done before…” “…The whole damn place was singing/As I strolled out of the door/Lord, they ain’t makin’ Jews like Jesus any more….”
[Definitely bad taste. – But Joseph Heller laughed, ok?]

“Ride’em Jewboy” is another song with a title that has been sorely misunderstood…

It is in fact a sorrowful song, encompassing the horrors of the Holocaust – while moving on and looking to the future – and was recorded by the wonderful Willie Nelson for the “Pearls in the Snow” compilation album of Kinky Friedman songs a couple of years back.

Typically, Kinky describes Pearls in the Snow as “A tribute album to myself, and a real financial pleasure for the Kinkster.”

This particular song, and these particular lyrics
(from what most people continue to view as an unlikely source) can be quite inspirational and one particular line has echoed through my memory since I first heard it, that line being:

“ANYTHING WORTH CRYING CAN BE SMILED”.

Think about it. Anything that you REALLY care about, (enough to make you cry), will one day have you smiling at the memory, even if you ARE smiling through your tears.

We live… We love… We hurt… We despair… Then, if we choose to go on living, we have to pick up the pieces… Until, unexpectedly, we DO smile again. Eventually.

Unfortunately (or not) Kinky Friedman also wrote the infamous [and hysterically funny] “Get Your Biscuits in the Oven and Your Buns in the Bed”, for which he was awarded the Male Chauvinist Pig of the Year Award in the mid-1970’s.

An even more unfortunate song was “The Ballad of Charles Whitman” – which first made me prick up my ears to what Kinky Friedman was saying…

I would guess that it was perhaps 15 years ago when I found myself half-watching television and what must have been a documentary of some sort… Gradually my disbelieving eyes were drawn to the outlandish/garish Texan character on TV, who was driving a flash “Dunno-What-Open-Top Car” [probably really impressive, but I don’t do cars] and pointing out places of interest…

One such place was the Texas University in Austin where, according to our guide, some years previously a heavily armed student had climbed to the top of the tower, thereafter shooting and killing many of his fellow students. [Despite his carefully contrived image, Friedman himself comes from an academic background and studied psychology at the University of Texas]

~~~~~ REFERENCE NOTE ~~~~~~

According to my “Chronicle of the 20th Century”:
“On 1 August 1966: CHARLES WHITM
AN, 25, SHOOTS DEAD 12 AT TEXAS UNIVERSITY IN AUSTIN, BEFORE BEING KILLED BY A POLICEMAN”
~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~

Of course, our unlikely guide through Texas was Kinky Friedman and I recall the voice behind the camera asking him about his bad taste song, “The Ballad of Charles Whitman”, which tells this appalling story in depth, but to a somewhat upbeat tempo...

I can’t remember what Kinky replied but suspect that it must have been along the lines of, “Killing people is in worse taste…” [I believe it was some years after the event that Kinky actually wrote the song and it occurs to me that the idea is not dissimilar to Sir Bob and the Boomtown Rats’ “I Don’t Like Mondays” – also about a shooting incident.]

Whatever. At the time of this television appearance, Kinky Friedman had started to write books – and I became an avid reader of his ridiculous but hugely entertaining crime novels, which feature Kinky Friedman, the former Country Singer/Songwriter who has become a private detective…

Later, as his albums began to be re-issued as CDs, I added Kinky Friedman recordings to my collection…

Later still, I spotted an understated newspaper mention for a Kinky Friedman gig (which became a sell-out, as they usually do) and considered myself lucky enough to see the man perform live, just him, his guitar, the cigar and a drink or three…

Between songs at his live performances, the Kinkster usually reads from one of his books – but seldom the current novel, “…for fear of giving away what precious little plot there is.” - Also between songs, he will light a supposedly Cuban cigar, uttering the line, “I’m not supporting their economy. I’m burning their fields…”

Kinky Friedman is a funny man. And, from what I have seen, a rather nice, gentle man…


Arriving early at one of his London shows two or three years back, my companion and I watched him set up his (minimal) stage props and then make a point of introducing himself to, and shaking hands with, the venue’s staff…

At some point lynn_bex said, “Hi,” and Kinky said “Hi,” back, which clearly meant that we had become acquainted (?), so that some hours later, after a drink or three too many, lynn_bex has an embarrassing recollection of kissing her hero goodnight as she left the venue…

Two or three days later, when the hangover finally lifted, a memory stirred and I remembered that Kinky had handed me something that I had carefully stashed in my handbag…

This turned out to be a “Kinky Friedman Good Luck Guitar Plectrum”, which I naturally treasure… (I also have the “Kinky Friedman Honor America Bandana,” which I am naturally wearing to write this opinion (NOT) – but I bought this myself because it made me laugh! - I cannot begin to describe the Bandana. So won’t.)

Last year Kinky Friedman played “The Underworld”, in London’s Camden, along with “Little Jewford”, an original member of “The Texas Jewboys” and the Kinkster’s touring partner in crime and musical accompanist on recent tours. Also appearing with Kinky at the Underworld were Village Irregulars, [as featured in the Kinky Friedman crime novels] Mike McGovern and Washington Ratso.

Washington Ratso is Larry Sloman, an American from an Arab [I think Lebanese] background and prior to the events of 11 September 2001 one of Kinky’s jokes used to be “Ratso and I are possibly the best remaining hope of peace in the Middle East”.

Yes. Quite.

Following the performance at the Underworld, a funny thing happened… I was minding my own business and looking around for my companion, Roc
ky [the daughter is a geology student], when someone tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hi”. Yes this was Kinky Friedman (didn’t I tell you that we’re well acquainted?) “Hi,” said lynn_bex, as her hero walked on through the crowd! - Bet you’re impressed!

I hope to write a “live review” on Kinky Friedman at some stage, lynn_bex having spent several uproarious evenings at Kinky Friedman gigs in London, where like-minded fools and aficionados frequently raise audience participation to levels of en masse word perfection on the ad-libs, never mind the sing-a-longs!

In the meantime, I would recommend the “Pearls in the Snow” album, if you want to get a taste of the man. The album features Willie Nelson, Delbert McCinton, Lyle Lovett, Tom Waits, Dwight Yoakam, and many more, interpreting the songs of Kinky Friedman.

My favourite track is “Marilyn and Joe,” [Marilyn Monro and Joe Dimaggio] a beautiful duet sung by Kinky Friedman and Kacey Jones, which begins:
“There is a place where you can go/Where Marilyn’s still dancing with Dimaggio/And Juliet with Romeo/And the name of the place is love”.
Then, later: “There is a star high in the sky/There’s a little piece of yesterday/Still in your eye/To show that dreamers never die/For we live in a place called love”

Sigh. – This is the sensitive side of the Kinkster…

On the other hand…

No sooner had I finished writing this opinion than I heard that Kinky Friedman had cancelled his European tour due to start in October/November 2001. (Postponed, actually.)

Humph. Still, HE never said he was a hero. – That was me, and I only said he was an UNLIKELY HERO…

Ah well, feet of clay can be quite attractive…

~~~~~~~
UPDATE
~~~~~~~~
Since writing the above I've heard
that the London gig has been re-scheduled for next April... Hmmm, beats Willie Nelson... My front row seats for his London show have been re-scheduled to next June!!!

PS This Opinion feels that it should point out that Kinky Friedman is inclined to use bad language in a conversational manner: eg
(He says) "I would never say F**k in front of a [spelled out] C-H-I-L-D". This would ordinarily offend me, but he makes me laugh too much to cause offence!

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