I envy those of you who are uninitiated in the catalog of Warren Zevon… this will be an enjoyable process. But if you’re like me and you want to delve deeper into what we at B&V feel are his “essential” albums, here is our list. If you’re not a completist, like I am (I admit it, I have a problem), Zevon has a couple of superb “greatest hits” packages that give you a good feel for his catalog: Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon or I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead are excellent starting places for Zevon’s music. There are certain albums from the Zevon canon that I feel are essential. His ability to express vulnerability is unsurpassed. If “Keep Me In Your Heart For a While” doesn’t break your heart… you don’t have one. Zevon also wrote some of the most beautiful love songs I’ve ever heard. Considering the tragic deaths of Tom Petty (newly revealed to be an overdose) and Prince, perhaps we should have all been listening to Zevon’s warnings more closely. But unfailingly, through out the rest of his career he sang about his addictions. Every bit of success was followed by a lapse. Unfortunately, it would be a recurring cycle for Warren. After Excitable Boy in 1978 it took him 2 years, a lifetime back then, to come back with Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School, which was an unflinching look at his addictions. Linda Rondstadt was also a big, early fan and she covered a number of Warren’s tunes, from the big hit “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me,” (a song Zevon jokingly wrote about Jackson Browne, who bemoaned that all the girls loved him…) to her soulful cover of “Mohammed’s Radio.” After his first two albums, when the acclaim and success finally came, Warren fell into a bad cycle of alcoholism and substance abuse. Zevon struggled early in his career, but was championed by his friend Jackson Browne who produced his commercial breakthrough, Excitable Boy. While I enjoy Zevon’s funnier moments and his political moments, I am still awe of the way he was so open about his struggles with alcohol and substance abuse. I do often wonder what Zevon would make of the current political situation we find ourselves in. I could use some of that political satire right now. “The Envoy,” “Veracruz,” and the brilliant “Disorder In the House” are great examples. And while Zevon is known for his sense of humor, his biting satire ranks up there with Randy Newman’s, he also had a keen mind for expressing political ideas in his songs. Please, induct Warren Zevon… So naturally, since last month, my thoughts occasionally drift back to Warren because of the mess the Hall has made of it. I look forward to the Hall committee gaining some sanity and having Letterman back to do just that, induct Warren Zevon. While inducting Pearl Jam last year, as a stand-in for Neil Young, David Letterman mentioned he looks forward to coming back to the Hall and inducting his friend Warren Zevon. I scan the list, the same way I scanned the ballot this year, because hey, voting is a right people, exercise it… and as usual Warren Zevon’s name was conspicuously absent. The omissions are more glaring each year. As usual the list is a combination of the deserving (Nina Simone, The Cars) and the confusingly undeserving (Moody Blues, Bon Jovi). “I’m putting tinfoil on the windows, I’m lying down in the dark to dream.” Oh, Warren we need you.Īs I posted last month, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced their annual inductees list ( The Rock And Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees: Getting It Wrong, Again). Even the Rock Chick is mired in her annual, ritualized winter “funk.” I tip toe around this place. Football is basically over since my Chiefs lost in the playoffs. I find myself thinking about Warren’s brilliantly overlooked song, “Splendid Isolation,” a paean to being alone. But I live in America’s heartland, where it’s just gray and cold. Beautiful blonde people, likely skiing to work and sharing rich chocolates with coffee, synchronized precision timepieces, everyone dressed in colorful snow gear, with complete healthcare coverage. Part of my problem these days, is that I hate winter, “always cold, no sunshine.” I’m sure that if I lived in some majestically beautiful Scandinavian country, like Sweden or Norway, I’d love winter. It’s like only knowing Randy Newman from “Short People.” There’s so much more if you just investigate… Zevon was simply one of the greatest lyricists and songwriters who ever lived. I know most people only know him from his “novelty” single, “Werewolves of London,” which is a shame, because he put out so many more great songs. I find myself thinking a lot about Warren Zevon these days. “I want live alone in the desert, I want to be like Georgia O’Keefe, I want to live on the Upper East Side and never go down in the street…” – “Splendid Isolation,” Warren Zevon
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |