Any Zevon Fans Out There?
I'm reading Crystal Zevon's "The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon" right now, and it's incredibly compelling. I've always really liked Zevon--I think he has written absolutely brilliant stuff, although sometimes he just churns out meaningless shit for fun (i.e., Werewolves of London).
He was a really messed-up guy, but all of these writers and musicians worshipped him--Dylan, Garcia, Neil Young, and on and on, not to mention writers like Hunter Thompson, Carl Hiasson, Stephen King, and on and on.
So, just curious, anyone (still) listen to Zevon? I'm listening to songs like "The French Inhaler" and "Carmelita" right now and they are really amazing songs.
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Re: Any Zevon Fans Out There?
"Carmelita" is brilliant! So is "Accidently like a Martyr" and "Tenderness on the Block." Thanks for having me dial up some stuff on my iPod I haven't listened to in a while.
Re: Any Zevon Fans Out There?
Funny, I've been on a kick where I'm listening to his best of (The Genius album) and was wondering the logical next step for further listening.
I was kind of bugged that rock radio was hyping his version of "Knocking On Heaven's Door" right after his death. Even more bugged that after the creepy novelty of it wore off that the same stations forgot all about him.
Re: Any Zevon Fans Out There?
I saw Warren do a solo show at Palladium /Clubland/ E.M Loews - whatever is was called in the mid 80's - him and grand piano. It was fine - someone threw a werewolf mask onstage - he sucked in his pride and wore it as he did "Werewolves..." - then threw it back into the crowd , right at me! I wore it for about 15 seconds until some very large man came up behind me and said, "That's mine!", and ripped it off my head. I think he was still drinking at the time - he seemed a bit "flighty". Potent show - I recall this being back when they (Loews) still had those big fat velvety chairs right up to the stage.
Re: Any Zevon Fans Out There?
He gave up drinking in the mid-eighties, but tried a bunch of times before it took, so it could have been either way. When he stopped he didn't drink for seventeen years. He started again after his terminal diagnosis--who can blame him?
It really is a shame that most people only know him for what they probably think of as a novelty song. His best songs are as good as any rock song I've ever heard, and musically he was a genius. When they asked him to sub for Paul Shaffer on Letterman one time, he sat down with blank sheet music paper, wrote down a full orchestral score for a couple of his songs--charting out every note for every instrument--and then faxed it off for the band to learn.
Re: Any Zevon Fans Out There?
I really like a record called "The First Sessions" of songs he did in the 1960s.
His tunes from then are harder-edged folk-rock. "Follow Me" is a great raga-rock tune and his version of the song he wrote for The Turtles "Outside Chance" is on there which is 60s punk at its finest.