WARREN ZEVON
''EXCITABLE BOY (BONUS TRACKS)''
1978/2007
ELEKTRA/RHINO
41:24
1/Johnny Strikes Up the Band
Warren Zevon/2:51
2/Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
David Lindell / Warren Zevon/3:50
3/Excitable Boy
LeRoy Marinell / Warren Zevon/2:42
4/Werewolves of London
LeRoy Marinell / Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/3:29
5/Accidentally Like a Martyr
Warren Zevon/3:42
6/Nighttime in the Switching Yard
Jorge Calderón / David Lindell / Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/4:19
7/Veracruz
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:32
8/Tenderness on the Block
Jackson Browne / Warren Zevon/3:58
9/Lawyers, Guns and Money
Warren Zevon/3:30
10/I Need a Truck
Warren Zevon/0:48
11/Werewolves of London [Previously Unissued Alternate Version
Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/3:38
12/Tule's Blues [Previously Unissued Solo Piano Version]
Warren Zevon/3:10
13/Frozen Notes [Previously Unissued Strings Version]
Warren Zevon/2:00
Karla Bonoff /Harmony, Vocals
Jackson Browne /Guitar, Harmony, Producer, Vocals
Jorge Calderón /Spanish Vocals, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Luis Damian /Jarana
Kenny Edwards /Bass, Harmony
Mick Fleetwood /Drums
Gentlemen Boys /Vocals
Arthur Gerst /Harp, Mexican Harp
Bob Glaub /Bass
Jim Horn /Recorder, Saxophone
Danny Kortchmar /Guitar, Percussion
Russ Kunkel /Drums
Greg Ladanyi /Bells, Producer
Rick Marotta /Drums
John McVie /Bass
Jeff Porcaro /Drums, Percussion
Linda Ronstadt /Harmony, Vocals
Leland Sklar /Bass
J.D. Souther /Harmony, Vocals
Manuel Vasquez /Requinto
Waddy Wachtel /Guitar, Harmony, Producer, Synthesizer
Jennifer Warnes /Harmony
Linda Warnes /Vocals
Warren Zevon /Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
Warren Zevon's self-titled 1976 album announced he was one of the most striking talents to emerge from the Los Angeles soft rock singer/songwriter community, and Linda Ronstadt (a shrewd judge of talent if a sometimes questionable interpreter) recorded three of its songs on two of her biggest-selling albums, which doubtlessly earned Zevon bigger royalty checks than the album itself ever did. But if Warren Zevon was an impressive calling card, the follow-up, Excitable Boy, was an actual hit, scoring one major hit single, "Werewolves of London," and a trio of turntable hits ("Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," "Lawyers, Guns and Money," and the title track). But while Excitable Boy won Zevon the larger audience his music certainly deserved, the truth is it was a markedly inferior album; while it had all the bile of Warren Zevon, and significantly raised Zevon's dark-humor factor, it was often obvious where his previous album had been subtle, and while all 11 tracks on Warren Zevon were strong and compelling, two of the nine tunes on Excitable Boy -- "Johnny Strike Up the Band" and "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" -- sound like they're just taking up space. Musically, most of Excitable Boy is stuck in a polished but unexceptional FM pop groove, and only "Veracruz" hints at the artful intelligence of Warren Zevon's finest moments. It's hard to say if Zevon was feeling uninspired or just dumbing himself down when he made Excitable Boy, but while it made him famous, it lacks the smarts and substance of his best work.
BIOGRAPHY
By Jason Ankeny
One of the most acute and savagely satiric songwriters of his era, Warren Zevon was born in Chicago on January 24, 1947. His formative years were as colorful as the scenarios played out in his music: his father was a professional gambler, a lifestyle which forced the family to move frequently, and Zevon spent most of his formative years in California and Arizona. He learned to play piano, focusing primarily on classical material before a disintegrating home life led him into pop music, as well as a few run-ins with the law; after his parents divorced when he was 16 years old, Zevon hopped into the Corvette his father won in a card game and headed for New York to become a folk singer. His music found little response, however, and he returned to California, eventually releasing his first recordings as part of the duo Lyme & Cybelle. Session work followed before Zevon issued his solo debut Wanted Dead or Alive in 1969; the LP received a poor reception, and so he returned to session work and composed advertising jingles, and also served as the Everly Brothers' pianist before the duo's breakup. Following a 1974 sabbatical to Spain, Zevon returned to Los Angeles, where his longtime friend Jackson Browne had secured him a recording deal; with Browne in the producer's seat, Zevon cut a self-titled offering which was met with lavish critical praise upon its 1976 release. His 1978 follow-up Excitable Boy established him as a wholly unique talent, and earned a sizable hit with its wry single "Werewolves of London."
However, Zevon had fallen prey to alcoholism, and his personal demons sidelined him for the next two years; 1980s Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School and 1981's live set Stand in the Fire marked his gradual return to form, and the promise of his early work was restored on 1982's brilliant release The Envoy. The album fared miserably on the charts, however, and Zevon again fell off the wagon. A long period of therapy and counseling followed before, newly sober and revitalized, he issued Sentimental Hygiene in 1987, recorded with backing assistance from members of R.E.M. (In 1990, another collection of material from the sessions featuring Zevon and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry was released under the name Hindu Love Gods.) He continued his comeback in 1989 with Transverse City, a concept record inspired by science fiction's cyberpunk movement, and 1991's Mr. Bad Example. In 1993, Zevon issued his second live album, Learning to Flinch, followed in 1995 by Mutineer. His next studio effort, Life'll Kill Ya, did not appear until early 2000. It was a moderate success, enough to inspire him to step back into the studio after touring the U.S.. My Ride's Here, which featured a guest appearance from David Letterman of all people, was released in the spring of 2002. Several months later, Zevon was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an inoperable form of lung cancer, and doctors expected him to live no more than a few months. Zevon decided to work on a final album, with the help of a handful of celebrity friends and collaborators; The Wind was released in August of 2003, nearly a year to the day after Zevon learned of his condition, and he lived long enough to see its release, as well as the birth of his first grandchildren.
''EXCITABLE BOY (BONUS TRACKS)''
1978/2007
ELEKTRA/RHINO
41:24
1/Johnny Strikes Up the Band
Warren Zevon/2:51
2/Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
David Lindell / Warren Zevon/3:50
3/Excitable Boy
LeRoy Marinell / Warren Zevon/2:42
4/Werewolves of London
LeRoy Marinell / Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/3:29
5/Accidentally Like a Martyr
Warren Zevon/3:42
6/Nighttime in the Switching Yard
Jorge Calderón / David Lindell / Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/4:19
7/Veracruz
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:32
8/Tenderness on the Block
Jackson Browne / Warren Zevon/3:58
9/Lawyers, Guns and Money
Warren Zevon/3:30
10/I Need a Truck
Warren Zevon/0:48
11/Werewolves of London [Previously Unissued Alternate Version
Waddy Wachtel / Warren Zevon/3:38
12/Tule's Blues [Previously Unissued Solo Piano Version]
Warren Zevon/3:10
13/Frozen Notes [Previously Unissued Strings Version]
Warren Zevon/2:00
Karla Bonoff /Harmony, Vocals
Jackson Browne /Guitar, Harmony, Producer, Vocals
Jorge Calderón /Spanish Vocals, Vocal Harmony, Vocals
Luis Damian /Jarana
Kenny Edwards /Bass, Harmony
Mick Fleetwood /Drums
Gentlemen Boys /Vocals
Arthur Gerst /Harp, Mexican Harp
Bob Glaub /Bass
Jim Horn /Recorder, Saxophone
Danny Kortchmar /Guitar, Percussion
Russ Kunkel /Drums
Greg Ladanyi /Bells, Producer
Rick Marotta /Drums
John McVie /Bass
Jeff Porcaro /Drums, Percussion
Linda Ronstadt /Harmony, Vocals
Leland Sklar /Bass
J.D. Souther /Harmony, Vocals
Manuel Vasquez /Requinto
Waddy Wachtel /Guitar, Harmony, Producer, Synthesizer
Jennifer Warnes /Harmony
Linda Warnes /Vocals
Warren Zevon /Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Organ, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer, Vocals
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
Warren Zevon's self-titled 1976 album announced he was one of the most striking talents to emerge from the Los Angeles soft rock singer/songwriter community, and Linda Ronstadt (a shrewd judge of talent if a sometimes questionable interpreter) recorded three of its songs on two of her biggest-selling albums, which doubtlessly earned Zevon bigger royalty checks than the album itself ever did. But if Warren Zevon was an impressive calling card, the follow-up, Excitable Boy, was an actual hit, scoring one major hit single, "Werewolves of London," and a trio of turntable hits ("Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," "Lawyers, Guns and Money," and the title track). But while Excitable Boy won Zevon the larger audience his music certainly deserved, the truth is it was a markedly inferior album; while it had all the bile of Warren Zevon, and significantly raised Zevon's dark-humor factor, it was often obvious where his previous album had been subtle, and while all 11 tracks on Warren Zevon were strong and compelling, two of the nine tunes on Excitable Boy -- "Johnny Strike Up the Band" and "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" -- sound like they're just taking up space. Musically, most of Excitable Boy is stuck in a polished but unexceptional FM pop groove, and only "Veracruz" hints at the artful intelligence of Warren Zevon's finest moments. It's hard to say if Zevon was feeling uninspired or just dumbing himself down when he made Excitable Boy, but while it made him famous, it lacks the smarts and substance of his best work.
BIOGRAPHY
By Jason Ankeny
One of the most acute and savagely satiric songwriters of his era, Warren Zevon was born in Chicago on January 24, 1947. His formative years were as colorful as the scenarios played out in his music: his father was a professional gambler, a lifestyle which forced the family to move frequently, and Zevon spent most of his formative years in California and Arizona. He learned to play piano, focusing primarily on classical material before a disintegrating home life led him into pop music, as well as a few run-ins with the law; after his parents divorced when he was 16 years old, Zevon hopped into the Corvette his father won in a card game and headed for New York to become a folk singer. His music found little response, however, and he returned to California, eventually releasing his first recordings as part of the duo Lyme & Cybelle. Session work followed before Zevon issued his solo debut Wanted Dead or Alive in 1969; the LP received a poor reception, and so he returned to session work and composed advertising jingles, and also served as the Everly Brothers' pianist before the duo's breakup. Following a 1974 sabbatical to Spain, Zevon returned to Los Angeles, where his longtime friend Jackson Browne had secured him a recording deal; with Browne in the producer's seat, Zevon cut a self-titled offering which was met with lavish critical praise upon its 1976 release. His 1978 follow-up Excitable Boy established him as a wholly unique talent, and earned a sizable hit with its wry single "Werewolves of London."
However, Zevon had fallen prey to alcoholism, and his personal demons sidelined him for the next two years; 1980s Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School and 1981's live set Stand in the Fire marked his gradual return to form, and the promise of his early work was restored on 1982's brilliant release The Envoy. The album fared miserably on the charts, however, and Zevon again fell off the wagon. A long period of therapy and counseling followed before, newly sober and revitalized, he issued Sentimental Hygiene in 1987, recorded with backing assistance from members of R.E.M. (In 1990, another collection of material from the sessions featuring Zevon and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Bill Berry was released under the name Hindu Love Gods.) He continued his comeback in 1989 with Transverse City, a concept record inspired by science fiction's cyberpunk movement, and 1991's Mr. Bad Example. In 1993, Zevon issued his second live album, Learning to Flinch, followed in 1995 by Mutineer. His next studio effort, Life'll Kill Ya, did not appear until early 2000. It was a moderate success, enough to inspire him to step back into the studio after touring the U.S.. My Ride's Here, which featured a guest appearance from David Letterman of all people, was released in the spring of 2002. Several months later, Zevon was diagnosed with mesothelioma, an inoperable form of lung cancer, and doctors expected him to live no more than a few months. Zevon decided to work on a final album, with the help of a handful of celebrity friends and collaborators; The Wind was released in August of 2003, nearly a year to the day after Zevon learned of his condition, and he lived long enough to see its release, as well as the birth of his first grandchildren.
No comments :
Post a Comment