WARREN ZEVON
''THE WIND''
AUG 2003
RYKODISC
45:08
1/Dirty Life and Times
Warren Zevon/3:15
2/Disorder in the House
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:36
3/Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Bob Dylan/4:05
4/Numb as a Statue
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:08
5/She's Too Good for Me
Warren Zevon/3:12
6/Prison Grove
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:51
7/El Amor de Mi Vida
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:34
8/The Rest of the Night
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:41
9/Please Stay
Warren Zevon/3:34
10/Rub Me Raw
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/5:44
11/Keep Me in Your Heart
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:28
Gil Bernal /Saxophone
Jackson Browne /Guest Artist, Vocals (Background)
T-Bone Burnett /Vocals (Background)
Jorge Calderón /Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Maracas, Producer, Spanish Vocals, Tres, Vocals (Background)
Mike Campbell /Guitar (Electric)
Luis Conte /Bongos, Congas, Drums, Maracas, Percussion
Ry Cooder /Guest Artist, Slide Guitar
Brad Davis /Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Steve Gorman /Drums
Reggie Hamilton /Bass (Upright)
Emmylou Harris /Guest Artist, Vocals (Background)
Don Henley /Drums, Guest Artist
Jim Keltner /Drums
David Lindley /Electric Saz, Lap Steel Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Randy Mitchell /Slide Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Tom Petty /Guest Artist, Guitar, Vocals (Background)
James Raymond /Piano
Timothy B. Schmit /Vocals (Background)
Tommy Shaw /Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Bruce Springsteen /Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Billy Bob Thornton /Vocals (Background)
John Waite /Vocals (Background)
Joe Walsh /Guest Artist, Slide Guitar
Dwight Yoakam /Vocals (Background)
Jordan Zevon /Vocals (Background)
Warren Zevon /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Vocals
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
In late August of 2002, Warren Zevon was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a virulent and inoperable form of lung cancer; with his life expectancy expected to be no more than a few months, Zevon focused his dwindling energies on completing a final album, and The Wind, released a year after Zevon learned of his condition, was the result. With a back story like that, it's all but impossible to ignore the subtext of Zevon's mortality while listening to The Wind, though, thankfully, he's opted not to make an album about illness or death (ironically, he already did that with 2000's Life'll Kill Ya) or create a musical last will and testament. While The Wind occasionally and obliquely touches on Zevon's illness -- most notably the mournful "Keep Me in Your Heart" and the dirty blues raunch of "Rub Me Raw" -- in many ways it sounds like a fairly typical Warren Zevon album, though of course this time out the caustic wit cuts a bit deeper, the screeds against a world gone mad sound more woeful, and the love songs suggest higher emotional stakes than before. The Wind also lays in a higher compliment of celebrity guest stars than usual, and while obviously a lot of these folks are old friends wanting to help a pal in need, in some cases the ringers help to carry the weight for Zevon, who, while in good voice, can't summon up the power he did in his salad days. And remarkably, the trick works on several cuts; Bruce Springsteen's rollicking guest vocal on "Disorder in the House" offers just the kick the tune needed, Tom Petty's laid-back smirk brings a sleazy undertow to "The Rest of the Night," and Dwight Yoakam's harmonies on "Dirty Life and Times" are the perfect touch for the tune. In terms of material, The Wind isn't a great Zevon album, but it's a pretty good one; "El Amour de Mi Vida" is a simple but affecting look at lost love, "Prison Grove" is a superior character piece about life behind bars, and "Numb as a Statue," "Disorder in the House," and "Dirty Life and Times" prove the prospect of imminent death hasn't alleviated Zevon's cynicism in the least. (It's hard to say if he's being sincere or darkly witty with his cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," though he manages to make it work both ways.) And the assembled musicians -- among them Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, and Jim Keltner -- serve up their best licks without taking the show away from Zevon, who, despite his obvious weakness, firmly commands the spotlight. The Wind feels less like a grand final statement of Warren Zevon's career than one last walk around the field, with the star nodding to his pals, offering a last look at what he does best, and quietly but firmly leaving listeners convinced that he exits the game with no shame and no regrets. Which, all in all, is a pretty good way to remember the guy.
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.
''THE WIND''
AUG 2003
RYKODISC
45:08
1/Dirty Life and Times
Warren Zevon/3:15
2/Disorder in the House
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:36
3/Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Bob Dylan/4:05
4/Numb as a Statue
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:08
5/She's Too Good for Me
Warren Zevon/3:12
6/Prison Grove
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:51
7/El Amor de Mi Vida
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:34
8/The Rest of the Night
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/4:41
9/Please Stay
Warren Zevon/3:34
10/Rub Me Raw
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/5:44
11/Keep Me in Your Heart
Jorge Calderón / Warren Zevon/3:28
Gil Bernal /Saxophone
Jackson Browne /Guest Artist, Vocals (Background)
T-Bone Burnett /Vocals (Background)
Jorge Calderón /Bass, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Maracas, Producer, Spanish Vocals, Tres, Vocals (Background)
Mike Campbell /Guitar (Electric)
Luis Conte /Bongos, Congas, Drums, Maracas, Percussion
Ry Cooder /Guest Artist, Slide Guitar
Brad Davis /Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Steve Gorman /Drums
Reggie Hamilton /Bass (Upright)
Emmylou Harris /Guest Artist, Vocals (Background)
Don Henley /Drums, Guest Artist
Jim Keltner /Drums
David Lindley /Electric Saz, Lap Steel Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Randy Mitchell /Slide Guitar, Vocals (Background)
Tom Petty /Guest Artist, Guitar, Vocals (Background)
James Raymond /Piano
Timothy B. Schmit /Vocals (Background)
Tommy Shaw /Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Vocals (Background)
Bruce Springsteen /Guest Artist, Guitar (Electric), Vocals (Background)
Billy Bob Thornton /Vocals (Background)
John Waite /Vocals (Background)
Joe Walsh /Guest Artist, Slide Guitar
Dwight Yoakam /Vocals (Background)
Jordan Zevon /Vocals (Background)
Warren Zevon /Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Keyboards, Vocals
REVIEW
by Mark Deming
In late August of 2002, Warren Zevon was diagnosed with mesothelioma, a virulent and inoperable form of lung cancer; with his life expectancy expected to be no more than a few months, Zevon focused his dwindling energies on completing a final album, and The Wind, released a year after Zevon learned of his condition, was the result. With a back story like that, it's all but impossible to ignore the subtext of Zevon's mortality while listening to The Wind, though, thankfully, he's opted not to make an album about illness or death (ironically, he already did that with 2000's Life'll Kill Ya) or create a musical last will and testament. While The Wind occasionally and obliquely touches on Zevon's illness -- most notably the mournful "Keep Me in Your Heart" and the dirty blues raunch of "Rub Me Raw" -- in many ways it sounds like a fairly typical Warren Zevon album, though of course this time out the caustic wit cuts a bit deeper, the screeds against a world gone mad sound more woeful, and the love songs suggest higher emotional stakes than before. The Wind also lays in a higher compliment of celebrity guest stars than usual, and while obviously a lot of these folks are old friends wanting to help a pal in need, in some cases the ringers help to carry the weight for Zevon, who, while in good voice, can't summon up the power he did in his salad days. And remarkably, the trick works on several cuts; Bruce Springsteen's rollicking guest vocal on "Disorder in the House" offers just the kick the tune needed, Tom Petty's laid-back smirk brings a sleazy undertow to "The Rest of the Night," and Dwight Yoakam's harmonies on "Dirty Life and Times" are the perfect touch for the tune. In terms of material, The Wind isn't a great Zevon album, but it's a pretty good one; "El Amour de Mi Vida" is a simple but affecting look at lost love, "Prison Grove" is a superior character piece about life behind bars, and "Numb as a Statue," "Disorder in the House," and "Dirty Life and Times" prove the prospect of imminent death hasn't alleviated Zevon's cynicism in the least. (It's hard to say if he's being sincere or darkly witty with his cover of "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," though he manages to make it work both ways.) And the assembled musicians -- among them Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Joe Walsh, Don Henley, and Jim Keltner -- serve up their best licks without taking the show away from Zevon, who, despite his obvious weakness, firmly commands the spotlight. The Wind feels less like a grand final statement of Warren Zevon's career than one last walk around the field, with the star nodding to his pals, offering a last look at what he does best, and quietly but firmly leaving listeners convinced that he exits the game with no shame and no regrets. Which, all in all, is a pretty good way to remember the guy.
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.
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