Me, I've been a fan since forever, and to celebrate the induction I thought I'd pick three of my favorite Zevon songs. In chronological order, starting with a track from his self-titled debut album....
...which ends with an ineffably haunting vocal and instrumental evocation of the hum of an air conditioner, a feat of musical onomatopoeia that has continued to amaze me since I first wrote about it (for Stereo Review) back in 1976.
Then there's this piece of gorgeosity from his Exciteable Boy breakthrough.
You don't usually think of Zevon as a power pop guy, but I think the above -- which sounds like the greatest 60s Brill Building pop song never written (and which was hooky enough that it showed up in a neat Patty Larkin cover version at the end of the 1998 rom com Sliding Doors) -- kind of fits the esthetic of this here blog.
And then there's this, which is just a flat out hilarious masterpiece...
..that, in an irony I'm sure Zevon appreciated, turned out to be sadly prophetic.
Anyway, as Zevon famously said -- enjoy every sandwich!
Oh, and once again -- fuck you Jann Wenner!!! 😎😎😎
16 comments:
Zevon is a favorite of mine. So many songs full of humor and heart. Those three are all excellent. I’ll add two to the list:
Charlie’s Medicine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRDkKobIWpo
Keep Me In Your Heart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMTKb-pgxGI
- Paul in DK
BTW, the Killers -- with Waddy Wachtel -- did a great version of "Lawyers Guns and Money" at the HOF show. It's probably on YouTube -- I'll go look.
https://youtube.com/shorts/5nRSwu9ov8A?si=dCfKMC7q8rQ25A2i
Reconsider Me in the gorgeous and poignant category for me.
rs
Zevon's version of "Back in the high life again" is specatcularly poigant. RIP, and congrats to a true orginal.
Two WZ songs that are permanent parts of my set: Mama Couldn't Be Persuaded and Boom Boom Mancini.
That was me.
The best video that Warren never had to pay for -
Werewolves of London
The Color of Money
Vince, the pool room...his hair was perfect.
Newman & Cruise, a videographers dream cast
I'll select three. Mohammed's Radio, Hasten Down the Wind, and Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.
If I have to pick one -
Carmelita - live
Warren and David Lindley
Too many favorites to mention, but I'll just call attention to Porcelain Monkey and the line "Left behind by the latest trends/Eating fried chicken with his regicidal friends" as the most damning/clever put-down ever sung.
Oh god, that's great. 😎
I love all of the usual and unusual suspects in his catalog, but “Detox Mansion” is one of his absolute best - chimey rhythm guitar from Peter Buck, Bill Berry slammin’ the pagan skins, Mike Mills on the bass, great vocal from WZ, and the incomparable David Lindley playing some wicked lap steel lead guitar. A masterpiece.
And I also love “Genius” from the penultimate My Ride’s Here album; an unconventional song from WZ with some high wit on the lyrics. Very cool song.
And absolutely, fuck you Jann Wenner!
He left a great legacy, it's a shame that no one else has his talents.
There's a YouTube vid of a Rolling Stones soundcheck where the crew is playing Detox Mansion.
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