September 09, 2003
ZEVON 1-10
Sydney reader Tony O. sends his Top Ten Warren Zevon songlist:
1. Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner. Proof the man was a genius.
2. Desperados Under the Eaves. Got the album as a 16-year-old in 1978 (?). I remember laughing out loud at the “air conditioner humming” line.
3. Mohammed's Radio.
4. Lawyers, Guns and Money. Everybody sing: 'I'm stranded in Honduras, I'm a desperate man ...'
5. The Long Arm of the Law. Great track from the Transverse City album.
7. Mr Bad Example. With the neat Adelaide/Aboriginal/workers comp lines.
8. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead. I guess he will.
10. When Johnny Strikes up the Band.
UPDATE. Please take the time to read Brian Linse’s touching obit.
Posted by Tim Blair at September 9, 2003 03:26 PMSomehow missing:
Leave My Monkey Alone
Rehab Mountain
Carmelita
I'd add "Excitable Boy"...simple, if gruesome, and effective.
Posted by: JonT at September 9, 2003 at 08:00 PMYes, one album provides a great many of my favourites. But what about Hasten Down the Wind? Warren was a great balladeer when he wanted to be. And Bed of Coals, Bed of Nails, a duet with Ronstadt on Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School.
Warren was a one-off.
Posted by: Dave F at September 9, 2003 at 10:23 PMThere's a link here to Wazza's own home site, with a link for condolences and donations to a music fund he set up. (If the link is broken, there's another one on my site below.)
Posted by: Habib Bickford at September 9, 2003 at 11:02 PMNo, no, you can't leave out "Hit Somebody (the Hockey Song)." Sheer wonder.
Posted by: Bruce at September 9, 2003 at 11:08 PM
Can anyone tell me the name of Warrens song with the lines :
I heard Woodrow Wilsons guns
I heard Maria call.....ing
Vera Cruz is dy..ing
Such haunting lyrics, beautifully sung. Farewell to a man who made an difference to me many moons ago.
Werewolves of London is my fave, but then again that is not a shock now is it? The rest of the list is good too, but Werewolves has got to be his best.
Posted by: Andrew Ian Dodge at September 10, 2003 at 03:19 AMThe song about Veracruz is "Veracruz" from Excitable Boy.
What about "Poor Poor Pitiful Me"? That's a rocker.
I met a girl in West Hollywood
She asked me if I'd beat her
Gosh I'm gonna miss him.
Posted by: Dave Himrich at September 10, 2003 at 03:52 AM
While I do love his songs that are a bit twisted, my favorite has been and will always be Hasten Down the Wind. Maybe it's because I'm a girl, but I prefer the ballads.
Posted by: Polly at September 10, 2003 at 03:59 AM