Ahh-Woo Werewolves of London

I remember I was really young the first time I heard “Werewolves of London”.  My dad probably played it for my brother and me, and I remember the singer singing the infamous chorus and trying to emulate him.  I have always liked that song, but I never realized how many songs I knew of Warren Zevon’s.  I liked his sense of humor that he injected into his songs, and I liked the lead guitarist’s solos.  I always felt that they fit the song perfectly.

Zevon is most associated with the popular singer-songwriter movement that began in the early 1970’s, despite not releasing a commercially-successful record until 1978’s Excitable Boy (which included “Werewolves of London”).  He frequently collaborated with the likes of Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham (both of Fleetwood Mac) and Jackson Browne.  He wrote songs that were covered by artists the likes of Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young and Bob Dylan.  Zevon battled and eventually overcame addictions to alcohol and drugs.  Ultimately, Zevon passed away from mesothelioma in 2003 while preparing to release his last album, The Wind, which is the focus of this entry.

#142 – Warren Zevon, The Wind (Metascore = 86)

One thing you can definitely say about this album is the guest list is huge!  Amongst the guest list includes Jackson Browne, Ry Cooder (of whom I wrote a blog about his Chavez Ravine album), Emmylou Harris (another artist covered on this blog), Don Henley, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and Billy Bob Thornton, to name a few.  His son Jordan also appears as a background vocalist on all of the tracks.  Also present is his long-time collaborator and friend Jorge Calderón

Zevon’s voice is nowhere near as strong as it used to be, but his vocals give the songs a certain feeling like a man coming to terms.  Despite his illness, Zevon’s lyrics still carry the wit and humor that has been characteristic in many of his recordings.  He also doesn’t let his illness keep him from rocking out.  “Disorder in the House”, which features backing vocals and guitars from Bruce Springsteen and won a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group in 2004, is a rocker through and through.  Zevon and Springsteen trade off lyrics and sound like they’re having the best time. “Party for the Rest of the Night” with Tom Petty is also an entertaining rocker.

The set is a mix of ballads and rockers.  I’ve talked about the rockers, but the ballads also strike strong emotions to the listener.  The lyrics also feature his typical preoccupation of romantic loss.  See “She’s Too Good for Me” or“El Amor de Mi Vida”.  He also tells the story of a prisoner soon to see his life end in “Prison Grove” and the images the inmate sees leading up to that fateful time.  The ballad that strikes the strongest chord is “Keep Me in Your Heart”, a beautiful song that became even more poignant when the public realized Zevon was dying of mesothelioma.

This record is not up to the lyrical strength or musical strength of some of the other records I have reviewed, but that’s not the point.  Zevon (with the help of Calderón and others) has crafted a wonderful rock record that is a great closer to a wonderful career.  Though Zevon experienced many ups and downs during his life, he left it with a bang (his son had twin sons and he was able to see some of the initial success of the record prior to his death).  If you know his music, I would recommend this record because it is a fun record to hear.