 |
| |
|
| |
Album Review
by Scott Sterling-Wilder
23-12-2003
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| Warren Zevon's last disc, 'The Wind' |
|
Warren Zevon: 'The Wind'
(Artemis)
Slipped disc #5: Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon’s fight against cancer had been well documented in the (US) media, as had his extraordinary decision to use his time to write and record a new album. And, in spite of this knowledge - one instantly wonders how oneself would cope with being aware of the termination date and my answer is rather fatalistic - he didn’t make ‘The Wind’ for us to feel sorrow and pity him for reaching the final destination ahead of the rest of us.
Zevon - who passed away of lung cancer on 07 September 2003, a fortnight after this LP entered the US Top 20 - had found this time inspirational: “I was more prolific than I'd ever been”, Zevon commented to Rolling Stone on recording the album. “I had this goal, and it kept me going.” Inevitability, it seems, can do that to a man, a theme that has never been far from his mind during the long and, sadly, patchy career.
Warren Zevon, born 24 January 1947, was a child of Russian immigrants who grew up in Arizona and California where he had some music education but, after meeting Igor Stravinsky during his high school days, he taught himself guitar. Move to New York City was followed by heading back West, to the Bay Area. Despite having a song on the ‘Midnight Cowboy’ soundtrack (‘She Quit Me Man’), Zevon ended up writing jingles [for ketchup and Ernest and Julio Gallo’s wines, among others] and being a bandleader/pianist for Everly Brothers and continued to work with them individually after their split.
In 1978 he had his biggest hit, ‘Werewolves Of London’, followed by a bout of alcoholism, recovery and recording an album with backing from members of REM - ‘Sentimental Hygiene’. He also recorded with three-quarters of that group [i.e. Michael Stipe-less] under the name Hindu Love Gods in 1990. The previous decade proved to be full of critical praise but dwindling sales and WZ composed number of theme songs and scores for TV series, such as the ‘Tales From The Crypt’ (1992) and ‘Tekwar’ (’93).
During such a lengthy and creatively diverse life he met a number of fellow musicians along the road and an extraordinary number of Zevon’s friends contributed their work to ‘The Wind’, from Bruce Springsteen to the Eagles’ Don Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmidt, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Billy Bob Thornton, Ry Cooder, T-Bone Burnett and John Waite.
His loose country-rock, often quite unhinged in its physical and psychological explorations, brings poignancy via songs such as tender ‘Please Stay’, the extraordinarily dignified ‘keep Me In Your Heart’ and a pleasingly unsentimental cover of ‘Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door’. There are also more vibrant moments, such as the rocking ‘Disorder In The House’.
‘The Wind’ is a remarkable last wave by an underrated-but-intriguing artist. Its legacy, with its predecessors ‘Life’ll Kill Ya’ and ‘My Ride’s Here’, forms a significant trilogy on mortality that’s undeniably sad, but not less beautiful.
Ultimately however, and not just in light of his death, Zevon’s last testament is a great album of vintage Americana that marks another tragic loss that, alas, never gets replaced in our creatively eroding societies.
8.5/10
Scott Sterling-Wilder
23-12-2003
Warren Zevon’s album ‘The Wind’ is available now on Artemis/Ryko
|
|
|
