Published on Oct 3, 2003
Warren Zevon was too weird for the charts, and too cool to
die.
One of the world’s most politically incorrect songwriters, Zevon
had a long career and a long life; he got to, in his own words, be
‘the most @^#$@ rock star on the block, and then I got to be a
sober dad for eighteen years’. His admirers included Bruce
Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Dave Letterman, Hunter S. Thompson and
Jesse Ventura; he was, in many ways, the original gonzo rock star,
always a little too weird and a little too edgy for mainstream
success. When he passed away on September 7 of this year, he left a
body of work whose topics included mercenary armies,
Chinese-food-eating werewolves, deranged killers and cyberpunk.
So what would he do when he knew he was dying?
The Wind is Warren Zevon’s final musical statement. Recorded
after he received his diagnosis of inoperable lung cancer, the CD
is a celebration of Zevon’s life, friends, music and unique outlook
on the world. Having always been blunt in his opinions, Zevon
apparently saw no reason to stop now; he discusses his life in toto
(“Dirty Life And Times”), his feelings (“Numb As A Statue”), his
loves (“She’s Too Good For Me”), and facing the inevitable (“Rub Me
Raw”). Throughout, his voice is solid and retains its usual
sardonic expressiveness. The musicianship on the CD is equally
solid; Zevon’s piano playing is still excellent, and his backing
musicians (including several members of the Eagles, Ry Cooder,
Tommy Shaw, John Waite, Jim Keltner, Jorge Calderon, Jackson
Browne, T-Bone Burnett, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Petty and Emmylou
Harris) are stellar.
The songs are, as always, the highlights. The heartbreakers are
the plainspoken “El Amor De Mi Vida” and Zevon’s goodbye song,
“Keep Me In Your Heart”; both are damned hard to listen to, as is
Zevon’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” The
dignity, courage and wry humour with which Zevon met his death are
admirable in the extreme, and serve as a lesson for all of us.
The Wind is a great final testament to a brilliant artist’s
career. Check it out today.