Warren Zevon - making of "The Wind"

[jas]

I bought, then watched the DVD of the making of Warren Zevon's last album, "The Wind".

Let me first say that I am a huge Zevon fan - always have been.

This DVD really upset me - it was a diary of Zevon dying and trying to squeeze an album out before he did. It showed on film the awkward moments of friends saying goodbye to him, knowing they'll never see each other again. It showed him so sick that he was unable to grasp the simple rhythm of a song he wrote (grammy winner "Disorder In The House").

The whole thing was very uncomfortable to me.

There were a few redeeming factors: you get to see Ry Cooder, David Lindley and Jim Keltner in action (Keltner also played with George for George's terminal album!). You get to see what a prince Jorge Calderon is.

I wish "they" had made a DVD of the making of any of his previous 3 albums, each of which was a masterpiece.

And the grammy for best "folk" album was just an insult to a great musician.

-John

[Elgreco]

I thought it was a bummer too! They completely ignored him (the Grammy's) while he was alive!

http://avatarsbymas.com/images/avatars/ani/403/bmbm80x80-ani-av.gif
BAM BAM!!!

[JMintzer]

I saw that last Summer on VH-1. Very painful to watch. It brought tears to my eyes...

Jamie

[Scott Peterson]

I saw the special on VH1; and it moved me. I have been a casual fan of Warren's. I found it profound and deeply felt.

[Sherpa]

What a great review, John. I know it's going to be a tough one to watch, but I'm putting in an order to amazon.co.uk today. I agree that Warren merits more than posthumous success, but if his value as an artist is measured by the tenacity of his fans (myself included) he won't ever be underappreciated.

[jas]

Hey, welcome back JP...

Get that tele yet?

Part of my problem is that I'm stuck (in a good way) on "Mutineer", "My Ride's Here" and "Life'll Kill You". I think they were criminally overlooked albums. Zevon doesn't have a bad album (although I'm not a huge fan of "The Envoy" and his live albums were lame) but those three should be put in a time capsule in Flushing at the Worlds Fair. I think Zevon was really onto "something else" - it will cheapen it to try to verbalize it - with his visual and aural panoramas like "Something Bad Happened To a Clown", "Similar To Rain", "Piano Fighter". No one else can write a song like that. "The Wind", for obvious reasons, had none of that quality writing and that made the DVD and the CD that much more painful to listen to.

-John

[Sherpa]

"....Of course I went to law school and got a law degree
And counselled all my clients to plead insanity
Then worked in hair replacement swindling the bald
Where very few are chosen, fewer still are called

Then on to Monte Carlo play chemin de fer
I threw away the fortune I made transplanting hair
I put my last few francs down on a prostitute
Who took me up to her room to perform the flag salute

Whereupon I stole her passport and her wig
And headed for the airport and the midnight flight, you dig?
Fourteen hours later I was down in Adelaide
Looking through the want ads sipping Foster's in the shade,,,"

Mr. Bad Example - WZ

Warren Zevon and Randy Newman are my two all-time favourite lyricists (along with the Davies brothers...) for good tongue-in-cheek satire. Add in their musical chops and they veer into immortality IMHO.

No Tele yet, John. Neurosurgeon says total rest for another 2 weeks minimum. Besides, I want to get a Tremonti SE for my eldest sons 18th birthday coming up

[jas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, JP...

You forgot the line about "laying tackless carpet - and housewives by the score".

Randy Newman and the Kinks! You're talking my language. I am fanatical about those people too. The music of Ray Davies is heaven-sent.

I actually got to meet Randy Newman many years ago and had a delightful chat with him. He's is charming, modest and funny. I got to meet Ray Davies briefly at a soundcheck and he was obnoxious (in a loveable, Ray kind of way).

Add Richard Thompson and one or two others and you've got my pantheon.

-John

[Sherpa]

"Red hair and black leather - my favorite colour scheme". Another RT fan here. You've met 40% of my favorite songwriters. All I've been meeting here lately are superannuated flamenco singers...Steve Goodman is another one on my shortlist. Regarding RD, have you heard the Ray Davies - Storyteller cd? If not, send me an email John.

[jas]

Oh, yes...I have Storyteller and I saw him do the show once in NYC and once in Philly. Both delightful shows with Ray playing acoustic and wielding that astonishing voice of his and some guy playing very tasteful stuff on electric.

When he played "Village Green" in NYC I was truly touched - everyone in the audience was. Stunned.

-John