I wanted to inquire if there were any big Warren Zevon fans here. Aside from the Rolling Stones, Warren is probably my favorite artist. Most people only know him from "Werewolves of London" which was me until I saw the VH1 special about his cancer and impending death in 2002/2003.
He was very witty and his lyrics were, well, to die for. That is the kind of humor you find in his songs...very dark.
In the late 90s, I had a friend introduce me to some of Zevon's stuff, and at the time, my tastes were woefully underdeveloped, but I grew to enjoy the quirkiness and style, and have most of his stuff, I still remember paying $26.00 for a "super CD" it had like 16 songs on it or something, but for someone that never got all that much notice, at least around here, I felt it was high, but I'd never seen him anywhere else. It is too bad, a lot of the real original innovators are fading out. I liked Werewolves, but I like most of his stuff, morbid or obscene though it may be, a lot of it has a really bizarre but good natured sense of humor, as well as a subtle understanding and appreciation for life and people, good and bad.
I really enjoy all kinds of music and have a very large collection and am honestly ashamed that it took me so long to get into his stuff. You are so right in that there is not much original music anymore. Springsteen still puts out good stuff but Zevon just took the cake. With songs such as "My ride is here" and "Dirty life and tiimes" he truly proved he was on another level.
I have tried to convert many folks to his music but without much success. Even people who have similar tastes as me and really enjoy good, classic rock, don't really take to him. Of course, many people don't really listen to music you recommend. Why, I'm not sure. Maybe because THEY didn't listen to it first or something, I don't know. If someone gives me a CD of an artist they think I might like, I really listen to it, a few times, to give it a shot.
His work can really be summed up by a lyric from his final album: "Sometimes I feel like my shadows casting me." That, right there, is just magic. What a great quote, song or not.
Edited: Glimmertwin on 2nd Feb, 2010 - 2:01pm
According to the Wikipedia: Zevon was born in Chicago, Illinois to William "Stumpy" Zevon (formerly "Zivotovsky") and Beverly Cope Simmons, a Mormon from Salt Lake City, Utah. "Stumpy" Zevon was a boxer, small-time criminal and Mickey Cohen associate of Russian Jewish origin and a relative of folk/blues-singer, Jedaiah Zivotovsky....