This post's title comes from a great line in what is probably my favorite Warren Zevon song, "Mutineer." I saw a post a couple of days ago that linked to a piece about three Zevon projects, one of which is the Web release of several free live shows, approved by Warren's son, Jordan.
Even in death, Warren Zevon looms larger than life. The late singer-songwriter is the focus of three projects including a newly released cache of classic live shows, a possible Broadway treatment of his life and work and a Kevin Smith film based on his hockey song “Hit Somebody.”
The article mentions his ex-wife's loving bio, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, which I read on a flight to Russia via Tokyo a couple of summers ago. I was flying "business-first" class, which meant the drinks were free, and they were the perfect companion to Crystal's tales about the maniacal adventures of the late, great, classically-trained, gone-too-soon Excitable Boy.
Here's an excerpt from the Rolling Stone piece where I learned about the projects, and here's the link to the shows:
Even in death, Warren Zevon looms larger than life. The late singer-songwriter is the focus of three projects including a newly released cache of classic live shows, a possible Broadway treatment of his life and work and a Kevin Smith film based on his hockey song “Hit Somebody.”
When it comes to onstage rock antics of the 1970s, Zevon easily falls in the top five. Page through ex-wife Crystal Zevon’s bio, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, and you’ll find an alarming collection of Zevon’s thrashing, howling, unleashed onstage acts during his frenzied madman tours. In an era of lava lamp soft rock and SoCal slickness, Zevon paraded his renegade outlaw act loaded with irony, wit and literary heft. Cat Stevens never poured vodka on his chest, and Billy Joel never snarled about building a cage of human bones. But Warren Zevon did. “He had his crowd,” ex-wife Crystal Zevon tells Rolling Stone. “Everyone may have their own Warren Zevon story, but not on tape, or live. This is proof.”
With the approval of Zevon’s family members, Archive.org released a definitive collection of his chest-beating, razor-edged, frothy assaults from the boards between 1976 and 2001 (that’s 89 shows and 1,137 free songs). “Warren’s fans have this unbelievable collection of stuff,” said Crystal Zevon. “At one point [Zevon’s son] Jordan gave them permission to swap music.” Jordan Zevon, a musician, green-lighted the project out of respect for his father. “Dad had a liberal attitude towards taping,” he said. “The fans are going to trade anyway. And there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to.”
1 comment:
Actually, Billy Joel did snarl " The bums drop dead and the dogs go mad in packs on the West Side/ While the billionaires hide in Beekman Place/ The bag ladies throw their bones in my face". [Close to the Borderline - 1980]
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