jtwilliams

Hello MB! Here is my first try at a giant review/history thread. Suggestions are welcome! Hope you all enjoy. So here it is:

So thanks to Jedey here is Warren first musical breakthrough:

Lyme & Cybelle - Follow Me


Personally I like the song. But it definitely does not foreshadow the rest of Warren's career. What I found was that Lyme & Cybelle only released 3 songs, the one post being the only one to attain chart success and recognition.

Also unfortunately I am going to skip Wanted Dead Or Alive (1969)
Because I have yet to find a copy. I am going to go chronologically through his Solo works from 1976's S/T - 2003's The Wind. If you feel I missed out on anything let me know and I will be sure to fix it.

I want this thread to give something back to MB, just as it have given something back to me, so I want no mistakes here. Thanks!

A little history:

After no success came with his first try in 69', Warren got his big break through back in 1975 when Jackson Browne produced his S/T. Being unknown at this time, Warren was lucky to have quite an array of great musicians play on this album.
Famous musicians credited on the album:

Phil Everly, Jackson Browne, Lindsey Buckingham & Stevie Nicks, Glenn Frey & Don Henley and Bonnie Raitt. Also less known Waddy Wachtel a long time Zevon collaborator & fantastic guitar player.

Later Warren would work with the likes of Neil Young, Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen & Dave Gilmour just to name a few.

Review Ratings will be on a 1 - 10 Scale
9 - 10 A Masterpiece in my mind.
7 - 8 Great solid album
5 - 6 Some Good songs, but not full enough
1 - 5 ....Hmmm I probably won't listen again...

So next comes the actual album review..

Warren Zevon - S/T (1976)

Most notably from this album is the song "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" which was covered by Linda Ronstadt in 1977. Linda's Multi-Platinum album "Simple Dreams" also contained a cover of Zevon's "Carmelita".

This album contains quite a few recognizable hits from Zevon's catalog:
Frank & Jesse James (Though not quite as big as the others)
Hasten Down The Wind
Poor Poor Pitiful Me
The French Inhaler
Mohammed's Radio
& I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Which is also part of the title of his Biography)

Overall I give this album a 8/10
It is a very solid album, with a real rootsy/country/rock vibe. This album does not have much of the Macbre/Demented Humor Zevon uses later on (I.E. Excitable Boy). The Musicianship is Top-Notch (judging by the names associated you can probably guess that though lol), The use of piano & saxophone really stand out to me through out the album, they are not the dominant instruments but they give it a real groovy/laid back feel that I really enjoy. Warren mostly plays Piano on this album, he would play more guitar later on. He also plays a little Harmonica here as well. To me he is a very accomplished Piano & Harmonica player. It is a little harder to tell here which such amazing musicians accompanying him, but in later reviews I'll point out where I love his work.

Back on topic: This album is not my favorite of his, but it is a good album which I thoroughly enjoy. It is a little more laid back & slower than later albums, which is why I personally rated it an 8. I prefer his more rockin' tunes. But all the songs here are well written and composed. The cohesiveness is great and I think this album is where he finally found his sound. If you like Warren at all you should check this album out. It really foreshadows his later sound, at least I think so.

This thing is getting a little long now though so I think I'll end it here for now.

Again please post any suggestions or PM them to me.

Thanks! And I hope you all enjoy

O! and if anyone wants an album of his I am sure I can get it too you.

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