Warren Zevon - Preludes
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CD Details
Artist: Warren ZevonEdition: Music CD
CD Release Date: 2007-05-01
Music Label: New West Records
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Empty Hearted Town (3:05) (solo piano)
- Steady Rain (4:23) (full band)
- Join Me In L.A. (2:33) (solo guitar)
- Hasten Down The Wind (2:34) (solo piano)
- Werewolves Of London (3:36) (full band)
- Tule's Blues (3:08) (solo piano)
- The French Inhaler (3:34) (solo guitar)
- Going All The Way (2:19) (full band)
- Poor Poor Pitiful Me (3:12) (full band)
- Studebaker (2:23) (solo piano)
- Accidentally Like A Martyr (3:02) (full band)
- Carmelita (4:01) (solo guitar)
- I Used To Ride So High (2:54) (full band)
- Stop Rainin' Lord (2:13) (solo guitar)
- The Rosarita Beach Cafi (4:12) (solo piano with backing vocals)
- Desperados Under The Eaves (3:49) (full band)
- I WAS IN THE HOUSE WHEN THE HOUSE BURNED DOWN (3:02)
- Warren speaks on songwriting and the early days of his career (7:14)
- Musings on mortality, song noir and The King of Rock n' Roll (5:07)
- A chat about producers and the stark sounds on the album Life'll Kill Ya (5:09)
- BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE (3:11)
- Warren's take on Winwood's classic and Warren's inspirations (3:58)
- Talk of TV, movies, acting and performing (5:14)
- DON'T LET US GET SICK (3:10) (solo acoustic) Recorded live 12/3/99 at Austin City Limits Studios for 107.1 KGSR Radio Austin 9th Anniversary Concert
Music reviews of Preludes
Music Review: Another look at the one rock's wild geniuses
Rating: 4 Stars
Starting with "Empty Hearted Town" a recording that evolved into "Empty Handed Heart" this look at Zevon's demos and unreleased songs definitely are of interest for anyone who appreciates the genius of this artist. There are some excellent never before released songs to be found here, like the painful pleading of "Steady Rain," the countrified story of "The Rosarita Beach Caf?", and the sadly funny "Studebaker" would have all found good homes on many of his albums. Not all the unreleased work are classics: "Going All The Way" sounds like a Bacharach/David mistake and "I Used to Ride so High" with its psychedelic sound and lyrics clearly demonstrate why Zevon didn't put them on his recordings.
The demos of songs that he recorded for his albums are also treats for fans. The stripped down "Join Me In L.A." is more interesting than the album version, the plaintive "French Inhaler" works very well as a acoustic ballad with just guitar and vocals, and the version of "Werewolves" found here is just nuts and immediately brought a smile to my face.
Even misfires like totally different versions of "Accidentally like a Martyr," and "Carmelita" with much bouncier melodies and sped up choruses reveal how much more effective they were with slower and more deliberate pacing.
The 2nd disc interviews are enlightening. They are all based on LIFE"LL KILL YOU and Zevon's intelligence and acerbic wit come through right from the beginning. His refusal to discuss religion is intriguing and you quickly learn he's a tough interview. Despite that there are plenty of interesting nuggets of info here; his defensiveness about the two sides of his song writing and battling against what people perceive about him make for some absorbing listening. A fan of Zevon's work really needs to own this; it's obviously not done to cash in on his passing, it's a loving look at another aspect of this artist's incredible imagination and talent.
Description of Preludes
Warren Zevon passed way from mesothelioma, a form of asbestos related lung cancer in 2003. A few months later, his son, Jordan, drove out to one of his dad's storage spaces in the San Fernando Valley to begin the sorting the process. He discovered over a 100 unreleased outtakes and demos in a piano-sized touring case.Preludes features 16 of the best of these discovered recordings, including 6 unreleased tracks "Empty Hearted Town," "Going All The Way," "Steady Rain," "Stop Rainin Lord" "Studebaker" and "Rosarita Beach Caf??." All songs were recorded pre-1976. Other gems are previously unheard versions of "Werewolves of London" and "Accidentally Like A Martyr". The 2nd disc features an in-depth radio interview Warren did with Jody Denberg in 2000.
The deluxe 2CD package in a hardbound slipcase contains a 44-page booklet with dozens of family photos, all previously unpublished. Pictures are placed within excerpts from the forthcoming memoir I??ll Sleep When I??m Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon. Released by Ecco/Harper Collins.
After Warren Zevon's death in 2003, his son Jordan was clearing out a storage space when he found a large stash of demos and home recordings Zevon had made before 1976. Winnowed down from many hours of tape, this selection is so satisfying you're left awaiting another volume almost instantly. Preludes has been generously packaged with a booklet overflowing with reminiscences and insight from peers and family, as well as a bonus disc with recent interview extracts and choice selections from 2000's Life'll Kill Ya. The rough sound quality is more than made up for by the performances. Highlights include a speedier, country-punk garage take on "Poor, Poor Pitiful Me" and the original demo of "Werewolves of London," here presented in a slowed-down reggae-ish (and campier) take. Only two of these 16 takes fall flat: the vocals on "Accidentally Like a Martyr" are just too bleak even for Zevon, while the faux-sunshine Eagles-y production on "Ride So High" is interesting but just too anachronistic. The versions of "French Inhaler" and "Carmelita" show Zevon in his angry, post-Dylan singer-songwriter style. It's reminiscent of the best John Cale solo recordings. Poignant, beautiful and bitter, it's no wonder the guy didn't fit in with his California contemporaries. As with Townes Van Zandt, there's something of a great short story in Zevon's songs; confronted with them in all their ragged, stripped-down glory, it's clear what a major talent he was. --Mike McGonigal
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