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119 of 122 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Tribute for Mr. Bad Example, October 29, 2004
This tribute album to - in Springsteen's words, "one of the great, great American songwriters" - does a good job of capturing the spirit of Warren Zevon, as well as some of the quirkiness and humor that made him special. Some of the songs are notable in how different they are, and while some stay truer to the original versions, all of them have something in them to recommend them.
"Searching for a Heart" sounds like it could have been written and originally sung by Don Henley. It has a bit of a reggae-like beat to it, but Henley's voice fits this song perfectly, (odd, because his voice is so different than Zevon's), and the lyrics could just as easily be found on "Building the Perfect Beast," or "The End of the Innocence."
Similarly, Dylan was made to sing "Mutineer." Before I even heard him sing it, I knew exactly HOW he would sing it - like the pre-1975 versions of "Just like a Woman," (sans harmonica) the nasally Dylan twang included, phrasing it ("I was born to rock the booooaaat") in Dylanesque fashion. Real neat. Though Zevon still sings it better.
Jackson Browne's "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" isn't as edgy, or as funny, ("I don't wanna talk about it . . .") as Zevon's, but it ain't Linda Ronstadt either. He changes the beat, and the melody, a few lyrics too, and he kind of opens up the song. It all works pretty well.
Probably the only song I wasn't originally thrilled with was Billy Bob Thornton's "The Wind." Not that it sounded bad, and I'm not really familiar with how Thornton usually sings, but his whispery vocals didn't sound quite right. Maybe that is his normal singing voice, but it sounds as if he is trying to imitate Zevon's voice, but he can't quite do that. And I suppose he was trying to create a mood for the song, but I'm not sure it really works. Though I have to say, now that I have listened to it a few more times, its starting to grow on me.
On the other hand, Adam Sandler (!)'s rendition of "Werewolves of London" is as perfect as a werewolf's hair. He doesn't break into that "Operaman" or "Chanukah Song" voice (which is funny on its own, but would be too obvious a spoof here), but he retains the quasi-goofiness and silliness the song deserves. He stays very true to the Zevon version, but manages to give it his own little twists here and there (He holds one of the "ahoooooo's for a longgggg time.) Originally I thought using him was more of a publicity stunt to sell the CD, but he surprised me in how well he does it, and how much fun he makes this song.
Springsteen's live version of "My Ride's Here," recorded shortly after Zevon's death, is terrific.
Soozie Tyrell's violin dominates the otherwise sparse music in the song, and gives it a haunting quality I'm not even sure the original has. And Springsteen's "Nebraska"-esque vocals fit the song perfectly.
The Wallflower's "Lawyers, Guns and Money" is pretty true to the original (except for the "WARREN, get me out of this"), though maybe a little jazzier. Jakob Dylan sometimes sounds more like Zevon than he does his more famous Dad.
And talk about channeling your dad - Jordan Zevon sounds almost as much like his father on "Studebaker" as Julian Lennon did when he released "Too Late for Goodbye" after John Lennon's death. You know, where you get some goose bumps when you hear the song, knowing that what your ear hears (Warren/John), and what your head knows (that Warren/John couldn't have recorded the song), don't go together. The song is a good choice too, though I'm not entirely sure why - it just felt right.
Steve Earle's "Reconsider Me" has the same feel as the original, with a dose of Dylan/Tom Petty thrown in. Kind of an interesting mix, since Zevon seemed to sing it with more desperation, while here it is sung more punkish, almost defiantly, sort of like " reconsider me - but if you don't, I'll move on."
Jill Sobule sings "Don't Let us Get Sick, " one of my favorite lesser known Zevon songs, quietly and sweetly, though it isn't the combination of a sweet, yet sardonic prayer that seems - to me at least - to be in the Zevon version. But it was great hearing this song anyway - I was surprised to see it on the CD, but glad it was included.
Jorge Calderon makes "Keep me in Your Heart" more of an orchestral piece, layering the music, which makes the heart wrenching lyrics a little softer. though no less appealing. Maybe knowing the about the friendship between Calderon and Zevon influenced how I hear this version, but you can tell the sadness in Calderon's voice. Jennifer Warnes' accompanying/backup vocals add a nice touch to the sound of the song.
All in all - terrific tribute album. And yeah, there are songs I would have liked to have seen included: Hasten Down the Wind, Fistful of Rain, Excitable Boy, Life'll Kill Ya, For My Next Trick I'll Need a Volunteer . . . but unless they reproduced half of Zevon's catalog, I would always have that complaint. Maybe I'm biased, since I like all things Zevon, but all the artists seem to care about the songs they perform, leading one to believe they cared about Zevon and his music too. Its nice for Zevon fans to hear covers of his songs, and its also good for those not too familiar with Zevon, in that they get to hear their own favorite artists sing some really terrifically written songs.
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fine versions of excellent material, October 25, 2004
The late Warren Zevon was the Grim Reaper's personal poet laureate and court jester throughout his long career. Hard to believe that only one of these songs (as far as I know) was written after he learned of his diagnosis. Son Jordan and longtime producer/cowriter/bassist Jorge Calderon assembled many of Zevon's closest collaborators, sidemen, cronies and admirers for a romp through both the sardonic, gallows-humor pieces he was famous for, but also the vulnerable, emotionally raw ballads he was equally adept at writing and delivering.
Zevon liked singing actors for their ability to deliver the emotional content of a song, so he'd be pleased by Sandler's surprisingly muscular delivery on Werewolves and Thornton's gravelly, Tom Waits-meets-Robbie Robertson take on the spooky dirge The Wind (NOT from the album of the same name - is this an unreleased song from that project?) Springsteen makes My Ride's Here sound like an outtake from one of his first two albums, rich with the kind of wit and literate wordplay he hasn't employed since. Both Dylans do their selections justice -have they ever appeared on the same album together before? Despite the presence of so many of Zevon's studio cohorts these versions sparkle with fresh ideas, from Waddy Wachtel's hint of ska on Werewolves to his "Summertime Blues" like riff on Poor Poor Pitiful Me. The Pixies remind us that there was a jagged punk edge beneath Zevon's laid-back L.A. veneer. I'd have liked to hear a double CD with some more of Zevon's buddies (REM, Neil Young) and contemporaries (Richard Thompson, Lyle Lovett) but a single CD will do.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some great moments, and some... well...., October 24, 2004
There are some standout moments on this CD. If you really love Zevon's music, just try to listen to the contributions of Bruce Springsteen or Jill Sobule and not get choked up. Pete Yorn and Lindley/Cooder also provide outstanding takes on "Splendid Isolation" and "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse," respectively.
There are some weak moments, however. I deeply love the Pixies, but their version of "Ain't That Pretty at All" felt like it was discussed, rehearsed once or twice, then recorded. And Billy Bob Thornton's take on "The Wind" is so excruciatingly bad as to be barely listenable.
Zevon fans will enjoy this album, but probably not as much as they would enjoy an actual Warren Zevon album.
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