Warren Zevon - The Wind
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Free Music Notes for The Wind
Free Music Review: Thank you, Warren
Hit: 5 Stars
"The Wind" has touched me in a way no other music has. It is a rare occasion when a musician allows us to peer into his soul during life's ultimate challenge. It enables us to help celebrate Zevon's life and music and mourn his illness and subsequent passing all at the same time. It ranges from raucous to poignant and then back again without ever missing a beat.
You truly do feel as if you are in the room with him and his friends as they are recording; the warmth shines through, the ragged edges just make it more real and endearing. If you are looking for slickly produced, perfectly arranged pop music, you won't find it here. But if you're looking for real music made by real musicians, raw and pure emotion, and intelligent lyrics, this record will better serve you than most being made today. "The Wind" evokes a broad range of emotions-it will alternately make you laugh and cry, much like life itself. Few could have pulled this off with as much class as Zevon.
Quite possibly the two most diverse tracks on the disc, "Disorder in the House" and "Keep me in Your Heart" may very well be remembered as some of his finer work."Disorder in the House" is a great "Crank it up" rocker. I think I have just about blown out my speakers with it. Who else could have written these lyrics, with lines like "Even the Lhasa Apso seems to be ashamed" and "I'm sprawled across the davenport of despair"? Incredible! I also happen to love Bruce Springsteen's screaming guitar solo. It was a perfect addition to a song that really rocks. "Keep me in Your Heart" is an eloquent tearjerker. I can't remember when I've heard a more beautiful and stirring song.
I must confess that this record feels extremely personal to me, as I lost "El Amor de Mi Vida", also to cancer, and many of these songs bring me to an uncontrollable, (although cathartic) stream of tears. This is by no means a depressing collection of dirges, however. This disc combines upbeat tunes, classic Zevon turns, and tender ballads, made even more moving given the underlying circumstances. This is a terrific album that will disappoint few. God Bless you, Warren Zevon, and thank you for this wonderful goodbye gift.
Free Music Review: grab the Wind as soon as you can!
Hit: 5 Stars
It struck me as I was listening to Warren's opus that "The Wind" will be atemplate for those of us (and some of us will) walk the path of an untimely,
early death from a devastating disease. A template in the sense that it
distills so beautifully and succinctly the ultimate significance of our
lives, and demonstrates how to face the frightening prospect of our own
mortality w/grace and dignity, "how to sit up straight and take it with
class". In the simple act of gathering in those he's loved, Bruce, Jackson,
David, his son Jordan, et al, to do what he loves best, create music, he
shows us it really is that simple, doing what you love w/the people you
love. Then he graciously leaves for us in that same work a touchpoint to
himself when he walks over to the other side of goodbye, and he assures us,
he'll be tied to us like the buttons on your blouse. I hear a man of
courage and great love comforting those who will miss his presence and gifts
when his ride does arrive. In The Wind I hear Warren convey that the
legacy of love in our relationships with the few people who are closest to
us is what really matters.
One of the emotions that I feel emanating from Warren is that of
loneliness. Having faced death, perhaps, more than many people, due to my
career path (nurse), I've often considered that in facing our mortality, we are,
ultimately and supremely alone. Distinctly and appropriately absent is any
hint of regret blowing in The Wind, and I find that a great comfort, to know
Warren is at peace w/himself.
This is a gracious act of love on Warren's part, as he allows us an almost
painfully, (at times), intimate view of the what he knows will be the last
leg of his journey, "when so many things so hard to see are clear". This
work will resonate deeply and profoundly for a long time to come. It's
impossible to do it justice with mere words, it's got to be heard and felt
w/the soul, and once that's done, you will be keeping this in your heart not
just for a while, but forever.
Free Music Review: Swan Songs
Hit: 5 Stars
Correct us if we are wrong, but we can't think of another album where the artist knew, as he was making it, it would be his final one. Warren Zevon died from cancer several months ago, shortly after this, his final legacy, was released. It is a beauty. What struck us upon first listenings was how normal the album was, in many ways a typical Zevon album. No grand statement. No pretensions (Zevon appeared incapable of them). No self-pity (ditto). The usual mix of stirring ballads and fiery rock and roll. Even his focus on death was not unusual. Zevon, much more than most pop artists, has always written with mortality in mind ("I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", "Life'll Kill Ya", etc.). But what quickly became apparent was that this contains some of Zevon's finest work. Of course it is nearly impossible to separate the material from the knowledge that he created it knowing that his death was imminent. Thus a song like "(Let's Party for)The Rest of the Night", which might at other times have been a throwaway, becomes a celebration of life, a big '&%$# you' to the other thing. And songs that would be moving or funny or haunting under any circumstance take on added dimension and meaning. The musicianship is outstanding. A host of guest stars--Springsteen, a flock of Eagles, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, and others--come to pay respects. But the clear stars here are Zevon's performance, his songs, and the inspirational manner in which he faced his death. The final track, Warren's swan song, if you will, "Keep Me in Your Heart", is a masterpiece of simplicity. Powerfully emotional without a trace of sentimentality: "Sometimes when you're doing simple things around the house/Maybe you'll think of me and smile/You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse/Keep me in your heart for awhile." While we may not be the person (or even the gender of the person) to whom that request is being made, we will, Warren. We most certainly will.Free Music Review: Goodbye, grumpy old friend...
Hit: 5 Stars
Warren Zevon made albums for people who liked to smile in a wry sort of way. His lyrics were his strong suit, couching clever cultural references into little hooks that took a listen or two to catch. It only makes sense that Warren would make the definitive album about dying and coming to terms with mortality. My wife, who has never enjoyed Zevon, cried at some of these lyrics. So did I. There are weak points in the songwriting, and some of his collaborators are not up to par. I particularly disliked the listless and poorly tuned guitar work by Bruce Springsteen in "Disorder in the House," although that song has some of my favorite lyrical touches. "I'm sprawled on the Davenport of despair," opines the master, and it's a great visual. In the same song, Zevon says, "It's the home of the brave/And the land of the free/Where the less you know/The better off you'll be." In "Prison Grove," you can feel the weight of impending death as the nameless prisoner stares for the last time out the window. "Rub me Raw" is superlative blues shuffle, with the great Joe Walsh providing the slide guitar. I like Jackson Browne's steel guitar work throughout the album as well.
The final song, "Keep Me in Your Heart," is nothing short of a masterpiece, and ought to be remembered as some of Zevon's finest work. This song brought tears to my eyes, and made me want to hold my wife's hand. This is love and loss perfectly described, as emotionally gripping as the recent visual of Johnny Cash looking wistfully at pictures of his late wife in the recent "Hurt" video. I hope I'm remembered in such a way when I'm gone. Should my love go before me, I'll remember her in all the quiet moments. Art makes you think, and even find new ways of thinking. Thank you Warren Zevon, for one last piece of art. I will miss you.
Free Music Review: This CD is a 'must hear and must own!
Hit: 5 Stars
While the proficiency of singing might not be what one expects, the heart you hear in the songs is more than the listener can hardly bear."Knockin On Heavens Door' is awesome. When you realize the personal effort it took and the desire behind this sound, it shakes you back to reality.
Apparently having a strong will to reach a goal works since Warren has outlived his diagnosis by 9 months, a great deal of which time was spent making this CD. With a lot of help from his friends, a lot of support from his family, and a lot of strength of will on his own part.
Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bob Thornton, Tom Petty and other great entertainers lend a hand to this labor of love.
I started to name the songs that were my favorites beyond 'Knockin on Heaven's Door', then realized I loved them all. "Keep Me In Your Heart" has Warren's own special message in it. Though written is first and recorded last, Warren actually sounds the strongest. I think it is because this song has a message, something he really wanted to say. "She's Too Good For Me" has a personal message, as does "El Amor De Mi Vida".
Whether you are a Warren Zevon fan or just a lover of music, you will want this CD because it is music straight from the heart of a man with a great talent and because the making of this CD is a tribute to the human will to survive. You can hear not only the talent, but the love of living and of making music in every note.
This is a legacy of music that belongs on everyone's shelf, not just to remind us that Warren is a great entertainer, but even more so to help us realize and remember that there is dignity in love of your craft and love in every last minute of your life.
Warren struggled to write these songs and record this music. You deserve to own the fruits of that labor and to hear his message first-hand.