You Can Sleep When You’re Dead

I am a classic rock kind of guy for the most part, which is to say I don’t know what half the shit that passes for music nowadays is supposed to be.  So, I just wanted to throw out my personal recommendation to delve wholeheartedly into the musical stylings of Warren Zevon.  Zevon is probably best know for Werewolves of London, but by no means is that his best piece of work.  I guess some might say it is due to the staying power and it’s foothold 30+ years later in popular culture, but to be honest, the man was such a great songwriter it’s a genuine shame more people don’t know about all the awesome music he made.  I HIGHLY suggest picking up the CD Excitable Boy to acquaint you with some of his great early stuff and get a feel for just how amazing a lyricist he was.  Another great album was his live from Roxy Theatre Stand in the Fire.  These early albums showcase more of his rock side, but as time went on he tended to scale back into more of a folk/folk-rock musician.  His final album, The Wind, won him a posthumous Grammy Award for best contemporary folk album (I think) and best duet for a song he does on the albumwith Springstein.  As a testament to just how great the songs Zevon wrote are, he has been covered by a slew of the best and iconic musicians of the last 50 years, including Bruce Springstein, Jackson Browne and Bob Dylan to name a few.

Personal favorite songs include Tenderness on the Block, Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner, Excitable Boy, Desperados Under the Eaves and Ain’t That Pretty at All.

There’s also a great biography about the dirty life and times of Mr. Zevon entitled “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead” written by his ex-wife (though they remanied close through his entire life) that is an amazing read.  Check that ish out!