Warren Zevon – The Wind (an album review)

This is an important album in the library of any Zevonite. It’s the end of an era, a beautiful final album by an amazing musician with the help of many brilliant, talented and famous friends. It’s truly a lovely album. I just don’t like it that much.

Heresy and blasphemy, should the High Priest of Zevon hear of it, my life is forfeit.

That’s not to say I hate the album. Some songs are just utter perfection. “Dirty Life and Times” is an amazing song, the lyrics in “Disorder in the House” are witty and amusing (the couch of despair later turning into the davenport of despair is particularly amusing). Numb as a Statue and Prison Grove are utterly captivating, and Keep me in your heart is breathtakingly depressing.

The album is packed with guest musicians: Jackson Browne, Jorge Calderon, Tom Petty, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, David Lindley, Timothy B. Schmit, Tommy Shaw, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bob Thornton, Joe Walsh and Dwight Yoakam.

And yet, despite all of this, I never find myself wanted to listen to The Wind from beginning to end. I always just want to pick out those four songs that I adore and ignore the rest of them. Music is amazing, though. Spent four years skipping over “Carmelita” when it would come on, and then one day I realized Carmelita was an utterly amazing song. Listened to it on loop for days. Perhaps I’m just not there yet, and in a couple years the rest of this album will catch up with me. I hope so.

What to Expect?

Warren Zevon, all over the board. From rough bluesy Rub me Raw to light and delicate Don’t Leave me, this album runs the gamut of Warren Zevon’s repetoire.

What to take away?

As the final album of Warren Zevon’s career, this album is a must for Zevonites. You will love some of the songs on it. I just don’t think every song on the album is meant for every Zevonite. We might have to split into separate congregations over this album.

What drink to pair it with?

Skip the drink, pair it with your favorite sandwich, and enjoy the hell out of it.

Favorite song?
Numb as a Statue to me is the cream of the crop, though Dirty life and times is also amazing beyond reason.