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"Life'll Kill Ya"
Life may be killing Warren Zevon a little
at a time, but he still gives back as good as he gets. More than
two decades after he peaked early with 1976's Zevon and 1978's
Excitable Boy, he may be wiser with age, but that just makes
him more of a wiseacre. Rebuilding from the stripped-down framework
he explored with 1995's underrated Mutineer, Zevon opens with
the acoustic "I Was in the House When the House Burned Down,"
moving on to the piano-based title track before bringing a full
band to the fore with "Porcelain Monkey." "For
My Next Trick" is classic Zevon as he pounds out the muscular
melody on the piano and delivers characteristically mordant lyrics
("I can saw a woman in two / But you won't want to look
in the box when I'm through"). The fiftysomething rocker
hardly shies away from his infirmities, summoning bitter bon
mots like so many servants and even turning Steve Winwood's "Back
in the High Life Again" into a lament.Warren Zevon's message
being, one supposes, that if the low life doesn't get you the
high life will? --Steven Stolder |
Customer review from Amazon
Reviewer: Douglas A Burns from Albany,
New York
This disk is a must for any fan of Zevon's music, and for those
who aren't, it's a great introduction to one of America's best
songwriters. Despite its melancholy theme and songs about aging,
human breakdown, and failed love, the disk ultimately left me
feeling wistful and reassured that everything will be alright
in the end. This is easily his best work since Sentimental Hygiene,
and although there may not be a radio hit here (but who really
cares anyway), nearly every song is strong and memorable. In
particular, I liked "I Was in the House When the House Burned
Down" and his cover of "Back in the High Life". |
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