Werewolves in heaven

Singer, Songwriter Warren Zevon Dies
By JOHN ROGERS
Associated Press Writer

Warren Zevon, who wrote and sang the rock hit "Werewolves of London" and was among the wittiest and most original of a broad circle of singer-songwriters to emerge from Los Angeles in the 1970s, has died. He was 56.

A lifelong smoker until quitting several years ago, Zevon announced in September 2002 that he had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and had only months to live. He spent much of that time visiting with his two grown children and working on a final album.

Zevon died in his sleep Sunday at his home, publicist Carise Yatter said.

He faced death with the same dark sense of humor found in much of his music, including songs like "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," "Life'll Kill Ya" and "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead."

Zevon said he "chose a certain path and lived like Jim Morrison and lived 30 more years. You make choices and you have to live with the consequences."

I'm not very familiar with Zevon, though I know he's very well respected. It's a shame, but he seems to have had a great attitude.

Have to say, I'm even more grateful today that I quit smoking a few months ago.

Not to disparage the deceased, I have a Zevon album and I thought he was pretty okay, but:

Big deal. It's not like he died serving his country in Vietnam, or anything. Although he was of military age.

This pre-death album concept is nothing new. Country Dick Montana may have had a lesser career than Zevon, but his music was better, IMHO. His death album, too!

Zevon was a great songwriter, and his lyrics were always unique, bitter and witty…

cigarettes are the WORST…

man, Warren Zevon was my first club show. '96 at the Bayou. Hot damn.

Originally posted by ¿+H� �ömþæÿ Ððør§?:

This pre-death album concept is nothing new. Country Dick Montana may have had a lesser career than Zevon, but his music was better, IMHO. His death album, too!

Montana died onstage. He didn't know it was coming. And his album was posthumous…

Tommy Cooper died on stage on live telly, I saw it with my own eyes!!!!!!!!

How did he die?

Just like that! :D

(Probably only the Brits will understand this comment)

I think I'm going to take up smoking. Maybe 40 years from now I'll get a full hour on Letterman.

Here's a different take on Zevon.

From the blog www.fraterslibertas.com:
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Iâ??ve been reading quite a bit in the last few days about the death of Warren Zevon and What His Music Meant.

As we all know, he was diagnosed with cancer last summer and told he had two months to live. Knowing his time was almost up, he made a memorable appearance on Late Night where Letterman gave him the entire hour. He then gathered his friends and made one last record, finishing it just months ago. Now heâ??s dead, proving that doctors donâ??t really always know whatâ??s going on.

To be sure, he was a gifted musician and songwriter, but I donâ??t like what is says about our culture when someone this dark, this nihilistic is hailed as a musical saint.

But Doubtless, you say, how can you write such things about such a great man? Hey, I Iike the guy too, but this idea of Artist As Suffering Soul has to be defeated and Iâ??m just the guy to do it.

Writing in this morningâ??s WSJ, Jim Fusilli jumps right on the Dark Genius bandwagon:

Mr. Zevonâ??s songs paid tribute to murderers, mercenaries, drug dealers, werewolves and assorted other miscreants. Violence, death and suicide were frequent themes, as was love among the desperate and downtrodden.

Sounds great, donâ??t it? Iâ??m afraid Zevon suffered from one of the great conceits of his generation; the assumption that there are two groups of people in the world–the squares: suburban, gainfully employed, happy-go-lucky, and the realists: artists, drunks, people that would rather feel pain than what they thought the squares were feeling (nothing). And they felt it was their job as the feeling artists to let the squares know How It REALLY Was.

Zevon says as much in the song Aint That Pretty At All:

Well, I've seen all there is to see
And I've heard all they have to say
I've done everything I wanted to do . . .
I've done that too
And it ain't that pretty at all
Ain't that pretty at all
So I'm going to hurl myself against the wall
Cause I'd rather feel bad than not feel anything at all

Fusilli goes on to make the point about dark music Iâ??ve heard dozens of times but I still donâ??t understand:

Like one of his literary heroes, Ross Macdonald, Mr. Zevon saw the dark side of life on the outskirts of Los Angeles and, chronicling it, revealed universal themes that transcend time and geography.

How? This is never explained. How. How does writing about murder, suicide and wretchedness reveal universal themes? Does jumping into a latrine help one to understand shit? Does sleeping with the homeless help you understand alcoholism and mental illness? And what are the universal themes? Original sin? Hatred?

To me, thereâ??s way more than enough darkness in the world. I donâ??t need it in my pop records, books, movies or personalities. Declaring those who toiled their entire lives in this darkness to be geniuses steers our culture off track.