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Warren Zevon
Excitable Boy
(Asylum/Rhino)
First Appeared in The Music Box, April 2007, Volume 14, #4
Written by John Metzger
Despite his many affiliations within Los Angeles’ session scene, Warren Zevon
was a struggling songwriter who was going nowhere in a hurry when his pal
Jackson Browne convinced Asylum Records to take a chance on signing him.
Fortunately, by that point, Wanted Dead or Alive, Zevon’s forgettable
flop of a debut from 1969, had become a distant memory, and sitting at his
disposal was a batch of considerably superior material. With Browne at the helm,
Zevon gave birth to a pair of albums — his self-titled endeavor and its
follow-up Excitable Boy. Taken together, they gave him the means, for
better or for worse, to live a rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle, at least temporarily.
Admittedly, 30 years after the fact, both collections sound a tad dated, forever
tethered to the ’70s by the sort of glossy sheen that typically was affixed to
singer/songwriter efforts from the era. Still, there’s no denying the potency of
Zevon’s formula, which refreshingly injected a twist of biting satire into the
more romantic inclinations of his peers.
Although it was, in actuality, Zevon’s third endeavor, Excitable Boy
had the look and the feel of a sophomore effort. By Browne’s own admission, the
collection was constructed from its predecessor’s spare parts, and although they
were exquisite specimens — both Werewolves of London and the title track
had been set aside and saved — the fact remains that there was less unity
amongst the set’s contents. Nevertheless, it’s hard to quibble with the songs
themselves. Here’s an indication of Excitable Boy’s strength: Six of its
nine tracks were redeployed to form the basis of Zevon’s greatest hits
retrospective A Quiet Normal Life. Of the remaining cuts, only the
deliciously funky, but ultimately lightweight Nighttime in the Switching Yard
could be considered filler. The other two selections — Tenderness on the
Block’s gently optimistic message from a father to his daughter and
Veracruz’s mournful depiction of the casualties of American imperialism —
are equally worthy contenders.
That’s quite a testament to Zevon’s capabilities, especially considering that
the rest of Excitable Boy was filled with his widely recognized tales of
a predatory ladies’ man (Werewolves of London), a vengeance-seeking
vigilante (Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner), a self-destructive
antihero (Lawyers, Guns and Money), and a battered, bruised, and
ultimately doomed relationship (Accidentally Like a Martyr). Although his
later efforts undeniably contained a more cohesive narrative — a product of the
maturity that middle age brings as well as the focus that arrived once he
overcame his dependence upon alcohol — it arguably is difficult to find a more
iconic collection of songs within his canon. Recently reissued with a quartet of
bonus tracks — including a haunting rendition of Tule’s Blues (a personal
account of the dissolution of his marriage) and the string-draped Frozen
Notes (an equally sad reflection upon lost love and loneliness) —
Excitable Boy still stands, in spite of its flaws, as strongly, proudly, and
defiantly as it ever has. 
Excitable Boy is available from
Amazon.com. To order, Click Here!
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Ratings
1 Star: Pitiful
2 Stars: Listenable
3 Stars: Respectable
4 Stars: Excellent
5 Stars: Can't Live Without It!!
Copyright © 2007 The Music Box
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