I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by Crystal Zevon Summary and Reviews
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.71 You Save: $20.24 (75%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon
Book Review: More than we needed to know? Perhaps...
Summary: 3 Stars
I discovered Warren in the 1980s when I first heard "Run Straight Down" cut through the radio airwaves and demand my attention. Until then I had only known of Warren as the guy who sung "that Werewolf song"--a crash course in his music later and I was hooked for life on that truly unique voice and wonderful, witty, one-of-a-kind songwriter.
Even so, I never felt compelled to look beyond the music to know more about the man himself, not even after enjoying seeing him perform live many times and going through the shock and devastation many of his fans felt upon learning of his illness, and then his passing a year later. Reading this book, then, was quite a revelation--at times perhaps more than I really wanted or needed to know about the troubled genuis whose music had meant so much to me through the years. Nothing is left out, it seems, except the names of a few girlfriends who for whatever reason are only referred to by description ("the dj", for instance--curious when said dj has made no bones about promoting her relationship with Warren in the press herself).
The alcohol and drug abuse, the obsessive-compulsive disorder, his sexual proclivities including videotaping himself with his partners...at times I felt like putting the book down and walking away from the entire affair, but apparently this was the story he wanted to be told after his passing, so I felt I owed it to Warren to see it through to the end.
I'm left uncertain with how reading this book will affect my appreciation of Warren's music in the future. We're certainly all human and it's clear Warren faced many demons throughout his life, some that are easy to sympathize with, others not so much. I'd say this is a book for fans to approach with some caution, but then again, maybe it's the only story about Warren that could be told.
Book Review: More than you wanna know
Summary: 4 Stars
I read this book the week it came out. I picked it up, and when I was finished, I put it down. Fascinating reading for WZ fans, and a sectional historical lesson for those folks interested in the LA music scene of the songwriter 70's. Lots of quotes from the A list, B List, and the No list crowd. Crystal did an admirable job of digging into the dirt (no.. make that filth) of Warren's messed up, screwed up life, and even though I am a huge fan of the music, and intrigued by the mind of the man that wrote all those brilliant songs, his personal life was more than unsettling to the outsiders who now read his bio post mortem.
Many times, as "customers" (we were NOT fans, right?) we imagine that our musical heroes will be great personalities, and that it would be fun to hang with the stars. After reading this book, I think that its probably better that we didnt get to see that side of the aisle. This is not in judgment of the way he lived his life, but rather a recognition of how I might want to continue living mine. I feel bad for all those people that WZ waxed over the years as they tried to be "a friend", and I hope that in the later years of his life, with sobriety fighting the good fight, that Warren was able to connect with his family and real friends in a way that was beneficial for them. A Quiet Normal Life this was not. May God help him find peace from his earthly demons.
Book Review: What A Story!
Summary: 5 Stars
This was one of the most well written and intriguing biographies I have read in a long time. Being new to Zevon's music and having read the nice review in the L.A Times, and owning two of his records, I thought I would give "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" a shot. I could not put this book down. The stories from other musicians and his ex-wife and family will bring you to tears at times, and put a big smile on your face at others. I was not aware of how well read Zevon was, and it was fascinating to hear of his encounters with his favorite authors (some who I share with him). His story has given me new things to listen to and enjoy in his music for years to come.Book Review: Proustian in its thoroughness
Summary: 3 Stars
Boy, did this book ever drag on. Did we really need 452 pages? Did we really need the endless journal entries about Warren's latest sexual conquest?
But I guess that's the point. Zevon was a complex man, to be sure, and complexity can be hard to condense, so why not lay it all out on the line?
This was one of those books that I wanted to give up on but didn't simply because I wanted to see the end. And I can't say the end provided any great resolution, but I guess that's part of the point also. Although it was certainly nice that he got to finish his last album and see his grandkids born.
Ultimately, though, this book is well worthwhile for any Zevon fan, and for those unitiated should provide an impetus to explore. Personally, I thought he wasn't worth really listening to after his first two albums, but maybe I need to reconsider.
But oh, that first album. What a document. And I find it cruellly ironic that in his dying days Zevon chose to live out life in a somewhat morbid method somewhat reminiscent of the lonely, ennui-istic existence of the guy in the Hollywood Hawaiian Hotel in his greatest composition, "Desperados Under the Eaves."
Heaven help the one who leaves. You made it interesting, Warren.
Book Review: Play it all night long (Warren's songs, that is ...)
Summary: 5 Stars
I have always been a fan of Warren's music, even more so now that I have read this book. He never sold out nor compromised, even while his friends began making more money than G_d. Ever the artist, satirist, philosopher.
Yes, his private life was a disasterous mess, but then again, whose isn't?