I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by Crystal Zevon Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon
Book Review: Zevon Tracks
Summary: 4 Stars
A fascinating story told by his ex-wife. Recalling the excessive behavior of his personal life is one of the best ways to understand his lyrical gift. Warren Zevon's incredible music was as good as anyone has ever written and performed. He was good also at driving his friends crazy and losing many relationships along the way. My only complaint is some poor editing and indexing, especially near the closing chapters. I know two of the people mentioned. They have no apparent connection in the book..
Just by coincidence they presently live in the same house in Texas.
Book Review: Unexpectedly compelling
Summary: 4 Stars
I've never been a rabid Zevon fan, so I had only mild curiosity about his life and death when I bought this book. It turned out to be a highly engaging read. The author's method of presenting reminiscences in short chunks from a number of individuals could have been choppy and distracting. Instead it was a perfect vehicle for capturing Zevon's essence and his effect on others. I couldn't get the book out of my head for days after finishing it. Highly recommended.Book Review: The story behind the giant.
Summary: 5 Stars
Bought this for the wife. She's one of his biggest fans. Saw him live several times at house of blues. She says the book is great!!!Book Review: Great music, great subject, poor book
Summary: 2 Stars
Not saying Warren Zevon was a better (or worse) person than he was as portrayed in the book, it's simply a poor read.
Okay, we get the idea. Apparently Zevon could be a jerk. It's pointed out over and over again. I think that line of thought could pretty much be applied to ANYONE, so where's the balance? More information on the music would've been interesting. Instead of an in-depth look from someone who could have provided valuable insights, we get choppy, repetitive anecdotes that really go nowhere.
I, for one, who be happy to purchase another, better done, book about the
life and times of Warren Zevon, unfortunately, this may have been the only
shot he had in having his story told in book form. WZ deserves better.
Book Review: To The Die-Hards Like Myself: Proceed with caution
Summary: 2 Stars
I have spent 3/4 of my twenty two years in existence as a Zevon fan. Like the rest of his followers, I was always stunned by the lack of biographical details one could access about this brilliant songwriter, sort of the same way people wonder why there are only four (legitimate) live recordings of Pink Floyd available. I was ready to soak this book up LONG before it was published. My Dad always told me to "Admire the art, not the artist", and that piece of wisdom has vast amounts of relevance when it comes to Zevon. I honestly wish I never would have read this monstrosity. I guess the truth hurts, but the bulk of this work does seem to cast a negative light on Zevon in a biased fashion. I knew that he was nowhere near being recognized as a Saint, but this is just redundant. I gathered that he was a womanizing drug addict, but what about his MUSIC?! This is not a biography. It is a running commentary concerning Zevon's character as a human being told by a bunch of his contemporaries. The bad outweighs the good and I can say without a doubt that this book is definately an attempt at revenge and will do nothing but contaminate your opinion of Warren. I know that I'm just a customer talking here, but I strongly urge you to wait for another biography to appear. If you have already read this one and have been disillusioned, keep the faith-- there is enough brilliance in Zevon's musical legacy to make up for anything his ex-wife has compiled concerning his private life.