![]() ![]() Along with including several of his most beloved songs, it’s also the tone setter for the rest of his work. The obvious starting point for neophytes is 1976’s Warren Zevon, his breakthrough second LP. Warren Zevon is one-of-a-kind and - if you excuse the cliché - the embodiment of whatever “rock ‘n’ roll” is supposed to mean. ![]() This is not just another boring classic rocker. Because Warren Zevon is an extremely interesting person! What if I told you that his father was a bookie nicknamed “Stumpy” who was also a known associate of the gangster Mickey Cohen? How about the factoid that, at age 13, he befriended the great Russian composer Igor Stravinsky? Or that his songs have been covered by both Bob Dylan and GG Allin? I promise that once you hear the man, you will be interested. For those who are unfamiliar with Warren Zevon, I have put together a guide to his music. Instead, I will do my part to fix the problem. It’s the same Catch-22 that has kept countless other artists below the mainstream radar out of this institution.īut I’m not going to complain about this. But in order to get in the Rock Hall you must already have access to a wide audience. Now, the very reason I even cared in the first place about Warren Zevon getting into the Rock Hall was that it would expose his music to a wider audience. In the end, there just aren’t enough people - at the moment! - who know about this guy. They are legends, icons, geniuses … and also much more famous and successful than Warren Zevon. I am not about to slander any of the people who were inducted this week. Hell, even I publicly endorsed the man.Īlas, my original instincts were correct. Experts who prognosticate about the Rock Hall predicted that he would make it. Influential admirers like Billy Joel and David Letterman campaigned on his behalf. (Artistic quality is also relevant, but only in relation to how well known you are.) Plus, his voice is weird, his past is problematic, and his songs are acidic and sardonic and pop unfriendly.īut in recent weeks, against my better judgement, I let myself be optimistic. And fame and success tend to matter the most in these situations, I reasoned. 1 hit or much of a media profile - was easily the least famous or successful person nominated. And Zevon - a long-dead singer-songwriter who never had a No. When Warren Zevon was nominated (for the first time!) this year for induction in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, I did not expect him to get in. ![]()
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