Generally speaking, one of these overviews of an artist’s career is tied to a new release or a reissue campaign. That’s really not surprising, as one is reminded of an artist’s entire catalog whenever an album is released under their name.

The artist in question this month, Warren Zevon, has no new product about to hit stores. The majority of his catalog has long been reissued, and there’s reportedly nothing in the vaults waiting to be remastered for future release. Obviously, we’re not going to see brand new material either, as he died of cancer in 2003.

What got me thinking about the legendary songwriter, however, was the recent paperback edition of I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, the oral biography put together by ex-wife Crystal Zevon.

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is not your average music biography. In the days before his death, Zevon asked his ex-wife to not only publish his triumphs but every piece of dirt she could dig up. There was plenty of dirt, too – the more publicized exploits of Behind the Music faves Mötley Crüe and Guns and Roses pale next to the stories told in the 450-page book.

The son of a mobster father and a psychopathic mother, Zevon entered the music world in the mid 1960s as part of the Sonny and Cher-ish folk duo lyme and cybelle. He lucked into a b-side of “Happy Together”, the Turtles’ biggest hit, but was unable to capitalize on his talents until Jackson Browne helped sign him to Asylum Records in the mid 1970s.

Despite scoring immediately with two critically-acclaimed albums, Zevon’s career never lived up to his songwriting talents. Partly because and partly due to these frustrations, Zevon turned to the bottle, and until 1986 lived a real life version of the Nicholas Cage character in Leaving Las Vegas.

He may have turned away from drink and drugs, but he replaced these vices with a new one. Dr. Freud would have a field day with the last two decades of his life, which saw sex replacing vodka as his fuel of choice. (The most devastating story in the book involves Zevon’s son Jordon dutifully disposing of his father’s porn collection immediately after Warren’s death, only to discover that said tapes were home movies of his own father.)

Yet nobody can deny that Zevon wasn’t one of the most talented songwriters of our time. His only hit may have been a novelty song (“Werewolves of London”), but even most of his less successful releases have a song or two that is destined to forever be considered a classic. He may have been jealous that so many of his friends were bigger stars than he was, but every one of them (including Browne and Bruce Springsteen) were in awe of his abilities to create smart yet catchy tunes. As Brown says towards the end of the book, “he was always the writer who said the things I wish I said, the things I wish I could say”.

The Classic Debut

Warren Zevon (1976), Jackson Browne not only helped get Zevon signed to Asylum, but he produced his debut album. Though sales were only so-so (he sold a fraction of label-mates Browne and his friends in the Eagles), the album was near the top of a number of year-end Best Album lists. As amazon says, “fueled by a love for the Stones and (author) Ross MacDonald, Zevon turned his (album) into one of the ultimate statements of Southern California pop”.
Essential Tracks: “Poor Poor Pitiful Me”, “Frank and Jesse James”, “Carmelita”.

The Commercial Breakthrough

Excitable Boy (1978). It really is sad that Zevon is best-known for a novelty tune that reportedly took all of fifteen minutes to compose. However, it did fuel sales for his second album (also produced by Browne), which was every bit as good (if not better) than his debut. Zevon’s dark humor is in full display throughout this collection, particularly on the title track’s macabre tale of a high school junior who goes on a killing spree the night of his junior prom.
Key Tracks: “Excitable Boy”, “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner”, “Accidentally Like a Martyr”, “Lawyers, Guns and Money”.

The Mid-Career Comeback

Sentimental Hygiene (1987). Newly sober, a reinvigorated Zevon was paired with then up-and-comers R.E.M. for his first release on his new label, Virgin Records. Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and George Clinton also make cameo appearances on this punchy comeback album. R.E.M.’s punky form of Americana is a perfect backing for what are possibly Zevon’s most morbid and cynical lyrics.
Key Tracks: “Boom Boom Mancini”, “Reconsider Me”, “The Factory”.

The Surprising Side Project

Hindu Love Gods (1990). To amuse themselves during the Sentimental Hygiene sessions, Zevon and R.E.M. ran through a number of old blues and current pop tunes. These recordings were not originally meant to be released, and reportedly the band was not happy when they learned of their impeding release. That’s too bad, as Hindu Love Gods showcases a fun-loving side of Zevon that was rarely shown throughout his career, particularly on covers of Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” and Georgia Satellite’s “Battleship Chains”.
Key Tracks: “Raspberry Beret”, “Battleship Chains”, “Walking Blues”, “Junko Partner”.

The Low Point

Tranverse City (1989). Zevon was always fascinated with science fiction, but this futuristic concept album proved that he really was not cut out for electronic, computer-based music. Neil Young and Bob Dylan are back for cameos, along with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia. Good luck finding their contributions.
Key Tracks: “Splendid Isolation”, “Run Straight Down”.

The Late-Career Comeback

Life’ll Kill Ya (2000). The ‘90s were not a great decade for Zevon. He bounced from label to label, and although each of his albums during that period (including Mr. Bad Example and Mutineer) included a number of masterpieces, they were primarily second-rate efforts. Signed to a new label primarily dedicated to re-launching the careers of legends (Artemis), Zevon responded with his best album in almost 15 years. Not only does it contain some of his best latter-day tracks, it’s also possibly his most varied work ever.
Key Tracks: “Porcelain Monkeys”, “Don’t Let Us Get Sick”.

The Eulogy

The Wind (2003). When cancer was discovered in late 2002, Zevon had three goals – to record a final album, live to see the births of his daughter’s twins, and see the latest James Bond movie. Miraculously, he made it to all three big events. While he almost sabotaged the recording sessions by hitting the bottle once again for the first time in 17 years, old friends (including Springsteen, Don Henley, Browne, Dwight Yoakam, and Tom Petty) gathered together to help him prepare his final statement. Despite the circumstances, Zevon’s humor is still evident, particularly on the snarling “Disorder in the House”.
Key Tracks: “Dirty Life and Times”, “Disorder In the House”, “Keep Me In Your Heart”.

The Compilation

I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (1996). While 2002’s Genius includes some of his later standouts, it’s this 44-track, double-disc Rhino anthology that everybody should consider starting with. While short on rarities, almost every song that is essential is collected here.