Excitable Boy

by Warren Zevon

Overview

Warren Zevon's self-titled 1976 album announced he was one of the most striking talents to emerge from the Los Angeles soft rock singer/songwriter community, and Linda Ronstadt (a shrewd judge of talent if a sometimes questionable interpreter) recorded three of its songs on two of her biggest-selling albums, which doubtlessly earned Zevon bigger royalty checks than the album itself ever did. But if Warren Zevon was an impressive calling card, the follow-up, Excitable Boy, was an actual hit, scoring one major hit single, "Werewolves of London," and a trio of turntable hits ("Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," "Lawyers, Guns and Money," and the title track). But while Excitable Boy won Zevon the larger audience his music certainly deserved, the truth is it was a markedly inferior album; while it had all the bile of Warren Zevon, and significantly raised Zevon's dark-humor factor, it was often obvious where his previous album had been subtle, and while all 11 tracks on Warren Zevon were strong and compelling, two of the nine tunes on Excitable Boy -- "Johnny Strike Up the Band" and "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" -- sound like they're just taking up space. Musically, most of Excitable Boy is stuck in a polished but unexceptional FM pop groove, and only "Veracruz" hints at the artful intelligence of Warren Zevon's finest moments. It's hard to say if Zevon was feeling uninspired or just dumbing himself down when he made Excitable Boy, but while it made him famous, it lacks the smarts and substance of his best work. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	03/26/2007
Label:	Rhino / Warner Bros.
UPC:	0081227999773

Tracks

1. Johnny Strikes Up the Band
2. Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner
3. Excitable Boy
4. Werewolves of London
5. Accidentally Like a Martyr
6. Nighttime in the Switching Yard
7. Veracruz
8. Tenderness on the Block
9. Lawyers, Guns and Money
10. I Need a Truck
11. Werewolves of London [Previously Unissued Alternate Version]
12. Tule's Blues [Previously Unissued Solo Piano Version]
13. Frozen Notes [Previously Unissued Strings Version]

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Warren Zevon   Primary Artist,Bass,Organ,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Waddy Wachtel   Synthesizer,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background),Guitar
Jeff Porcaro   Drums,Percussion
Leland Sklar   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jennifer Warnes   Vocal Harmony
Karla Bonoff   Vocals,Vocal Harmony
Rick Marotta   Drums
Mick Fleetwood   Drums
Danny Kortchmar   Guitar,Percussion
Linda Ronstadt   Vocals,Vocal Harmony
Bob Glaub   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Kenny Edwards   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Jim Horn   Recorder,Saxophone
Manuel Vasquez   Requinto,Spanish Guitar
Gentlemen Boys   Vocals,Vocal Harmony,Vocals (Background)
Luis Damian   Jarana,Spanish Guitar
Arthur Gerst   Harp,Mexican Harp
Linda Warnes   Vocals
Richard Wachtel   Guitar,Vocals
John McVie   Bass
J.D. Souther   Vocals
Jackson Browne   Guitar,Vocals
Russ Kunkel   Drums
Greg Ladanyi   Bells,Cowbell
Jorge Calderon   Vocals,Vocal Harmony,Spanish Vocals,Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Dennis Kirk   Mixing,Engineer
Jennifer Warnes   Harmony
Karla Bonoff   Harmony
Linda Ronstadt   Harmony
Sergio Reyes   Assistant Engineer
Kenny Edwards   Harmony
Warren Zevon   Composer,Producer
Jim Horn   Engineer
The Gentlemen Boys   Harmony
George Ybara   Assistant Engineer
Lorrie Sullivan   Photography
Jimmy Wachtel   Design,Photography
Richard Wachtel   Producer
Leroy P. Marinelli   Composer
J.D. Souther   Harmony
Jackson Browne   Harmony,Composer,Producer
LeRoy Marinell   Composer
Greg Ladanyi   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
David Lindell   Composer
Jorge Calderon   Harmony,Composer
Waddy Wachtel   Harmony,Composer,Producer