Excitable Boy - R1978 - 5* Stand in the Fire - R1981- 5* The Envoy - R1982 - 4* "Werewolves of London," the 1978 hit single propelled by Mick Fleetwood's whomping drums, was the calling card into Zevon's macabre world. Its corresponding album, "Excitable Boy", concentrated Zevon's lunacy with a...
Excitable Boy – R1978 – 5*
Stand in the Fire – R1981- 5*
The Envoy – R1982 – 4*
“Werewolves of London,” the 1978 hit single propelled by Mick Fleetwood’s whomping drums, was the calling card into Zevon’s macabre world. Its corresponding album, “Excitable Boy”, concentrated Zevon’s lunacy with a procession of ruthless mercenaries and psycho killers.
With a tough studio sound laced together by Waddy Wachtel’s spiralling guitar runs, Zevon spun out cinematic narratives worthy of his film-noir heroes. “Stand in the Fire”, meanwhile, is Zevon’s rock ‘n’ roll manifesto, one of the best live albums ever.
A fevered set of raw, rusted-out-garage anthems, it’s a model of controlled chaos, Zevon bringing his cracked songs alive with fierce abandon and wry ad-libbing. “The Envoy” may be Zevon’s most overlooked effort, but from the geopolitical prescience of the title song, it’s still Zevon near the top of his game.
LUKE TORN