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Frequently Bought Together
Product Details
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Track Listings
| 1. Dirty Life & Times |
| 2. Disorder in the House |
| 3. Knockin' On Heaven's Door |
| 4. Numb as a Statue |
| 5. She's Too Good for Me |
| 6. Prison Grove |
| 7. El Amor de mi Vida |
| 8. The Rest of the Night |
| 9. Please Stay |
| 10. Rub Me Raw |
| 11. Keep Me in Your Heart |
Product Description
From Amazon.com
The Wind is like an X-ray with a dark shadow that shouldn’t be there and can’t be ignored. Recorded after Zevon was diagnosed in 2002 with inoperable lung cancer, it sounds like the work of a guy who's still fighting, but also starting to wrap things up. Although Zevon is best known for his poison-dart wit, he’s always been a bit of a softie, too. It’s no surprise, then, that The Wind leans heavily on irony-free ballads such as "She’s Too Good for Me," "El Amor de mi Vida," and "Please Stay." But there’s also a dose of defiant blues ("Rub Me Raw") and plenty of dirty slide guitar, courtesy of Ry Cooder and David Lindley. (Other guests include Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, and Dwight Yoakam).
If the lyrics generally lack the literary precision of Zevon’s best work, the songs take on greater weight given the circumstance under which they were recorded. Heard in 1983, a party-hearty anthem like "The Rest of the Night" would’ve sounded like yet another dumb argument for hedonism, and "Numb as a Statue" might have come off as the self-lacerating joke of an alcoholic unable to deal with his emotions directly. However, on The Wind, these songs are genuinely touching, the work of a guy deadened by meds but unwilling to surrender to The Big Sleep just yet. A cover of Dylan’s "Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door" is the album’s most direct comment on Zevon’s fragile health, but the most touching song is the album-closing acoustic ballad "Keep Me in Your Heart," recorded by Zevon at home after the star-studded studio work was complete. Clearly, Zevon survived one hell of a farewell party last night, but now it's morning again and there’s no telling what the rest of the day might bring. --Keith Moerer
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Swan Songs,
By
This review is from: The Wind (Audio CD)
Correct us if we are wrong, but we can't think of another album where the artist knew, as he was making it, it would be his final one. Warren Zevon died from cancer several months ago, shortly after this, his final legacy, was released. It is a beauty. What struck us upon first listenings was how normal the album was, in many ways a typical Zevon album. No grand statement. No pretensions (Zevon appeared incapable of them). No self-pity (ditto). The usual mix of stirring ballads and fiery rock and roll. Even his focus on death was not unusual. Zevon, much more than most pop artists, has always written with mortality in mind ("I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead", "Life'll Kill Ya", etc.). But what quickly became apparent was that this contains some of Zevon's finest work. Of course it is nearly impossible to separate the material from the knowledge that he created it knowing that his death was imminent. Thus a song like "(Let's Party for)The Rest of the Night", which might at other times have been a throwaway, becomes a celebration of life, a big '&%$# you' to the other thing. And songs that would be moving or funny or haunting under any circumstance take on added dimension and meaning. The musicianship is outstanding. A host of guest stars--Springsteen, a flock of Eagles, Ry Cooder, David Lindley, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, and others--come to pay respects. But the clear stars here are Zevon's performance, his songs, and the inspirational manner in which he faced his death. The final track, Warren's swan song, if you will, "Keep Me in Your Heart", is a masterpiece of simplicity. Powerfully emotional without a trace of sentimentality: "Sometimes when you're doing simple things around the house/Maybe you'll think of me and smile/You know I'm tied to you like the buttons on your blouse/Keep me in your heart for awhile." While we may not be the person (or even the gender of the person) to whom that request is being made, we will, Warren. We most certainly will.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Zevon's place in music,
By
This review is from: The Wind (Audio CD)
I must take issue with The Nemean Lion Of Herculean Bitterness' review, although he is certainly entitled to his opinion. Zevon certainly was on the fringes of the music world, but that does not make his body of work an less remarkable. Listen to LIFE WILL KILL YA, MY RIDE'S HERE, and EXCITABLE BOY and tell me that this man wasn't a lyrical and vocal genius. While some people may feel squeamish about Zevon's openly confronting his impending death, I admire the courage it took him to persevere and make this album. Songs such as "Please Stay," "Keep Me in Your Heart," and "Prison Grove" hold their own against many of his other classic performances. By the way, Mr. Zevon actually died of asbestoses rather than smoking, although admittedly the smoking probably didn't help.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
A mix of ok and great songs,
By
This review is from: The Wind (Audio CD)
Warren Zevon is a musical genius, but this is definitely not one of his best albums. his cover of Knockin' On Heaven's Door is better than Bob Dylan, and his final track and swan song, Keep Me In Your Heart is touching as well as a great song. However, the rest of the songs of the album range from horrible (Please Stay) to pretty good (Disorder In The House, El amor di mi vida). If you liked listening to this album, then pick up Life'll Kill Ya or Excitable Boy, the latter of which has arguably his greatest song, Werewolves of London. Music will miss him.
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