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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The name of the game is be hit and hit back, Mar 14 2004
After battling addiction to drugs and alchohal, Warren Zevon returned from a worrying absense...with his strongest album yet (and possibly ever). Of all the album he ever made, this is rocks the hardest and his songwriting returned with renewed power. For the most part, he is backed by the musicians of R.E.M., who had not yet achieved their full success. The songwriting, however, is almost all his and it shows, despite the plethora of guest stars.
He starts out with the strong steady kick of the title track, proclaiming that he 'needs some Sentimental Hygiene' and musing that 'everybody's at war these days'. A strong tune (Neil Young plays lead guitar) but nothing amazing for Zevon. 7/10 stars.
'Boom-Boom Mancini', the second song, is possibly the heaviest rock song he ever wrote and paints a dark (and true) storyscape of the famous boxer (who apparently, after hearing this song, became good friends with Zevon). One of his best, darkest songs ever. 10/10.
'The Factory', a Springsteen-ish number with BobDylan on harmonica, is catchy (try to not like him shout 'yes, sir, no, sir' as loud as he can during the chorus). 7/10.
'Trouble Waiting To Happen', written with J.D Souther, is plainly about his addiction. 'The mailman brought me the Rolling Stone. It said I was living at home alone. I read things I didn't know I'd done. It sounded like a lot of fun.' Depressed but witty. 9/10.
'Reconsider Me' is one of the few ballads on the albums and also one of the best he'd ever written. Reportedly, when asked if he had ever written songs personal enough for him to consider not using them, he pointed at once to this song. It's easy to see why, as he begs someone, perhaps everyone, to reconsider him and promises that he'll 'never make them sad again'. He seems to be speaking of his addiction again, especially when he says 'if it's the past that make you doubt, darling, that was then and this is now'. Excellent. One of his best. 10/10.
'Detox Mansion', written with long-time callaborater Jorge Calderon, is a joky look at how his alchohal detox. Funny, with a bitter side hiding under the numorous jokes and puns. 10/10.
'Bad Karma' finds him blaming the fates for his mifortune. Michael Stipe, the lead singer of R.E.M., joins his bandmates to sing the harmony on this and the music includes a sitar. Zevon wails that he can't get away from his fate and wonders what he did to deserve it. Dark. 8/10.
'Even A Dog Can Shake Hands' is the only song on the album that Warren Zevon actually wrote with R.E.M. It's one of his quirkiest rockers, filled with witty indictments of the way Hollywood and the music business work. Funny. 9/10.
'The Heartache' finds Warren Zevon joined by Jennifer Warnes to sing a sad tale of loving someone who does not share your affection. 9/10.
'Leave My Monkey Alone' is a dark, funky tale about Kenya and the Mau Mau inscurrectionists. It features Flea (of the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on bass and was produces and arranged by George Clinton. 10/10.
The bonus tracks are hardly essential or great new additions. 'Nocturne' is awful, a mess of random synthasizer sounds that sounds as thought he was fooling randomly around on his keyboard. The Spanish version of 'Leave My Monkey Alone' is interesting and features some slightly different music and more jungle noises.
All in all, the best from a man who seemed unable to produce anything truly bad. It should be the first in your Warren Zevon collection, along with 'Excitable Boy'.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Warren Zevon is a Hindu Love God, May 3 2004
The late Warren Zevon was one of America's great songwriters. His acidic wit and poignant prose is fueled here by his recent detox visit to the Betty Ford Center and his newfound kinship with REM, who backed him on this release(and also recorded with him as the HINDU LOVE GODS). Getting clean and sober never rocked so good as it does here. Zevon's smokey baritone voice is in top form, the production is supreme and there are contributions from the usual suspects (Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Brian Setzer, George Clinton)
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential for Zevon and REM fans...and everyone else!, Jan 23 2004
Five years of waiting to get an album out sharpened Warren Zevon. "The Envoy" was a very good album that wasn't given a good reception, and - even though he was already getting his life on track beforehand - this was the album that spotlighted Warren under full command of his powers. Backed mostly by the members of R.E.M. (along with a line-up diverse enough to include Bob Dylan and George Clinton), "Sentimental Hygiene" was simply one of Warren's best albums to date.There was considerable muscle being flexed here. R.E.M. were not yet the megastars that they would be in another year, but they were probably the coolest band on the planet. Minus Michael Stipe (who does contribute a background vocal on "Bad Karma"), they were obviously having a grand time providing Warren with some rocking drive on the topical "Boom Boom Mancini" and Springsteen-ish "The Factory." The sardonic irony that is one of Warren's strongest points is also given joyous reign in "Even a Dog Can Shake Hands" and "Detox Mansion." Who else but Warren Zevon could take such a turning point in his life and twist it so gleefully? Yet an adult sense of responsibility surfaces here. "Reconsider Me" is one of the best pleas for forgiveness ever set to tape, even getting some airplay when the album was released. It's the sound of a man who recognizes what his self screw-ups have done to those around him, and is delivered with a rare courage. It's the central heart of "Sentimental Hygiene." The album's other attempt at a "hit" (including a video) was "Leave My Monkey Alone," which was funked up by "Atomic Dog" walker George Clinton. Worth its wait and its weight, this was one of the best of 1987. The remastering makes it even heavier sounding. The bonus cuts, unfortunately, offer no revelations. "Nocturne" sounds like some noodling noise that eventually became the intro to "They Moved The Moon" on "Transverse City," and the Spanish mix of "Monkey" is kind of pointless. Regardless of those additions, "Sentimental Hygiene" remains an essential not just for Zevon fans, but for lovers of R.E.M.
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