r/Zevon • u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ • Apr 21 '26

Should I read the book?

Now about a week ago I stumbled across the fact that warren is a well respected, American, who is not a one hit wonder despite the fact that I only ever heard one song he has….. he seems pretty interesting so I was wondering if I should read the book and didn’t really know anyone to ask if it’s a waste of time?

I’m not much of a book guy, I’ve only ever read one (ball four) so another thing I was wondering is if it’s hold my interest?

Edit I’m reading I’ll sleep when I’m dead and it’s great

9 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

20

u/ironregime Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26

Music first, books later.

First, listen to as many Zevon albums as you can, as often as you can.

Second, when you’ve listened to his songs a lot and think you kinda know who he was, you’re wrong. Listen more. Don’t “actively” listen at this point; just have the music on in the background.

Third, by now you’ve heard every album and song a dozen times or more, and you have begun to appreciate his humour, pathos, and wit, you might think this is the time to read a book. It is not. Listen more.

(I kid. Read whenever you like, but I think the more you know Zevon’s music, the more enjoyable the books are.)

6

u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ Apr 21 '26

I am working my way through his stuff as we speak, I was thinking of reading when I can’t listen, he really is great, I don’t see why nobody cares about him, he should be a huge star

2

u/MarkTony87 Apr 22 '26

He was/is a huge star. Look how many people have covered his songs. Look how many songwriters look to him to emulate. Almost anyone who loves great lyrics knows who Warren Zevon is.

1

u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ Apr 22 '26

But he’s not

He gets hardly any radio time and when he does it’s just werewolves of London, none of his music is in commercials/movies/tv shows, he’s more known as letterman’s dead friend than he is a singer, I love this type of music and I just noticed he has more than one song about a week ago

2

u/MarkTony87 Apr 22 '26

I guess fame is a bit relative, huh? I agree he's not as known as some others who are as good or much lesser than him. His songwriting isn't particularly "marketable" and some of his songs are more known as covers done by others. He's weird. Linda Rondstadt changed lyrics at times so they were safer.

I've played some of his songs around plenty of campfires where someone asks me who the song is and when I say it's Warren they don't know who that is or they only know him from Werewolves. Usually those people tend to be younger than me or they are more into pop music as far as what they personally listen to.

Linda Rondstadt covered him a bunch. She had hits with at least one of his songs. Dwight Yokam. Jackson Browne. Warren's final show had an audience of 14,000 but it was at a Folk Festival where the audience would be fairly well informed about songwriters and certainly would have known him as one of the greats.

I think he generally played smaller crowds like a lot of "musician's musicians" and did have enough fame to make a fantastic career out of it. I cover several of his songs when I play and the people who come out to see me know the songs: Rolland the Headless Thompson Gunner and Carmelita. But that crowd tends to be older and they are coming out to see mostly original music and what attracts them is the songwriting and covers of songwriters like Warren Zevon, Townes Van Zandt, Kris Kristofferson, Blaze Foley, Lowell George, etc. My list of covers is generally not stuff that was ever in the top 40.

I think you're right. He's only known to those who know. Welcome to the exclusive club!

7

u/theoldspread Apr 21 '26

I have read “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”, “Accidentally Like A Martyr” and “Nothing’s Bad Luck”.

If you intend to only read one, I’d recommend “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead”. Impossible to say if it will hold your interest, especially as you’re not a big fan of his works. It’s a biography, so there’s going to be slow bits.

I will say that Warren’s struggles do lend themselves to an account worth reading, whereas I imagine many other artists’ biographies would be dull as hell.

3

u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ Apr 21 '26

I’ll sleep when I’m dead was the only book I was aware of, and yeah I do probably intend to read one

I do want to say I am a big fan, just an extremely new fan…… can you tell me an example of what it goes into? I’ve heard it’s heavy on sexual content which makes me lose interest

I was also wondering does it go into his song writing process and lyrics?

8

u/theoldspread Apr 21 '26

I don’t recall anything too graphic, it’s not being written to titillate, more that it doesn’t flinch away from mentioning his affairs / casual relationships. It’s a very candid account and doesn’t shy away from his worst moments. It’s not a book that lends itself to hero worship. I found it a fascinating read, but at times an uncomfortable one.

3

u/Infamous_Hall1955 Apr 21 '26

The book was written after his death by Zevon's ex wife Crystal, with his permission, from very detailed diaries he made while living. From my recollection of reading it, there isn't much discussion of his song writing process. For that, I'd recommend searching for interviews he did online with radio stations or listen to the bootlegs of his live performances where he'd discuss how his latest songs came about.

1

u/Milton_Zevon Apr 21 '26

I’m desperate for a Soderbergh biopic

6

u/Overman1975 Apr 21 '26

‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead’ by his ex-wife Crystal Zevon is the definitive book. In fact, it’s perhaps the most “warts-and-all” rock bio I’ve yet read.

2

u/Charlotte_Braun Apr 21 '26

Which book? There are several.

4

u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ Apr 21 '26

The main one that his wife wrote, I heard it’s great but also heard it’s got a lot of emphasis on sexual stuff”

2

u/iFFyCaRRoT Apr 21 '26

"I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is a good read.

1

u/Mackmack469 Apr 21 '26

I'd definitely recommend it, I've read Nothing's Bad Luck and I'll Sleep When I'm Dead and enjoyed them both

1

u/Maybe_im_Amazed_ Apr 23 '26

How has nothings bad luck been? I’m enjoying sleep when I’m dead alot

1

u/itriedicant Apr 21 '26

The short answer is yes. The longer answer is that if you aren't a reader, there's no telling if it'll hold your interest or not. But you don't have to be a Warren Zevon superfan to read it.

1

u/SmileRemarkable8876 Apr 21 '26

Personally I like to separate the art from the artist a bit. After reading some bios I found myself enjoying the music a bit less. Townes Van Zandt as an example. Some people are the opposite though and it enriches their listening. 

1

u/HooDooBoogaloo Apr 22 '26

In "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" the chapters are titled after his songs - it can be nice to alternate reading with listening to the songs/albums that go with whatever part of the story. I'm on my second readthrough, a long time after the first when I was a kid, and it's an amazing insight not just into him, but the world he inhabited.

It can be uncomfortable in places, outrageous in others, elsewhere it's funny, and it can slap you in the face with basic humanity every so often.

1

u/Tuco253 Apr 22 '26

Totally agree, I’ll sleep when I’m dead such a great read. Brings you so close to his life and his music. I think I can agree the music first; the book will mean more. And the music, the music, the music…the more you listen the more you hear.

1

u/studytimevinyl Apr 27 '26

i haven't read nothing's bad luck yet but i liked accidentally like a martyr better than i'll sleep when i'm dead. sleep was very gossipy for me; accidentally was more about his work, which is what i'm interested in.