“Timor mortis conturbat me.
It’s from a medieval Scottish poem by William Dunbar,
It means, ‘The fear of death just fucks me up’”
– Warren Zevon (told to The Guardian, and roaring with laughter)
Warren Zevon died in 2003 aged 56, he was noted for his black humour and dry wit; he never had the big commercial success he deserved. He was highly regarded by critics and music lovers (and musicians), you could say he enjoyed a cult following. He should have been big.
“This was a nice deal: life.”
– Warren Zevon
Two weeks before he died of lung cancer, he released one of his best albums, The Wind.
“It’s hard to say if he’s being sincere or darkly witty with his cover of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” though he manages to make it work both ways.”
– Mark Deming (allmusic)
When diagnosed with lung cancer, he said: “I feel the opposite of regret. I was the hardest-living rocker on my block for a while. I was a malfunctioning rummy for a while and running away for a while. Then for 18 years I was a sober dad of some amazing kids. Hey, I feel like I’ve lived a couple of lives.”
The diagnose did in his own words, lead him into one of the most intense and creative periods of his life. Many of his more famous friend came to lend a hand on the record, including Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, Ry Cooder, Billy Bob Thornthon, Jim Keltner, David Lindley, T-Bone Burnett, Joe Walsh and Dwight Yoakam. None of them taking the show from Warren Zevon, he is so clearly in control of his last creation. It is not a big bombastic farewell, it is a guy who enjoys making a record with a bunch of his friends. It feels better, more right!
Here is a touching documentary about the making of The Wind and Warren Zevon’s last months alive:
“Naturally he fends off death-the-fact the way he fended off death-the-theme–with black humor. “I’m looking for a woman with low self-esteem” is how he sums up the succor he craves, and he finishes off a painful “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” with impatient cries of “Open up, open up, open up.” But “El Amor de Mi Vida,” “She’s Too Good for Me,” “Please Stay,” and “Keep Me in Your Heart” mean what their titles say. Only by hearing them can you grasp their tenderness, or understand that the absolute Spanish one seems to be for the wife he left behind, or muse that while the finale addresses his current succor provider, it also reaches out to the rest of us. Everyone who says this isn’t a sentimental record is right. But it admits sentiment, hold the hygiene, and suggests that he knows more about love dying than he did when he was immortal. A-“
-Robert Christgau
The Wind on Spotify:
Check out:
- MusicThisDay.com
- –
- Karl Erik’s expectingrain.com
- Olof’s “Still On The Road“
-Hallgeir & Egil
Please come back for one more album. Your premature departure has left a gaping hole in my heart.
Your huckleberry,
Doc
i think it suked
We think it’s very good 🙂
Until you face the Beast , Like He did .
He made the most of every minute .
8 yrs ago I was told I had colon cancer .
Mine was operable.
8 clear yrs .
At first I didn’t get it , but the man give us all A Gift For Generations.
I lost my Mom To it last yr .
Keep Me in Your Heart Was played for her .
Thank the man his friend s n family.
For allowing him to give us this , It does sum the roller coaster up .
Thank you for sharing and commenting on our post, much appreciated.