Warren Zevon - Mr. Bad Example

Waren Zevon - One Of HIs Best

I came a bit late to the Zevon camp. When he got fairly popular back in the late 70's the only song I had ever really heard from him was his big hit "Werewolves Of London" which I absolutely hated. Over the years I have grown to appreciate the song, but at the time I totally wrote Zevon off. Then about 10 years later a friend lent me Zevon's compilation album "A Quiet Normal Life" and it exposed to me what an incredible songwriter Zevon was. I really had no idea. I got to see him live on the "Mr. Bad Example" tour and was really blown away. Not only was Zevon a great songwriter, but he also was solid instrumentally and was a fantastic performer. "Mr. Bad Example" was the first Zevon album that I purchased and it is a very good one. For the most part this album is dark, filled with twisted characters that may appear to be one person on the outside, but someone completely different underneath. Most of these songs are character studies of dysfunctional people and places. In other words right up my alley. "Finishing Touches", "Suzie Lightning", "Model Citizen", "Angel Dressed In Black", "Mr. Bad Example", are all songs with people who fit this mold. Ad to that "Quite Ugly One Morning", and "Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead", along with the almost hopeful final cut, "Searching For A Heart", and what you have is a very good Warren Zevon album. The only song that does not really work for me is the country tinged "Heartache Spoken Here" a duet with Dwight Yokam. If you are a fan of Zevon and don't own this album, I would say this is a must purchase. August 19, 2008

One of the best

This stands up with Mr Z's best albums, and the title track alone is worth the price - one of the best songs I've ever heard. Buy this CD. August 12, 2008

Actually, a rather good example...

...of how to make some good rock 'n roll. Warren Zevon was always the unconventional one; while other artists from the Southern California scene in the seventies were making country/rock (such as his pals the Eagles), Zevon was doing his own thing. Sure, there's country, and oh yes, there's quite a bit of rock 'n roll. But there's a large amount of folk there, too. And blues. And jazz. Some classical music. And...well, and something that's just plain WEIRD.

I've been waiting for MR. BAD EXAMPLE to come back in print. I've been wanting to hear it. I'm glad to say, it was well worth the wait. The album kicks off with the gloomy rocker "Finishing Touches," which includes the memorable black prayer that was typical of Zevon's work: "I can die, you can die, we can die trying," and ends with the whistful and hopelessly romantic "Searching for a Heart" ("They tell me love requires a little standing in line/But I've been waiting for you lover for a long long time"). In between, it's quite a ride. The Civil War gets re-vamped and re-lived on "Renegade;" Dwight Yoakam joins Zevon (as he would later in his career) on the country-shuffle "Heartache Spoken Here;" Zevon gets rather sarcastic and nasty on "Model Citizen;" and quite a bit gets done in Denver after death.

It's an album chock-full of what made Zevon so famous in the first place: dark, nasty wit, coupled with killer melodies and off-beat vocals. The fact that his son harmonizes on several tracks also shows that MR. BAD EXAMPLE was a bit of a transitional album: Zevon the rocker was becoming Zevon the icon. And that is what makes this album pretty much essential: it perfectly captures that crossroads between rocking out, freaking out, speaking out, and growing up. This is rock 'n roll made into art; something Warren Zevon was pretty darn good at. June 17, 2008

Quintessential late-period Zevon

This may be Zevon's most underrated album (although I'm encouraged by all the positive customer reviews here on Amazon). It was recorded on a meager budget, released at one of the low points of his career, and sold poorly. But excluding Zevon's first three albums, which are his masterpieces, this one happens to be my favorite. (Admittedly, I have yet to hear "My Ride's Here" or "The Wind.")

What you'll find here are a couple of very good nasty electric guitar-based songs ("Finishing Touches" and "Angel Dressed in Black"), two of his best novelty songs ever ("Mr. Bad Example" and "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead"), and three top-notch ballads ("Suzie Lightning," "Renegade," and "Searching for a Heart"). Less impressively, there is an experiment in country music ("Heartache Spoken Here"), which is nothing special but at least avoids sounding like a novelty song (as usually happens when a non-country singer goes country) and a herky-jerky rocker ("Quite Ugly One Morning") that is a bit hard to listen to.

But mostly, this album zips along very nicely, and its combination of dark humor and compassion make it the quintessential late-period Zevon album. It's hard for me to name a favorite song, because there's so much variety, but there's always been a special place in my heart for "Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead." For starters, it has one of the great song titles of all times, and it's incredibly catchy. But the lyrics also hold up well, making it more than just another novelty song. On the surface, it sounds like a putdown of the city of Denver (and maybe in some small way it is), but more importantly, it walks a line between celebrating and condemning an aimlessly hedonistic lifestyle. It all sounds like a lot of fun ("You just roll around Denver all day"), but at the same time--as implied by the title--it sounds boring and depressing.

That was always one of Zevon's great strengths as a lyricist: his ability to convey mixed emotions. That talent was largely missing in action on his previous album, "Transverse City" (probably the weakest effort of his career), so it was good to see him return to form with this one. Also, the whole thing has a nice, crisp sound--further proof that in the 80s or early 90s, having a meager recording budget was a blessing in disguise. August 3, 2007

Buy this disc.

Seriously. Sell stuff if you're broke, but buy this. Then play it alot. Loud in the car is good. And use earphones. Improve your life - buy this. Now. May 3, 2007

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