I’m kicking off this new category in my blog with my review of Warren Zevon’s ‘Preludes’ CD. The original review was posted to Amazon.com, but I’ve reposted it here for you to read if you’re interested:
Not just a collection of leftovers and half-hearted attempts
You’ve probably seen other “b-side” or “demo” collections from other musicians. Sometimes there’s the odd memorable tune or maybe an acoustic version of an old favorite. But more often than not those discs end up being just a bunch of stuff that was left off other albums because the songs weren’t really up to snuff.
So when I first grabbed ‘Preludes’ off the shelf I had my doubts about the level of quality of the songs. But after reviewing the track listing and specifically the half-dozen songs that had never been released on any other Zevon recording… well, I was sold. And I am completely thrilled by the fact that this isn’t just one of those collections of leftovers. It’s much more vital than just a bunch of tracks from some old reel-to-reel tapes found in a storage unit. And yet that’s just what these are. Warren’s son Jordan describes finding just such a box and the result of going through the contents is what you find on this amazing collection.
By the middle of the first track on the first disc you will already be convinced that you’re hearing a Zevon classic that somehow slipped past producers and record company execs when first recorded. You’ll ask yourself, “why on earth wasn’t this ever released?” Yes, it’s that good of a song. If you’re like me you’ll be singing along by the end of it and quickly hitting the back button to hear it again.
Also on the first disc are solid recordings of well-known tracks like Hasten Down the Wind and Desperados Under the Eves. Though I challenge even the most well-listened Zevon fan to pick out Accidentally Like a Martyr when the track first begins. I had to check the disc case twice just to be sure I had the right song. It’s a completely different reworking of what I thought to have been an amazing song to begin with. Best of all though is the fact that Warren doesn’t ruin a classic, he simply creates another facet from which to view the original.
Disc 2 is quite different than what you’re used from a collection of ‘music’ in that it only has three actual songs. The remainder is made up of spoken word tracks in which Warren covers topics such as songwriting, acting and his early career. This may seem unusual, but it works. Hearing Warren speak is fantastic as his voice and his thoughts are both consistently interesting. For fans familiar with the WMMS interview/session from 1976 (that can be found on archive.org) you won’t be at all surprised by the contents of disc 2. In fact, you’ll be happy, as I was, to hear a more mature Zevon had perhaps more life experience in later life but certainly hadn’t lost his sense of humor nor his quirky perspective on life. It’s these spoken/interview tracks that make me miss Warren even more I think than does the music. The music will always hold up; the songs being individual monuments to moments in time. But hearing him speak makes me wonder what else he might have to say if he were here today. It’s sad that he isn’t, but thankfully we have recordings like this to help us remember this treasured writer/singer/musician.
Now go buy this disc and see what else you find among these eclectic tracks. 
UPDATE: May 14/07 - Note that I’ve opened up comments on this post. I’d love to hear from some of you other Zevon fans.