"Enjoy Every Sandwich" - The Songs of Warren Zevon

I did a search and could not find any posts on this tribute album, so I'm starting one.

When I was in the UK 10 days ago, I saw a review in The Independent newspaper and they gave it 5 stars. That made me keen to try it out. Somewhat coincidentally, I returned on Saturday 16th and there was a review in the Sunday Mercury News of the same CD and it was not that flattering.

I hunted around a couple of stores and eventually found it at Media Play. I did not get a chance to listen, but had to go to St Louis for a few days on Wednesday, so I put it in with my portable system (Panasonic CDP, Total Airhead amp, Bose Series II noise cancelling 'phones) and it was the first CD I listened to on the plane. When I picked up a rental I stuck it in the CD player and it stayed there for three days! I just listened to it here at home, and have to agree with The Independent.

This is a terrific CD. From the sublime version of "Keep Me In Your Heart" (Jorge Calderon and Jennifer Warnes) to the kick-**** thrash by the Pixies ("Ain't That Pretty At All"), with stops on the way for Bob's live mumbling of "Mutineer", Springsteen's inspired "My Ride's Here", Henley on "Searching For a Heart" and (especially thrilling) Jordan Zevon doing "Studebaker" - what a great song.

I'm even partial to Adam Sandler's version of "Werewolves" - he makes it rock pretty hard; though Billy Bob Thorton messes up the beautiful song "The Wind" something awful. But then there's Steve Earle, Jackson Browne and Ms Raitt, The Wallflowers, Peter Yorn (who's he?) on "Splendid Isolation" - wonderful. And David Lindley/Ry Cooder doing "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse" is a lot of fun.

It's on Artemis, has great sound and really flows well from song to song. There's an unlisted instrumental at the end with violin and cello that provides a thoughtful coda to a wonderful tribute to a great songwriter.

I could not have asked for more.

 

I cringed when I saw Adam Sandler was doing Werewolves but I am glad to hear there are enough good performances to make this worth getting. Pete Yorn has done 2 albums for Sony and is best known for the single Strange Condition. The debut CD "Musicforthemorningafter" had a bonus CD with some great covers of Springsteen, The Smiths, and David Bowie/Iggy Pop (excellent cover of China Girl).

 

I was also concerned about Adam Sandler (mind you I know nothing about him apart from Happy Gilmore), and I never got "Donkey Wash", but I will give this disk a try.

I thought Warren was rather repetitive over the years, but many of his brilliant songs more than made up for it.

Thanks for the review.

 

adam sandler is terrible. just program out that track and it is an outstanding album!

jackson browne's "poor poor pitiful me" is worth the price of admission alone.


renny

 

I'll third the complaint about Adam Sandler, and Billy Bob Thornton is another dud.

But the rest is good, tho Springsteen sounds like he has a closepeg on his nose, and should have taken a decongestant before the concert. Donkey Wash was done like a ceilidh, and gave me much more appreciation of the song, tho I'm still mystified by the title.

CD artwork is rarely very interesting to me, but I love the caricature sketch on the cover of this disk, and the disk title is inspired. Enjoy Every Sandwich!

Glad to have bought it.

 

I was listening to this again on the plane the other day, and I hate to say this, but I think Adam Sandler did a great job on "Werewolves". The other Adam Sandler song I have is an embarassing song on the NY 911 tribute album; but he surprises me on "Werewolves". He has a great howl, and it's a good version.

All I am saying is, if you have not heard this version, don't prejudge him.

 

metralla,

i have heard it, and i even listened to it again thinking i was too harsh. i wasn't! absolutely terrible.

renny

 

I wish someone had been clever enuff to think to use the Jackson Browne
version of "Werewolves of Bryn Mawr" (I haven't heard this in years - but
WMMR in Philly used to play it fairly often).

It has lines in it like "I saw Bruce Springsteen walking in Asbury Park...
after dark... and he looked JUST LIKE the werewolf of london"

I also remember Jackson giving a plug for Warren ("Warren Zevon -
that's Z-E-V-O-N" is stuck in my brain as well)


Bryn Mawr is a town not too from Philly that used to have a funky
club called The Main Point. I believe WMMR used to broadcast
concerts from there every Sunday night back in the early 70s.

Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, and Warren Zevon
all broadcast live from there...