“Shooter
Jennings and the Werewolves of Los Angeles Do Zevon” was released on November 3
featuring renditions of 13 Zevon tunes, including such classics as “Lawyers,
Guns and Money,” “Excitable Boy,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” and “Werewolves of
London.”
The
album’s release date coincided with the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Induction Ceremony, and the timing is no coincidence. After Zevon was nominated
for honor, Jennings became a vocal advocate supporting his induction and he was
upset when the late singer/songwriter was passed over this year, so he’s hoping
releasing the tribute record will bring more attention to Zevon.
“I
started finding these groups online that were trying to lobby for [Zevon] to
get in,” Jennings told Rolling Stone in a recent interview. “Then Billy Joel
wrote a letter to the Hall of Fame saying they should nominate him. So…the
nomination happened, and I was like, ‘Oh my God!’ Then we’re out there trying
to help pump up the cause and get people to vote, and … they don’t accept him. Willie
Nelson gets in, and as much as Willie Nelson is a part of my family, I felt
like that was cheating and that Warren should have been in.”
The
performance was recorded at the famed Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood,
California on February 3, 2023,
Jennings
says, “With Zevon, I didn’t realize it until I learned all these songs we were
rehearsing, was how similar his vocal range and his style logically, the keys
he’s choosing, is very much a lot like myself.
“There’s
a lot of overlaps with my own life [and his],” he continued. “And I just have
such an admiration for the simplicity of his songwriting. The chords and
things, it’s all very simple, but it’s so artistic and biting. Lyrically, he
can chop a whole forest down with one word—it’s amazing.”
I
personally am a little ticked off that Zevon is not in there and so many people
who are not rock and roll artists are. Stephen McCarthy and I used to spend
hours discussing rock lyrics and pretty much agreed that while Dylan was in a
class by himself, the next level clearly included Warren Zevon alongside other
noted lyricists such as Bruce Springsteen.
And I
am sure Stephen will get a kick out of the fact that I have listened to the
Jennings tribute (which is a country album) five times over the first two days
of it's availability (I have not bought it since it is available to stream and
I have been selling off my collection).
Rock
& Roll Hall Of Fame-shame on you for not inducting Warren Zevon before such
questionable choices as Eminem, The Beastie Boys, Grandmaster Flash, Al Green,
Whitney Houston, Jay-Z, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, LL Cool J or NWA, none
of whom are rock and roll performers.
Stop
pandering and induct Warren Zevon!
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