Various Artists - Hurry Home Early: The Songs Of Warren Zevon

Various Artists - Hurry Home Early: The Songs Of Warren Zevon / 2005 Wampus Multimedia / http://www.wampus.com / Reviewed 22 July 2005

After Warren Zevon passed, there was a fury of commemorative reissues and compilations, but this disc had been in the hopper since 200l, its aim true (Wampus is planning on giving a dollar of every sale of this disc to cancer research).While looking at the compilation for the first time will result in finding a lot of unknown names (Phil Cody, The Simple Things) and not-so-famous Zevon songs (Run Straight Down), the fact is that there are stars and strong tracks strewn about. Phil Cody, who toured with Zevon in the past does a straight up cover (down to vocal inflection) of Zevon�s �Splendid Isolation�, while The Simple

Things modify �I�ll Slow You Down� into perfect early-nineties power pop. Born out of the fuzz of The Replacements, Husker Du and John Mellencamp, The Simple Things cut a track that just feels perfect on the tracks of an movie from that era. The incorporation of Zevon-esque guitar work towards the end of the track makes �I�ll Slow You Down� all the stronger. While �Desperados Under The Eaves� always had a sort of country twinge to it, Last Train Home moves the track further into the realm of country, a move that is not all that surprising considering the success of Linda Ronstadt�s version of �Poor Poor Pitiful Me�. The disc spins its way to a minor rut during the uninspired and tepid cover of �Carmelita� by Rachel Stamp, and continues down that path with The Matthew Show�s version of �Mohammed�s Radio�. The Matthew Show�s version of the track is fairly low-key, but uses some nice applications of drawn-out vocals, if the way it is finished is not too terribly exciting.

The inclusion of the unreleased �Warm Rain� is a much-have for all Zevon aficionados, even if the track falls into the aforementioned mid-disc doldrums. It is during Neil Luckett�s (tvfordogs) impression of Dave Matthews that the disc can begin to regain some of its lost momentum; the sweet sound of eir voice and quaint guitarwork make Luckett�s version of �Mutineer� touching. The up-tempo version of �Life�ll Kill Ya� gives the track (which always was a high point of Zevon�s later work) a Dylan feel, all while throwing a little pop-punk influence (the Dylan-esque vocals also seem to add in Mark Hoppus� vocals). A strong mixture of tracks by bands that deserve getting a boost from their efforts on this disc, which is for the most part a great representation of Zevon�s music.

Top Tracks: Robbie Rist�s �Mr. Bad Example�, Phil Cody�s �Splendid Isolation�

Rating: 7.2/10