Preludes - Rare and Unreleased Recordings

iTunes Review

Compiled by Zevon’s son Jordan from a stash of demo tapes discovered after Warren’s 2003 death, Preludes is an essential collection of insights into one of the more intriguing singer-songwriters who came of age in the late-70s. Though Zevon was well-connected within the Los Angeles musical community — counting Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel and the Eagles as dependable friends — and recorded much of his material with their expert contributions, his songs were darker and filled with greater emotional distress than the smooth arrangements let on. To hear such familiar Zevon fare as “Hasten Down the Wind” and “Carmelita” stripped down to solo piano or guitar with Zevon’s voice cracking in the vulnerable spots brings out these songs intimate context. The tracks featuring full band arrangements (“Werewolves of London,” “Poor Poor Pitiful Me,” “Desperados Under the Eaves,” “I Used to Ride So High”) have a funky, garage-band excitement — and some great asides from a rambling Zevon. And the previously unreleased material — “Empty Hearted Town,” “Steady Rain,” “Studebaker”” and “The Rosarita Beach Café” — is up to his own stringent standards. Allegedly, there’s more where this came from. Hopefully, this is just a taste of what’s to come.