Warren Zevon's pungent vocals and dry wit immediately stood out among his California soft-rock contemporaries. But he really got comfortable with his idiosyncratic style on his third album, creating a loose, rocking sound that juxtaposes beautifully with his dark sense of humour. Zevon's flair for irony shines on the twangy "Accidentally Like a Martyr" and the cowboy ballad "Veracruz". While the playful "Werewolves of London" gets the most attention, the macabre title track and mock epic "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" worm deliciously under our skin.