Introducing the Band:
Your hosts Scot Bertram (@ScotBertram) and Jeff Blehar (@EsotericCD) with guest Bruce Edward Walker. He’s Midwest Regional Editor for The Center Square. He has written extensively on popular culture, literature and public policy for reference books, newspapers, magazines, and websites. He’s on Twitter at @bruceedwalker.
Bruce’s Music Pick: Warren Zevon
The show begins its 2021 finishing kick with a long-requested episode featuring the music and career of the great Warren Zevon. Zevon is an artist with passionate fans who, at the same time, also can prove to be difficult to grab onto for newcomers. We hope to provide a path.
As a singer/songwriter, Zevon can be difficult to pigeonhole. He’s a cynic, yes. He writes about portions of society -- outlaws, sociopaths, drug dealers, villains -- that many others might like to forget. He’s full of humor and wit. He writes biographical songs yet also has a wonderful way with literary narratives. He was a drunk. He recovered. He was a drunk again. Personal demons often got the best of him. Yet the work stands up.
As Scot mentions on the show, a trip through his discography is like a series of mini “We Are the World.” Zevon, for most of his career, was able to attract the biggest California rock stars and the best session musicians around to contribute to his albums. Hey, there's Bonnie Raitt! Lindsey Buckingham! Leland Sklar! Ben Keith! Don Henley! David Lindley! Jackson Browne! Linda Ronstadt! Jeff Porcaro! Steve Lukather! J.D. Souther!
The three of us have very different opinions on various portions of Zevon’s career, so this one can be a spicy listen. Send lawyers, guns, and money … and get ready for Warren Zevon.
Episode 134: Guy Denton / Echo & The Bunnymen
Episode 133: Joshua Treviño / Matthew Sweet
Episode 132: Tom Nichols / Boston
Episode 131: Jay Cost / The Kinks [Part 2]
Episode 130: Jay Cost / The Kinks [Part 1]
Episode 129: Mike Long / Joe Jackson
Episode 128: Hannah Rowan / Blondie
Episode 127: Eric Kohn / Huey Lewis & the News
Episode 126: Rory Cooper / Simon & Garfunkel
Episode 125: Matt Murray / Nick Lowe
Episode 124: Dave Weigel / Pet Shop Boys
Episode 123: Dominic Green / The Jam
Episode 122: Eric Garcia / Black Sabbath
Episode 121: Adam Wollner / My Morning Jacket
Episode 120: Mark Hemingway / Big Star
Episode 119: Noam Blum / Tool
Episode 118: Phil Wegmann / The National
Episode 117: Andrew Fink / Otis Redding
Episode 116: Noah Weinrich / Weezer
Episode 115: Jesse Walker / Willie Nelson [Part 2]
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Irish Songs with Ken Murray
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST
Dolly Parton’s America
No Dogs in Space