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 96: Jeff Dufour / Neil Young [Part 1]
Episode 95: Helaine Olen on Rilo Kiley/Jenny Lewis
Episode 94: John J. Miller on The Afghan Whigs/The Twilight Singers
Episode 93: Christopher Scalia / Spoon
Episode 92: Mark Hemingway / Nirvana
Episode 91: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 3]
Episode 90: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 2]
Episode 89: Damon Linker / David Bowie [Part 1]
Episode 88: Steve Singiser / Living Colour
Episode 87: Brad Birzer / Genesis [ Part 2]
Episode 86: Patrick Frey / Genesis [Part 1]
Episode 85: Christian Schneider / Ramones
Episode 84: Steven Levy / The Doors
Episode 83: Andrew Feinberg / Hüsker Dü
Episode 82: Dan McLaughlin / Bruce Springsteen [Part 2]
Episode 81: Dan McLaughlin / Bruce Springsteen [Part 1]
Episode 80: Randy Barnett / The Zombies and Argent
Episode 79: Lynyrd Skynyrd / Mark Davis
Episode 78: Jeff Pojanowski / Crowded House
Episode 77: Nick Gillespie / The Byrds
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