Warren Zevon was one messed-up dude—but a true genius. This audio biography of the Southern California songwriter is justifiably painful to listen to, despite Fleet Cooper's excellent narration (though Cooper needs to do better at pronouncing the names of rock stars). Zevon was an alcoholic self-destructive artist, a terrible friend, and a worse husband, but when his genius shone through, it was blinding. The audiobook goes into incredible detail about his life and loves, successes and failures. It’s too bad it doesn’t come with a soundtrack, but that's what YouTube is for. Just try to listen to "Keep Me in Your Heart," the last song he recorded just days before his death from lung cancer, without choking up. M.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon
Narrated by Fleet Cooper
C. M. KushinsUnabridged — 16 hours, 0 minutes
Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon
Narrated by Fleet Cooper
C. M. KushinsUnabridged — 16 hours, 0 minutes
Overview
As is the case with so many musicians, the life of Warren Zevon was blessed with talent and opportunity yet also beset by tragedy and setbacks. Raised mostly by his mother with an occasional cameo from his gangster father, Warren had an affinity and talent for music at an early age. Taking to the piano and guitar almost instantly, he began imitating and soon creating songs at every opportunity. After an impromptu performance in the right place at the right time, a record deal landed on the lap of a teenager who was eager to set out on his own and make a name for himself. But of course, where fame is concerned, things are never quite so simple.
Drawing on original interviews with those closest to Zevon, including Crystal Zevon, Jackson Browne, Mitch Albom, Danny Goldberg, Barney Hoskyns, and Merle Ginsberg, Nothing's Bad Luck tells the story of one of rock's greatest talents. Journalist C.M. Kushins not only examines Zevon's troubled personal life and sophisticated, ever-changing musical style, but emphasizes the moments in which the two are inseparable, and ultimately paints Zevon as a hot-headed, literary, compelling, musical genius worthy of the same tier as that of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.
In Nothing's Bad Luck, Kushins at last gives Warren Zevon the serious, in-depth biographical treatment he deserves, making the life of this complex subject accessible to fans old and new for the very first time.
Editorial Reviews
★ 04/22/2019
With refreshing candor, journalist and musician Kushins traces the ups and downs of Warren Zevon’s incendiary life and music career in intimate detail. Drawing on interviews with Zevon’s family, friends, and fellow musicians, Kushins provides a year-by-year chronicle of his subject’s struggles to stay sober, write songs, and make records. Born in Chicago in 1947 to a bookie father and Mormon mother who divorced, Zevon gravitated to music in junior high and developed a love of classical music to which he would return later in life. By the time he was 20, he was writing songs prolifically and in 1976 released his first record, Warren Zevon, to critical acclaim. Zevon had been drinking heavily throughout his 30s, and in 1984 he entered rehab. A sober Zevon in 1987 released Sentimental Hygiene, which contained his humorous take on rehab in the song “Detox Mansion,” which was “a deliberate push in introducing Warren to a new generation of fans.” When Zevon was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, he worked tirelessly to finish The Wind, which was released just before he died the following year. Kushins’s energetic writing and his deep dive into Zevon’s life and music offers a rounded and complete portrait of an enigmatic musician. (May)
"Nothing's Bad Luck is a riveting, definitive, and exhaustive account of the suspenseful and eventful life of one of rock's most gifted and eccentric singer-songwriters, and one of the best rock and roll biographies of the past decade."
—Jay McInerney, author of Bright, Precious Days and Bright Lights, Big City
Amazon, "Best Books of the Month in Biographies and Memoirs"
Amazon, "Best Books of the Year So Far in Humor and Entertainment"
"The best of the books written thus far about Warren Zevon is Nothing's Bad Luck. C.M. Kushins follows the legendary singer/songwriter down streets mostly Californian and mean; like a good detective, he sifts through the relationships and songs left behind. What he uncovers makes for compelling reading."
—Kevin Avery, author of Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson
"Kushins's energetic writing and his deep dive into Zevon's life and music offers a rounded and complete portrait of an enigmatic musician."—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"This book will have you pulling out records, or launching your streaming app of choice, and digging into Zevon's exceptional catalog."—Brooklyn Rail
"[A] deep, rewarding and insightful biography... an embarrassment of riches on the Excitable Boy, Mr. Bad Example, and a howling L.A. werewolf."—The Houston Press
"[A] straightforward account, including a comprehensive discography, of Zevon's fascinating creative life."—Booklist
"Chad Kushins has delivered a nuanced, in-depth, loving look at this complicated figure, one that helps cement him as one of the most complex and captivating musicians of our times."—NPR.org
"[An] absorbing, compelling biography."—Shelf Awareness
"[An] appreciative but honest biography."—Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
"[Kushins] captures the essence of the brooding yet wickedly witty singer."—Booklist
"[Chad Kushins is] articulate and authoritative in recounting [Zevon's life] precisely because he knows his subject inside out."—All about Jazz
Warren Zevon was one messed-up dude—but a true genius. This audio biography of the Southern California songwriter is justifiably painful to listen to, despite Fleet Cooper's excellent narration (though Cooper needs to do better at pronouncing the names of rock stars). Zevon was an alcoholic self-destructive artist, a terrible friend, and a worse husband, but when his genius shone through, it was blinding. The audiobook goes into incredible detail about his life and loves, successes and failures. It’s too bad it doesn’t come with a soundtrack, but that's what YouTube is for. Just try to listen to "Keep Me in Your Heart," the last song he recorded just days before his death from lung cancer, without choking up. M.S. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940170236985 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Hachette Audio |
| Publication date: | 05/07/2019 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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