Warren Zevon Mutineer CD

In the '70s, west coast singer-songwriters such as Jackson Browne, Lindsay Buckingham, and the Eagles were releasing smooth tunes that seemed to inhabit the laid back demeanor of their locale. Zevon sprang up like a wild card, a thrilling combination of gun-toting maniac, well read intellectual, piano-pounding rocker, and unashamedly romantic balladeer. That he was the toughest of his breed was inarguable. That he might drink himself into oblivion was a distinct possibility.

MUTINEER is a comeback of sorts. It was released after something of a delay and is arguably stronger than anything he's done since the late '80s. The sound is more robust, with fuller production and instrumentation augmenting Zevon's baritone. The tipsy-turvy carnival feel of "Something Bad Happened To A Clown" will either enthrall or alienate, depending on your view of carnivals. Long time fans will be relieved when the vintage Zevon lurks and keeps his eyes peeled for intruders on "Rottweiler Blues," a lean rocker draped with paranoid humor and violence. The spare "Piano Fighter" is similarly straightforward. The real highlight, however, is the ballad "The Indifference of Heaven," which resonates equally with beauty, isolation, and defeat.

Personnel: Warren Zevon (vocals); Jorge Calderon, Peter Asher, Rosemary Butler (vocals); David Lindley (cittern, fiddle); Bruce Hornsby (accordion); Michael Wolff (keyboards).

Personnel: Warren Zevon (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Jorge Calderon (vocals, bass); Peter Asher, Rosemary Butler (vocals); David Lindley (cittern, fiddle); Bruce Hornsby (accordion); Michael Wolff (keyboards); Larry Klein (bass).

Composer: Warren Zevon.

Musician (8/95, p.92) - "...tracks often have the immediacy of demos, an effect that adds venom...and puts bite to the wit....Sometimes, less really is more."