My Ride's Here (CD - 2002)

Sid McGuiness (guitar); Katy Salvidge (fiddle, pennywhistle); Genius String Quartet (strings); Paul Shaffer, Michael Wolff (organ); Sheldon Gumberg,

Tony Levin (bass); Anton Fig (drums); Jordan Zevon, David Letterman, Ariel Zevon (background vocals).

Engineers include: Noah Scot Snyder, Michael J. McDonald, Michael Delugg.

Recorded at Anatomy Of A Headache, Private Island, Los Angeles, California; Spike, The Ed Sullivan Theatre, Pilot Studios, New York, New York.

Personnel: Warren Zevon (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Joel Derouin, Charlie Bisharat (violin); Katy Salvidge (fiddle); Evan Wilson (viola); Larry Corbett (cello); Michael Wolff, Paul Shaffer (organ); Anton Fig (drums); David Letterman, Jordan Zevon (background vocals).

Audio Mixers: Noah Scot Snyder; Warren Zevon.

Recording information: Anatomy Of A Headache Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Ed Sullivan Theater, NY; Pilot Studios, NY; Private Island Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Spike Recording, NY.

Photographer: Henry Diltz.

Unknown Contributor Role: Ariel Zevon.

Arranger: Warren Zevon.

Warren Zevon is famous for black-hearted comedy tunes like "Werewolves of London" and "Excitable Boy," but his best work is a good bit deeper and more penetrating, and 2000's Life'll Kill Ya was an impressive return to form, a song cycle about aging and death that was played less for easy laughs than for the bitter humor derived from the knowledge that no one, the artist included, will get out of this world alive. Zevon's follow-up, 2002's My Ride's Here, for the most part recalls Zevon albums like Mr. Bad Example or Mutineer. My Ride's Here also finds Zevon collaborating with a number of writers from outside the world of music (not the first time he's done this; novelist Tom McGuane co-wrote "The Overdraft" on Envoy). Novelist Carl Hiaasen co-wrote "Basket Case," an ode to an insane girlfriend, while gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson collaborates on "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared." Sportswriter Mitch Albom, of all people, turns in the best collaboration on the album, "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)." The sardonic "Genius" and "Sacrificial Lambs," and the title cut -- a meditation on mortality that would have fit in on Life'll Kill Ya -- are strong and remind listeners of just how talented Zevon still is. ~ Mark Deming

Warren Zevon is famous for black-hearted comedy tunes like "Werewolves of London" and "Excitable Boy," but his best work is a good bit deeper and more penetrating, and 2000's Life'll Kill Ya was an impressive return to form, a song cycle about aging and death that was played less for easy laughs than for the bitter humor derived from the knowledge that no one, the artist included, will get out of this world alive. Unfortunately, Zevon's follow-up, 2002's My Ride's Here, for the most part recalls second-tier Zevon albums like Mr. Bad Example or Mutineer; the jokes tend to be a bit obvious, the more introspective moments don't connect the way one might hope; and the music often lacks the physical or emotional strength to bring these songs across. (It doesn't help that Zevon sounds a bit bored or distracted on much of this set.) My Ride's Here also finds Zevon collaborating with a number of writers from outside the world of music (not the first time he's done this; novelist Tom McGuane co-wrote "The Overdraft" on Envoy), but the results are not especially encouraging. Novelist Carl Hiaasen co-wrote "Basket Case," an ode to an insane girlfriend that's one of the least effective tunes on the album, and while gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson struggles to make "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared" sound ominous, the results fall flat. Sportswriter Mitch Albom, of all people, turns in the best collaboration on the album; if there isn't much depth or subtlety to "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)," at least the jokes are funny and the narrative holds together (and that's David Letterman providing the voice of the obnoxious fan). The sardonic "Genius" and "Sacrificial Lambs," and the title cut -- a meditation on mortality that would have fit in on Life'll Kill Ya -- are strong enough to remind listeners of just how talented Zevon still is, but for the most part My Ride's Here is a misfire from an artist capable of much better work. ~ Mark Deming

Warren Zevon's first release on the Artemis label, LIFE'LL KILL YA, stripped down his sound to bare bones, exposing in sharp relief his sardonic wit and undeniable songcraft. The follow-up MY RIDE'S HERE manages to return to the forceful, full-band rock sound of Zevon's salad days while keeping the quirky songwriting knack intact. Whether Zevon is singing about the violent exploits of a hockey player "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" or musing about Albert Einstein's way with the ladies ("Genius"), his knack for combining decidedly original (some might go so far as to say odd) subject matter with visceral rock riffs and catchy pop hooks remains intact. Zevon hasn't made the upper decks of the charts since the days of "Werewolves of London," and MY RIDE'S HERE probably won't change that fact, but that's just further proof of these songs' inherent aesthetic worth. Long may Warren run. minimize