Description
Zevon songs are like chapters in a great American novel. Its story lies in the heart of his and our psyche. The lines are blurred. We never seem to know if we are looking in a mirror or peering through a window; we only know that when we listen we see something . The music sets the scene his voice a striking baritone, its narrator our guide through a labyrinth of harrowing narratives. The plot unfolds without subtlety; each musical and lyrical arc awakens imagination. In Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon , music journalist James Campion presents 13 essays on seminal Zevon songs and albums that provide context to the themes, inspirations, and influence of one of America's most literate songwriters. In-depth interviews with Zevon's friends and colleagues provide first-person accounts of how the music was lived, composed, recorded, and performed. Longtime fans of this most uniquely tortured artist, as well as those who want to discover his work for the first time, will get inside the mind, talent, and legacy of the wildly passionate Excitable Boy
Reviews
Campion's adoring book will speak mostly to Zevon's fans, and will encourage them to listen to his music anew --Publishers Weekly
Campion gives the audience something deeper and richer than a standard biographical narrative or a thematically organized string of interpretive readings, even as both of those elements do play a role here. Instead, Campion tells the story of his experience with Zevon, bolstered by a sharp critical eye and an obvious expertise of Zevon's music. Accidentally Like a Martyr epitomizes that wonderful feeling of being a Zevon fan. --Pop Matters
Part love letter to an icon, part scholarly attempt to learn what makes an icon tick, Accidentally Like a Martyr is a tribute quite unlike anything I ve seen before. --Manhattan Book Review
Campion gives the audience something deeper and richer than a standard biographical narrative or a thematically organized string of interpretive readings, even as both of those elements do play a role here. Instead, Campion tells the story of his experience with Zevon, bolstered by a sharp critical eye and an obvious expertise of Zevon's music. Accidentally Like a Martyr epitomizes that wonderful feeling of being a Zevon fan. --Pop Matters
Part love letter to an icon, part scholarly attempt to learn what makes an icon tick, Accidentally Like a Martyr is a tribute quite unlike anything I ve seen before. --Manhattan Book Review
Author
JAMES CAMPION is the managing editor of the Reality Check News and Information Desk, a contributing editor for the Aquarian Weekly, and a columnist for the Huffington Post. He has covered music, sports, and politics since the 1980s and has written extensively on pop culture and rock and roll for the past 18 years. He lives with his wife, Erin, daughter, Scarlet, three insane cats, and a gaggle of wild turkey.
Paperback: 290 pages
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches