Hasten Down The Wind

Joe Wilcox | September 08, 2003, 07:51 AM

Hard-livin' rocker Warren Zevon died of lung cancer on Sunday. For those of us who enjoyed his music, wry sense of humor and biting song-writing style, he will be sorely missed. I consider Mr. Zevon in the same class as Bruce Cockburn, superb songwriters whose style cut above pop culture--so cool, they appear to be uncool.

I spent my youth spinning records--vinyl, not CDs--and remember the release of Mr. Zevon's album "Excitable Boy." The record was a refreshing reminder of good rock and good songwriting, at a time when disco dominated and New Wave and punk rock had just started their assault on U.S. shores. The year, 1977, when Elvis Costello's debut album "My Aim is True" topped my college radio station's playlist for three months.

Mr. Zevon's last album, "The Wind," made while he was dying, debuted almost two weeks ago. These days, I tend to buy most of my music online. So, I was disappointed to not find the new release at BuyMusic.com, the iTunes Music Store Pressplay or Rhapsody. Mr. Zevon's swansong--or swanalbum--deserves as much distribution as it can get.

The songwriter once wrote, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead," You deserve the rest Warren. But by your family and fans, you will be missed.