Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon

by C.M. Kushins

Biography of legendary singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, spanning his nomadic youth and early recording career to his substance abuse, final album, and posthumous Grammy Awards

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.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Music Biography, Pop Culture, History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2019

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s not who you are, it’s what you don’t become that hurts the most.

~ Oscar Levant

Warren Zevon was a rock musician’s rock musician. He once said, “I got be Jim Morrison a lot longer than he did,” referring the late frontman of The Doors who died of a suspected heroin overdose in Paris at the age of twenty-seven. His peers also admired him for his intellectual curiosity; he was well-read, ranging from pulp crime novels to history to politics. For example, who would ever have thought about doing a title track for a rock album about an American government official, Philip Habib who engaged in shuttle diplomacy to bring an end to the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon as Zevon did with The Envoy? He was a complicated man.

Most of the top musicians in the Los Angeles scene from the early 1970s through his death from mesothelioma in 2003 contributed to his albums, and if they didn’t, they surely wanted to. His biggest hit, Werewolves of London , was the only song of his to crack the Top 40, reaching 21st, was on Excitable Boy, the best-selling album of his career. His songs created a devoted following, his concerts sold out, and even when his records weren’t selling, labels would take a risk on him to record more.

Hoping to cash in on the success of Excitable Boy, Zevon’s record label gave him carte blanche for his next album, Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, filled with a number of fan favorites, including a cover of Allan Toussaint’s classic, A Certain Girl and Play It All Night Long , which later became a staple song for Drive-By Truckers. Zevon took advantage of the company’s big budget to hire a full string section, not just to back up some of his songs, but also to provide a peek of what he really wanted to be, a classical music composer.

It was an odd fantasy for a man with a father who was a small-time crook in L.A.’s mafia and a Mormon mother living in Fresno, California. Zevon’s father got him his first upright piano, a gift likely acquired through dubious means, and he taught himself to play without formal lessons. When Zevon was thirteen years old, he met and visited briefly with Igor Stravinsky, who was then living in West Hollywood. He took music lessons from Stravinsky’s protégé and closest collaborator, Robert Craft. But Zevon didn’t have the discipline needed to take it further, plus his obvious talent as a rock musician wouldn’t allow it. As one of his many girlfriends later summed up, “I don't throw the world 'genius' around easily, but I know now that they each have that one demon that they fight, the one that tries to keep them from their talent.” Zevon surely believed his real talent was in classical music – his first and likely only true love, but his demons of sex and drugs and rock and roll mostly kept him from realizing it. Rumors spread throughout his career that he was working on a symphony, but only small bits of evidence exist.

Few know that the title of the first track on Excitable Boy, Johnny Strikes Up the Band , was inspired by the title of an obscure Weimar-era opera by Ernest Krenek, Jonny spielt auf, which was declared to be degenerate art in Nazi Germany. When he finally had a small orchestra at his disposal, he used the opportunity to record two short pieces, Interlude No. 1 and Interlude No. 2 , that provided glimpses of what he might have become, but glimpses would be all we would get.

Zevon’s music was essential to the American rock music repertoire of the last three decades of the twentieth century. Despite not selling as many records as they did, the artists who recorded with him respected and secretly envied his artistry. His first real touring gig was as a member of the Everly Brothers’ touring band in the early 1970s. Jackson Browne basically financed the beginning of his solo career, played on and produced his early albums, and still remained loyal even when Zevon disrespected him. Bob Dylan showed up to play harmonica on one song, Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour played guitar on another. He wrote one of Linda Ronstadt’s essential hits. David Letterman championed him on his late night program for years.

After a life of repeated bouts of alcoholism and worse, treating friends and loved ones terribly, trying to reconcile with them in a long period of sobriety – while he continued to record poorly selling, critically-acclaimed records – in 2002 he was hit a diagnosis of mesothelioma, an always deadly cancer of the lungs caused by exposure to asbestos. He took the diagnosis with a sense of irony; a number of his songs had death as a central theme. It was also motivation to record one last album, released just a couple of weeks before his death on September 7, 2003. The Wind won his first two Grammy Awards, posthumously, for Best Contemporary Folk Album and for a song he recorded with Bruce Springsteen, Disorder in the House , for Best Rock Vocal Performance (Group or Duo). The last song on the album, Keep Me In Your Heart , was featured in an emotional performance in the 2004 Grammy show. Just prior to his death, a visibly weakened Zevon attended his last concert, featuring Bob Dylan, who played three of his classic compositions.

Zevon’s last public performance came on David Letterman’s show on October 30, 2002, featuring Zevon for the entire program. For one last time, Zevon gave us a glimpse of his love for classical music. The lineup of the first song, Mohammed’s Radio, included Zevon on piano accompanied by a trio consisting of a piccolo, coronet and flute. Next was Genius (if pressed, it might be my favorite of his songs), with a string quartet. His final song, Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner, requested by Letterman, recalled what may have been Zevon’s most happy memory, when he was still unknown and living on the Spanish Mediterranean coast, hanging out at a bar run by an Englishman who regaled him with stories about when he was a mercenary in Africa.

Zevon’s influence lives on today, sometimes emerging in the most incongruous of places. When Minnesota Governor Tim Walz accepted the nomination to become Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate for the current presidential election, he noted the brief amount of time, remaining between the announcement of the Harris/Walz ticket and Election Day, “We’ll sleep when we’re dead.” It was one of his most effect talking points and is now part of his stump speech, always bringing crowds to their feet cheering. To people like me, he revealed himself as a Zevon fan, quoting one his most iconic songs – one that eerily foretold Zevon’s own fate: I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead .

[Tommy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Warren Zevon, this is the book most of us have been waiting for. It's not definitive by any means, but it is well researched and gives a thorough, balanced glimpse into Warren's professional and personal lives. I say "lives" (plural) because within the context of, both, his life as a musician and as a man, he lived many.

We are given an overview of his unconventional upbringing, his life as a piano prodigy under the tutelage of Igor Stravinsky, and his break into the business as a musical director for the Everly Brothers. From there, it's a leap into a solo career that wavers between the wide-eyed excitement of being rock's new wunderkind and the inevitable headlong dive into alcohol and drugs.

As Warren's commercial success falters after a pair of brilliant albums, so does his own life. It is only when he seems to take his sobriety as a life or death proposition - in 1986 - when he finds the opportunity for what is deemed his 'comeback' with the star-studded album "Sentimental Hygiene" featuring his backing band, 3/4 of Athens' legends REM. While the comeback is shortlived, if even really ever a comeback, his sobriety isn't, and he becomes a truly different man. WIth his Wild Age behind him, he seeks the elusive Quiet, Normal Life.

Kushins then takes us through a succession of struggling relationships (with women and his two kids), record label transitions (everyone had faith in Warren's talent, it seemed, but not his ability to sell records), and inspired collaborations (Carl Hiaasen, Mitch Albom, Hunter Thompson, etc). Then, the tragic yet inspiring final chapter of Warren's life, when he is diagnosed with inoperable cancer and fights to make one final artistic statement while mending his relationship with his family and struggling with alcohol one final time before "going to see God sober".

The book is well-researched and well-written. I found myself eager to find out how certain chapters in Warren's life unfolded, and Kushins does a fine job of letting you see Warren, warts and all. For those who may not care who played drums on "The Envoy", I always say you can skim over those nerdy details. It matters to some readers, and I'm glad it's there. I am always particularly interested in how famous artists get along with one another, and while it's no surprise that Jackson Browne and Don Henley are consistently referenced here, it was intriguing to hear about Tom Waits being a Zevon fan, John Belushi's presence in those early days, REM's challenges with the Hindu Love Gods project, and the presence of Bruce Springsteen in Warren's life.

This book is not without its flaws. One simple but glaring oversight was the lead-up to Warren's first ever Grammy nominations for his farewell album, "The Wind". We learn all about the nominations, the star-studded Grammy performance with friends Emmylou Harris, Jorge Calderon and others, and yet no mention is made that Warren posthumously won two Grammys that night. And, at the very end of the audiobook, there is a passage that mentions how drugs took down such heroes of Warren's as "Jim Morrison and Jim Belushi". Whether this is a typo or a misread, I don't know, but I'm pretty sure John Belushi was the name we were to read. And for the audiobook, the narrator (who does a marvelous job of reading the book, especially when embodying Warren's resonant baritone) a couple of names are surprisingly mispronounced, mainly Eagles founder Glenn Frey (it's Fry like french fry, not Fray like frayed knot), but dozens of times we hear "Fray", and I wonder how someone along the editorial chain didn't catch that). It's not a huge deal, but as a fan of 70's rock, it's a bit maddening to hear. That said, the narrator for the book is well up to the task, Glenn Fray/Frey/Fry or not. I wouldn't let these details keep one from reading or listening to the book, but I felt compelled to call these occurrences out.

Zevon was a very superstitious man. He believed in luck, and hoped against hope that nothing was actual bad luck, though in reading this book, one could surmise that he got dealt a lot of bad hands. Some were at his own doing, others were simply the perils of show biz, a dysfunctional family, or the fear of seeing a doctor at a time in his life that it might've made a crucial difference. Regardless, Warren ultimately felt he was lucky, because he got to live two full lives - a reckless rock star and a sober dad/model citizen. This book shows us both of these lives, and perhaps a few others that wove their way into the tapestry of a man who only hopes we'll keep him in our hearts now that he's gone. This book goes a long way toward ensuring that.

[Jake · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely well accounted affair that does well to avoid sycophancy despite being written by an evident fan. Much as I love Zevon’s music, I’d known little about him beyond him being an archetypal ‘troubled’ figure. This digs well into the bones that made the man and fleshes out the excellent alongside the terrible. Written with readability in mind and benefits massively from it. As an aside, if you’ve never seen his final Letterman showing, I implore you to do so.
“It's a sad song we always seem to be singing to each other
You and me
sweet and slightly out of key”

[Harry Ramble · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those readers seeking the "dirty life and times" of Warren Zevon should look for the oral history compiled by his ex-wife Crystal Zevon, which foregrounds the bad behavior, with the apparent encouragement of her late ex-husband and lifelong friend.

Reading first-time author C.M. Kushins' biography, you'd never know that Zevon piled up extraordinary debts during his lifetime, borrowing from and never repaying almost everyone in his life, withheld writing credits from many of his collaborators, betrayed virtually every friend he ever had, and was, well, a relentless womanizer in the decades he spent on the road trying to pay the bills.

But Zevon deserves a biography that focuses on his work, and Kushins delivers it. Kushins is a musician himself and is well-suited to discussing the finer points of Zevon's first two triumphant records and the long string of under-performing albums that followed. (It's interesting to discover that Zevon, long regarded as a "literary" musician, actually struggled mightily with lyrics, and increasingly outsourced that task to others.)

Zevon is indebted to the many influential friends he made during his lifetime -- Igor Stravinsky, Jackson Browne, Don Henley, David Geffen, Waddy Wachtel, the members of R.E.M., Irving Azoff, Bob Dylan, David Letterman -- and C.M. Kushins is another. About Kushins, he needed a better editor; typos are one thing, but repeatedly misusing words and turns of phrase is another.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very informative biography of an extraordinarily talented songwriter and performer whose addictions came close to sabotaging his career. The book lovingly describes the details of Warren Zevon's records and tours and the many collaborations he forged over the years. Alas, as with most biographies of alcoholics/addicts, it does become a litany of blackouts, fights, missed opportunities and the like. On the other hand, the book reminded me of some Warren Zevon songs I hadn't listened to in a long time. I can't say I care for Warren Zevon's singing voice all that much, and I tend to prefer Linda Ronstadt's cover of Poor Poor Pitiful me and Carmelita. Still, what a talent!

Note : the book suffers from poor editing and typos of the "its" vs "it's" sort. Also clunky constructions like "Although accidental, Warren had knocked Ariel down...". And isn't the son of one's cousin a second cousin or a cousin once removed or something like that, rather than plain "cousin"?

[Jay Clement · Rating 3 out of 5]

49-2019. I really enjoy Mr. Zevon’s music, and I’ve even learned three or four tunes to sing at jam sessions. This biography showed me that the real people behind one’s favorite music can often be true jerks to those around them. Zevon’s well documented struggles with drugs and alcohol are discussed here in repetitive detail. His sobriety over his last 18 years on the planet were hard-won, and helped him make amends with many that he hurt along the way. The details of the recordings themselves were interesting, as well as the friendships that survived his excesses in life. Still, the unrelenting chapters of wasted time and relationships wore at me, and reduced this to my three star rating.

It did cause me to listen to Zevon’s albums again, however, and for that I thank the author.

[Tracy Meszaros · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid biography.

[Paul Montag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back when it came out in 2007, I read I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead by Warren Zevon’s ex-wife Crystal and recall that it leaned heavily on quotations from friends, family, and musicians. Many anecdotes shared I remember to this day, such as Warren whispering to a friend during a screening of David Mamet’s film The Spanish Prisoner, “This is the best movie I’ve ever seen;” or when Warren got depressed when Billy Bob Thornton showed up at his door with a picture of a young Warren on the cover of a magazine during his Excitable Boy period; or how surprised author and friend Carl Hiaasen was when he found out that Warren had videotaped some of his sexual encounters. But for all the interesting tidbits, I don’t recall a lot of in-depth discussions about the music itself. Nothing’s Bad Luck by C.M. Kushins is just about the opposite; while not completely void of gossip, it focuses heavily on the music, in many cases going song by song through entire albums. If both the gossip and the in-depth analysis had been included in the same biography, you’d have a 1,000-page whopper akin to the ones you see of Phillip Roth or Saul Bellow. If anything, I thought Kushins’ book was too short, the subject is so interesting.
In the first part, we find out that Warren comes from Russian Jewish ancestry on his father’s side, and Mormonism on his mother’s. One complaint is that the photo section is meager. I would have loved to see a picture of Warren’s mother. And the one of his father is a headshot not of the best quality. Although Warren did not go out of his way to share this fact, many of his most well-known songs were in some measure a collaboration. He wrote “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” with a former soldier of fortune when Warren was performing songs at his bar in Madrid. Warren toured with the Everly Brothers in the early seventies, and it was Phil Everly who suggested that Warren write a playful song to play live, and even gave him the idea of Werewolves of London, having seen the film of the same name from 1935 on late-night TV. Guitarist Waddy Wachtel came up with the “Aah-Ooh!” and the idea of a werewolf eating Chinese food. Mick Fleetwood and John McVie from Fleetwood Mac performed on the recording in the studio. The sessions went on all night. The band performed sixty takes, of which the second appears on the album. Prior to its release the studio played Excitable Boy at a party to get some sense of audience reaction; most listeners found it dull, and at that point the album was only twenty-four minutes long. More excitement was needed, so Warren went off and wrote “Tenderness on the Block” and then on a trip to Hawaii to relieve himself from stress, “Lawyers, Guns, and Money.” When the album was finished, Warren and producers Jackson Browne and Waddy Wachtel were all surprised which song the record executives chose for a single, “Werewolves of London.” That this should have come as a surprise to Warren says a lot about the trajectory of his career. He thought he’d be remembered most for “Backs Turned Looking Down the Path” or later in his career, “Suzie Lightning,” not novelty songs like “Werewolves of London” and “Excitable Boy.” Warren never ranked “Werewolves of London” high on his list of favorites, although he never shied away from performing it live, as he believed strongly in giving the fans what they want.
Kushins identified three phases of Zevon’s career: song noir, heavy metal folk, and adult contemporary. The man had major addiction issues with drugs and alcohol and yet it seems the most entertaining music he made was once he got sober in the early 80’s. His albums in the heavy metal folk period, The Envoy, Sentimental Hygiene, Transverse City, and Mr. Bad Example, contain some of the most entertaining music in rock history. There is some overlap between Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, The Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, and Warren Zevon in his song noir and adult contemporary years. But the music you hear from him from the early 80’s to the early 90’s is one of a kind. I was recently looking for a parking spot at the grocery story while listening to “Sentimental Hygiene” and “Boom Boom Mancini,” and felt sorry that everyone going in and out of the store was not able to hear the unique and powerful sounds coming out of my car stereo. And that was not the first time I had thought this. For my money, those opening tracks of Sentimental Hygiene are the best opening two tracks of any album I’ve ever heard, and for that matter, “The Long Arm of the Law” and “Turbulence” on Transverse City the best third and fourth. During this period, Warren adds to his serious writerly viewpoint and humor some high-octane musicianship and production values. I find Transverse City almost as entertaining as Sentimental Hygiene and it includes one of his most underrated tracks, “Turbulence.” Whenever I’m at a beach party, I can easily envision this song blasting from a boombox while people are doing cannonballs into the water off a big floating device. But instead of this summer number being about cars or girls, it’s about military conflict in Russia and Afghanistan. Zevon was indeed a genius. Though one of his worst-selling albums, I find Transverse City from 1989 to be one of the most uniquely interesting albums ever made. But outside of “Splendid Isolation,” Warren hardly ever played any of the songs live.
Unlike most critics, I am less taken with his last three albums; I think Mutineer, his worst-selling album, is more interesting than them. Most of the songs on Life’ll Kill Ya, one of his best-selling records, My Ride’s Here, and the Grammy-nominated The Wind are the kind one is used to hearing on Sunday morning acoustic sunrise shows, and yet he still delivers some highly entertaining numbers like “Porcelain Monkey,” “Disorder in the House,” and “Sacrificial Lambs,” a return to heavy metal folk that ranks right up there with his best songs, although I always regret hearing Russell Crowe mentioned in the lyrics – it just doesn’t seem to fit. The line “Start writing this down when I give you the nod” brings to mind “If I do say so, I won’t let go, and I won’t take no for an answer,” from “The Overdraft” off The Envoy; such salt of the earth humor is the part of Warren’s music that I value more than the tendencies toward James Taylor or Joni Mitchell, the more songwriterly side of him even when the end result is stunningly gorgeous, like the sun-drenched ballads “Hasten Down the Wind” or “Desperadoes Under the Eaves.” In such songs, Warren shoots high; I like it better when he hits a little lower down.
Known for his witty and amusing lyrics, he claimed that writing the music interested him more than writing the lyrics, surprising since he was so literary. And as funny as Zevon can be, upon recently listening to all his albums, I was struck with the impression that his work suffers just a bit from being at times too self-involved. He has more songs like “Dirty Life in Times” than “Down at the Mall,” probably because he had an easier time writing songs of an autobiographical nature than songs meant to have commercial appeal. Most of his critically praised songs are of a serious nature, but to my mind, not as exciting as when he’s in entertainment mode. Toward the end, after he became terminally ill, Warren loved to have a Jamaican woman hired by his son Jordan read him the Bible; and after 9/11, Warren started going to church. He believed in God and just may have become a Christian. In a world that magnifies Bob Dylan, The Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, and Fleetwood Mac, Warren Zevon somehow evades many a playlist. It’s no surprise that such a unique talent would not become popular, but one grieves that fact for the world would be a kinder place if his music had a larger place in it. This book tracks the highs and lows of this disturbed and brilliant, earnest and funny man, and makes a fine compliment to the one by Crystal Zevon.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am two-thirds of the way through, and I keep wishing this had been assigned a better editor. Aside from that, stellar so far. Here's hoping I still feel that way as I finish it. (Bias disclosure: Pages 220, 222, 224 mentions of Syracuse's Landmark, bookstores, and St. Lawrence University in NY's north country respectively.) I finished, and it still needed an editor. with a keen eye to catch the things spell check won't check. I could list the ones that really got to me, but that would take away from the fact that this book is worthy of 4.5 stars for me. (The meandering time lines and the lack of editing took away .5 for me.) This fills in far more details than the five-star Crystal Zevon book, but doesn't provide the same "you were there" feel. In the first third or so of the book, the author over-cleverly (Is that even a phrase?) uses lyrics as part of the narrative but then doesn't identify the song to which he is referring. This could turn off someone for whom this is the first introduction to Zevon. In the remainder of the book, he gets rid of this technique and names the songs for the reader. Unfortunately, WZ still dies in the end, but we get to experience his sobriety and watch him rise to popular acclaim in hindsight. A must-read for fans; I'm not sure it works as an introduction to the artist. I'll have to leave that assessment to someone who fits the description.

[Gregory Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a Warren Zevon tragic - which, unfortunately is an apt description of Zevon's life. I first discovered his music in the late 70's due to my interest in Jackson Browne's music and been a fan ever since. There's probably not a better lyricist in popular music. I read Crystal Zevon's book some years back and enjoyed it. I think the fires currently taking place in LA (my adopted hometown) in Jan 2025 prompted me to re-engage with Zevon's music as he represents this town to me - its hopes and dreams as well as its tawdry failures. California may not be falling into the ocean but it is sure going through some existential crises!
Listening to his music again prompted me to catch up on a couple of books about the man - his music and his demons. Given this, I downloaded and read the short version of two Zevon biographies:
Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon by C.M. Kushins
Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon by James Campion
More by good luck than good management, the shortened version of these two books ended up giving me a more rounded view of the man and his music.

Nothing's Bad Luck explores Warren's family background and takes a chronological approach. An unconventional and peripatetic childhood is an understatement! I was aware of his father's chequered background as a petty mobster but was not familiar with the fractured relationship he had with his Mormon-raised mother who subsequently remarried and basically left Warren to fend for himself. Fend for himself he did, as he poured his energy into music - both classical and popular. Starting out in a duo with a high school girlfriend he was focused on his craft from an early age and bounced around doing a variety of jobs, including acting as musical director for the Everly Brothers. Zevon remained on the fringes of the SoCal music scene but that was not a bad place to be with all the talent and creativity emerging in LA at that time. As Zevon saw his use-by date drawing close he moved to Spain for a while but was encouraged to return by Jackson Browne who produced Zevon's self-titled album in 1976 (probably my second favorite album after his producer's Late For The Sky album from 1974). What would Zevon's career be like without the spectre of alcoholism hanging over him? The common wisdom in the 70's was that drugs and booze helped fuel creativity - that myth has been put to rest, but while I'm sure his career would have been different, I do not think he would have compromised his musical visions to be an Eagle.
Accidentally Like a Martyr, on the other hand, uses his song catalog as a means to better understand the man. With chapter titles of some of his more famous songs (Desperadoes Under the Eaves, Poor Poor Pitiful Me etc etc) he delves into the lyrics to get at the man - what he terms the "Zevon Corner". The author speaks to many of Zevon's friends and contemporaries to achieve this goal. Many of his songs were semi-autobiographical but overlaid with over-the-top characters. He was able to meld romance, irony, sardonic humor, desperation into a story that was about him, but spoke to us all. In this regard I like the quote from Bruce Springsteen that Zevon was "a moralist in cynic's clothing".
Warren died in 2003 at 56 years of age. In reading these book excerpts I also revisited his last appearance on the Letterman show. His life may have been cut short from a disease, but I suspect that, good or bad, he enjoyed every sandwich.
Side note: check out Dawes version of Desperadoes Under the Eaves on the Letterman show on You Tube - a great rendition. Another side note: check out Counting Crows version of Carmelita as well. Two great current bands paying homage to a unique songwriter.

[R.G. Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing's Bad Luck by C.M. Kushins is the third of three major books about the life of Warren Zevon I have read (the first two being I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Zevon's former wife, Crystal Zevon, and Accidentally Like a Martyr by James Campion. While each book stands own its own merits (Campion's book especially since it provides a unique cultural history behind selected Zevon songs), Kushins's book made me feel like I was reliving my own history as it paralleled Zevon's life events. The first concert I ever attended was Zevon's "The Dog Ate the Part We Didn't Like" tour at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia. That tour in particular is well chronicled in Kushin's exhaustive biography, as are the ups and downs that followed Zevon from album to album, label to label and abject addiction to recovery. While I saw Zevon once more with a full band (at Philly's Chestnut Cabaret--The Odds, perhaps?), his most memorable performances to me were those solo acoustic "heavy metal folk" shows at the Theater of the Living Arts and Valley Forge Music Fair (where he opened (?) for Eddie Money). Kushins does an excellent job chronicling what led Zevon on the path from rock and roll front man to "Easy fucking listening" solo performer, providing copious behind-the-scenes anecdotes from some of Zevon's closest friends and collaborators. Ultimately, Kushins was the catalyst behind a fitting posthumous tribute to Warren Zevon's genius: his book made me pull out all of Zevon's albums for a long overdue closer listening.

[Jay Gabler · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1983, Warren Zevon proposed to his girlfriend Anita Gevinson (cousin of the as-yet-unborn blog star Tavi), while they were hooking up after a tour stop in Denver. She said yes, only to answer the door to a passel of groupies. "I don't know how they found me," pleaded Zevon. Gevinson's retort was unprintable.

The next year, Zevon flew to the Mayo Clinic for rehab. He said he'd be a new man, but he needed Gevinson to be his pillar of strength. After everything they'd been through by that point, she just couldn't see it. As she left, the clinic asked who Zevon's new emergency contact would be. "Call Jackson Browne," she told them.

Sure enough, Browne was there at the airport to collect Zevon when he landed in L.A. after getting clean. Along for the ride: Browne's new girlfriend, Daryl Hannah. While they loaded the car, Zevon called Gevinson from a pay phone and left a message on her machine: "I just wanted you to know that Daryl said when I smile, I remind her of Ryan O'Neal. Goodbye."

The whole sad, hopeful, painful, darkly funny, celebrity-filled encounter is recounted toward the middle of this affectionate, intimately knowledgeable biography. Kushins takes a new bead on the life of one of the most mercurial, brilliant, funny, and frustrating singer-songwriters of his baby-boomer generation. I reviewed Nothing's Bad Luck for The Current.

[John Hilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very comprehensive biography. Perhaps too much at times, as we get the "liner notes" detail of every musician who played on every album—as well as the detail of every bender, blackout, and busted relationship.

Still, what do you expect? That's what the punters want in a Warren Zevon biography, I'm sure. Luckily, Zevon's genius shines through and, ultimately (finally, nearing the end of the book), so does his personal appeal, as a friend and partner. (For a while, through the mid-section of the book, that he was a genius was not a satisfying explanation for why anyone would spend time with this guy.)

I fell in love with Zevon's music when I was 16, in the mid-80s, and he's stayed with me. His passing was a devastating loss, and I feel like I wanted to know more about Zevon the *Guy* as a result of reading this. I'm not sure I totally did. Thus the 4-star rather than 5-star rating. Some chunk of "heart" is missing from this book.

But comprehensive it is. Informative it is. And the ending brought that feeling of loss back just as it should.

I hope Mr. Kushins pens another bio, but I'd offer that he let it breathe a little bit more. Whatever that means.

[Clint Coffey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an engaging, tender and comprehensive biography of one of the most under-appreciated artists of the last century. Obviously I am a fan, and will risk sounding maudlin by saying that Warren's music has been a soundtrack to much of my life from the time I was 17 and first heard the album Excitable Boy. He is both a tragic and an inspiring figure, and Kushins tells the story of this complex figure with compassion and affection, but never sugarcoats anything. I especially like how Kushins delves into each album Zevon made in detail - I have an even greater appreciation for them having read this book. I bought the audiobook, and the narrator is excellent, the perfect voice for this tale - he uses slight changes in tone and pitch to skillfully voice different characters, no mean feat!
Great book for any Warren Zevon fan, highly recommended.

[Ted Haussman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Warren Zevon in the late 1970’s or early 80’s as my sister would play her Excitable Boy record on her stereo. I always like his music but never became a super fan. I rediscovered his music close to his death and I’ve only gained more appreciation for it over the years.

This biography ably describes the two lives of Zevon — both while he was an alcoholic and then after he became sober. It describes how all of his music was deeply autobiographical. And while it seems that Warren achieved some level of happiness and satisfaction in his career, the path to get there was fraught and bittersweet, with many minor and major tragedies along the way. Only in death has he achieved more widespread recognition.

[Gregory Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

My quick take on the book is that the author did a good job of handling a very complex and sometimes-unlikeable character. I'll be posting my full review of the book on EarToTheGroundMusic.co in the next week.

I enjoyed learning the back story to this seemingly enigmatic 20th century music character. Unfortunately, his cycles of abuse and intense creativity made him a hard character to "live with" while reading the book. I can't imagine what the biographer went through writing the book.

I would say this book is really for only the most hardcore fans of Zevon and his sarcastic-jaded-loathing style of rock music. The book was well done, but I didn't personally enjoy it.

[Mark Bunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this one. Warren Zevon- the song noir. Werewolves of London got my rock and rock animal going in high school (1978). The year I got my first car. This guy lived the rock and roll life. From Kiev to Chicago to LAX. Father, Stumpy Zevon, was a real-life Chicago gangster relocated to the west coast to run gambling. He lived a story and lived to write a story. friends of Jackson Browne, John Belushi, Billy Bob Thorton, David Letterman, carl Haissam, etc. hired a full-time songwriter at 16- got a payday off the flip side of a Turtles- 45rpm hit. made a Gold Record on Midnight Cowboy soundtrack.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb biography of underrated literary musician Warren Zevon, which neither ignores his flaws (of which there are many) or discredits his accomplishments (of which there are also many). Kushins writes about Zevon with clarity and attention, but also with obvious affection for his subject. This isn't to say he's starry-eyed in his work. Zevon was clearly a difficult person, particularly in the decades before he gave up booze and drugs. But Kushins's account chronicles both the work and the very human man behind the musical curtain. As such, it's pretty much essential.

[jboyg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Bio Of Warren Zevon, Warts And All.

I have loved Warren Zevon's music since the first time I ever heard it. Excitable Boy remains one of my favorite albums to this day. This is the third and best biography of him I have read. He was an extraordinary talent and is missed to this day.I feel I learned a lot of new information and insight from the pages and highly recommend it to every fan. Enjoy every sandwich!

[Joseph Seine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the result of 9 years of arduous research by Kushins. The language is beautiful and the chronology of zevon’s life is organized in a clear and cohesive manner. Kushins is more than a journalist and “Nothing’s Bad Luck” is sure to be a breakout piece. Very excited to see Kushins’ future endeavors, he may just be the king of the American Rock Biography.

[Kevin Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well researched and fair presentation of Warren Zevon's life. Often not a pretty story, but the author offered a balanced narrative for sure. I'd recommend this book to anyone interested in Zevon's life, and I'd also highly recommend his music! ("Stand in the Fire" is one of the all-time great live rock albums.)

[sid · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great find!

I expected this book to pale in comparison to the I'll Sleep When I'm Dead biography written by Crystal Zevon, but it covers many aspects of his life and career from other perspectives. Well written, and the audio edition is very well read.

If you are a Zevon fan, you will not be disappointed.

[Spiros · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very valuable examination of the career of an utterly unique talent, a talent which was always going to have a limited appeal in terms of mainstream popular music (there is not a huge demand for brilliant lyrics, just ask Elvis Costello and Tom Waits), and a talent which was always in danger of being sabotaged by Zevon’s inner demons.

[Tim Tingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

To old to die young...

“We love to buy books because we believe we’re buying the time to read them,”

Maybe the book was to long
Maybe the book was too rough
Maybe the book was to redundant
Maybe I didn’t want it to end because it would be saying goodbye to Warren

[Robert Collette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Its always nice to see one of my favorites getting some new exposure to a new generation but after reading 3 of his biographies it's getting a little hard to find out anything new. This was good but the be all end all of Zevon bios is still I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Crystal Zevon...

[Jim Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good biography

This biography of rock star Warren Zevon was readable, interesting and enjoyable. The were numerous anecdotes and incidents I wasn’t aware of, and the author kept me interested throughout. Worthwhile for any fans of WZ.

[Kyle Wellman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who doesn’t know Zevon is missing out and this book was beautifully crafted to show his redemption and his true struggles. Ugly stories but the timeline shows what is broken can be fixed. Great read.

[Daniel Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally released in 2019. Biography of Zevon’s life that spans his nomadic youth, recording career, substance abuse, family life through his cancer diagnosis and final album. Quality book that pulled no punches.

[Josie Neumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the author was a fanboy but I still loved this book. The best music books are starting to include playlists to help with references and if it’s useful to you I present this, from my book club: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-...

[HJK44 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative, good read. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is still the best of the Zevon bios.