I enjoyed your book on Warren. I think it took tremendous courage for you to do it and applaud you completely. He was a gifted person who surly had his demons and it is obvious that he did not make life easy for those he loved.
As a middle school aged kid I first herd the Excitable Boy album through a friend of my older brothers and went and bought the record with lawn mowing money. I never stopped collecting his music. I can remember hearing to his songs and saying wow this guy is talking to me. I enjoyed his sardonic and sarcastic wit. As my friends who though the years dropped in and out would say. Warren who? Never herd of him. I was proud to say I was listening to a genius all along.
In my office I have college students working for me and one said about the 2004 Grammy Awards, What were all those singers doing singing that one song on stage and why? So I explained and as Billy Bob Thornton said I spread the gospel of Warren.
Certainly you’re receiving many thousands of emails and may not read this one, but after reading the book I was compelled to leave feedback and thanks, even if it’s only to purge my brain.
Uncounted times while reading the book I would have a “ah, so THAT’S where that came from,” “THAT’S the reason for _____” etc. It was great - like I finally know who shot Kennedy, metaphorically speaking.
The first Zevon tune I heard, which might have been a bit of a foreshadow was “Ain’t That Pretty at All.” That was 1977 in Albuquerque. Only later did I hear the werewolf song, which I wrote off as fluke.
Fast forward 30 years, and damned if things aren’t in perspective: He wasn’t very pretty to himself and those around him and perhaps the striving for whatever perfection he sought could have been realized with much less agony, estrangement and scotch, like how the werewolf song came about. Thank you so much for writing it down!
I saw Warren many times, in many cities, with bands, solo and was able, finally, to shake his hand: firm, dry, chapped, strong. Rather like him I suppose. He would stand on the stage after the show and just stare at the back of the house. I wondered what he saw there.
You helped me see him Crystal, I love you for that. Thank you. Thank everyone who contributed to the book.
Your book does justice not only to Warren’s music but to his humanity. It left me feeling the way one of Warren’s concerts might have left me: spellbound. I am changed, and for the better. Thanks for helping us keep Warren in our hearts.
Thanks for a wonderful, sad, funny, loving, honest, heroic journey through Warren’s life. I knew him for a time during his Australian visits. He was actually going to compose the music to one of the movies I was producing and writing but a split with my business partner put an end to that dream of ours. When I moved to Los Angeles I kept bumping into him. In malls!! And the Farmers Market. I felt privileged to have spent some time in the presence of his genius. Thanks for bringing his spirit to life again.
This afternoon in the 90 degree heat on my back porch, I finished your book & thought it was great. I really enjoyed the way you told the story of WZ’s wild life in the music business, using memories of his family & friends. I was residing in Philadelphia in the 70’s when I first heard Warren’s music, where I dabbled in radio & worked for local concert promoters. EXCITABLE BOY is one of my favorite albums/CDs of all-time, but I had become unaware of his prolific latter-day releases, until reading about them in your book. I’ll be buying them, in the near future.
I happen to have been acquainted with the Philly dj, referenced in the book, and, in fact she took up briefly with a friend of mine, a local rock ‘n roll singer that fronted his own band. This was sometime in 1980-81, before Warren came to Philly. I was curious why she was not named in the book, like some of Warren’s other girl friends were. I googled her name and found an interesting article written about her and Warren from the PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY archives, after it was announced WZ was dying. I printed out and stuck in the back of your book. From some of Warren’s diary entries and her quotes in the article, it seems she is a liar, so my guess is that was why you did not want to interview her.
Good luck, wish you success with your book … Rick Bohs, Mt. Vernon NY Sat. 8/25/07 5:23 PM
Just finished -I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead- and I want to congratulate you, and thank you too. It’s a truly fine and honest book, and a very well-written one (much better, in a literary sense, than bios of other artists - and it had to have been very difficult to interview and edit such disparate and probably difficult people). The story may be about Warren, but you told it (with, I suppose, some inevitable modest vengeance-taking - does Eleanor Mondale speak to you?). I can’t remember another book that made me laugh (and cry, eventually) about people I’ve never met and never will. I hope life is good in Vermont and your family is well, and I look forward to more of YOUR work. Thanks again!
Hello Crystal, I’m so sorry to hear about the death of your mother. There is no harder burden to bear than that i fear. I wanted to thank you for writing Warren’s real story. it would have been an insult to a life led with such painful honesty to have whitewashed who he was. Believe me there’s not a single fan out there that thinks any less of him at this moment. Warren’s music truly saved me as i lived out my own “dirty life and times” in the 70’s and 80’s. without “Warren in my ear” I’m certain I’d never have pulled it off. He’s still in my ear, my heart and my prayers to this day, as are you and his children. Enjoy every sandwich, Crystal. your friend, Tim
My son gave me this book for Christmas, now that I’ve just finished it I want to add my thanks and congratulations for the purity, honesty and clarity with which you and those you quoted told the story. Well done.
Hi Crystal, I just finished your book. Great job! although I have been a fan of warrens music for years, your book seemed to bring me even closer to the reality of what a truly talented genius of the music world he really was. Thanks for writing it like it was, even the bad stuff, like he wanted. My biggest regret is that I never got the opportunity to meet Warren in person, but the music for me will live on and on, Thank again, Jeffrey
Hello Crystal,
First let me begin with complimenting you on the honesty and raw reality both good and bad, the way Warren wanted it. It was a true tribute to the honor of Warren’s life and what he gave to all of us, by seeing the line up of dignitaries who contributrd to this masterpiece. I recently finished the book and when I finished, I was filled with emotion, and happy that I read it.I became a Zevon fan back in ‘83 when I heard “Let Nothing Come Between Us” which to this day remains one of my favorite songs! Thanks for bringing back some great memories.I truley respect the way that you stood by Warren,throughout his life. Thank you for sharing Warren’s life with us through this book.I will recommend this to everyone. Warren’s spirit and music will live forever!
Lou
New Jersey
Hello Crystal….I want to thank you for writing this book and making us all acquainted with Warren Zevon at a much deeper level than we could have ever expected otherwise. And how glad I am he asked that his craziness with drugs and drinking not be diminished, but told as it should be. I loved his early work because of his craziness and probably because at that time I was also drinking heavily and it put me in direct contact with his mental state. I quit alcohol in 1977, and could tell when he sobered up, too….quite a change in the way his composing went; and look at his diary notes from before sobriety and after. I would like to think we both became more human(e) and open to ourselves and others. By the way, I would be curious to know if you are aware whether or not Warren ever read Malcolm Lowry’s great book “Under the Volcano”? Reading that made me see myself in the character of the British envoy, and was very instrumental in bringing me to quit alcohol. Your book was a non-stop page-turner and I think the format made it easier to become (distantly) acquainted with all the writers, players, composers, and lovers in his life. I believe Jorge Calderone would be a great guy to know. Best wishes for you and yours. Tom Layman, Iowa City, IA
Dear Ms Zevon, I just finished your book and I would like to tell you how much I admire your work. Before your book I knew stuff about WZ that you just pick up by magazines et al. But your book gave me an insight that I sometimes didn´t wanna have but that completed my picture of him in a way that I never experienced before.. When I first started your book I knew right away that it was different from the biographies I read before because you can see from the first word that you had a mission - and please let me tell you: You fulfilled that mission to show an artist extraordinaire in all his complexity. Thanx very much for this!
Filed by Crystal at 8:30 pm under Uncategorized
I enjoyed your book on Warren. I think it took tremendous courage for you to do it and applaud you completely. He was a gifted person who surly had his demons and it is obvious that he did not make life easy for those he loved.
As a middle school aged kid I first herd the Excitable Boy album through a friend of my older brothers and went and bought the record with lawn mowing money. I never stopped collecting his music. I can remember hearing to his songs and saying wow this guy is talking to me. I enjoyed his sardonic and sarcastic wit. As my friends who though the years dropped in and out would say. Warren who? Never herd of him. I was proud to say I was listening to a genius all along.
In my office I have college students working for me and one said about the 2004 Grammy Awards, What were all those singers doing singing that one song on stage and why? So I explained and as Billy Bob Thornton said I spread the gospel of Warren.
Thank you,
Steve
Crystal,
Certainly you’re receiving many thousands of emails and may not read this one, but after reading the book I was compelled to leave feedback and thanks, even if it’s only to purge my brain.
Uncounted times while reading the book I would have a “ah, so THAT’S where that came from,” “THAT’S the reason for _____” etc. It was great - like I finally know who shot Kennedy, metaphorically speaking.
The first Zevon tune I heard, which might have been a bit of a foreshadow was “Ain’t That Pretty at All.” That was 1977 in Albuquerque. Only later did I hear the werewolf song, which I wrote off as fluke.
Fast forward 30 years, and damned if things aren’t in perspective: He wasn’t very pretty to himself and those around him and perhaps the striving for whatever perfection he sought could have been realized with much less agony, estrangement and scotch, like how the werewolf song came about. Thank you so much for writing it down!
I saw Warren many times, in many cities, with bands, solo and was able, finally, to shake his hand: firm, dry, chapped, strong. Rather like him I suppose. He would stand on the stage after the show and just stare at the back of the house. I wondered what he saw there.
You helped me see him Crystal, I love you for that. Thank you. Thank everyone who contributed to the book.
Gerrit Gillespie
www.cybercentric1.com
Crystal,
Your book does justice not only to Warren’s music but to his humanity. It left me feeling the way one of Warren’s concerts might have left me: spellbound. I am changed, and for the better. Thanks for helping us keep Warren in our hearts.
Bill Coan
billcoan@wordsite.com
Thanks for a wonderful, sad, funny, loving, honest, heroic journey through Warren’s life. I knew him for a time during his Australian visits. He was actually going to compose the music to one of the movies I was producing and writing but a split with my business partner put an end to that dream of ours. When I moved to Los Angeles I kept bumping into him. In malls!! And the Farmers Market. I felt privileged to have spent some time in the presence of his genius. Thanks for bringing his spirit to life again.
Frank Howson
This afternoon in the 90 degree heat on my back porch, I finished your book & thought it was great. I really enjoyed the way you told the story of WZ’s wild life in the music business, using memories of his family & friends. I was residing in Philadelphia in the 70’s when I first heard Warren’s music, where I dabbled in radio & worked for local concert promoters. EXCITABLE BOY is one of my favorite albums/CDs of all-time, but I had become unaware of his prolific latter-day releases, until reading about them in your book. I’ll be buying them, in the near future.
I happen to have been acquainted with the Philly dj, referenced in the book, and, in fact she took up briefly with a friend of mine, a local rock ‘n roll singer that fronted his own band. This was sometime in 1980-81, before Warren came to Philly. I was curious why she was not named in the book, like some of Warren’s other girl friends were. I googled her name and found an interesting article written about her and Warren from the PHILADELPHIA WEEKLY archives, after it was announced WZ was dying. I printed out and stuck in the back of your book. From some of Warren’s diary entries and her quotes in the article, it seems she is a liar, so my guess is that was why you did not want to interview her.
Good luck, wish you success with your book … Rick Bohs, Mt. Vernon NY Sat. 8/25/07 5:23 PM
Hello Crystal.
Just finished -I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead- and I want to congratulate you, and thank you too. It’s a truly fine and honest book, and a very well-written one (much better, in a literary sense, than bios of other artists - and it had to have been very difficult to interview and edit such disparate and probably difficult people). The story may be about Warren, but you told it (with, I suppose, some inevitable modest vengeance-taking - does Eleanor Mondale speak to you?). I can’t remember another book that made me laugh (and cry, eventually) about people I’ve never met and never will. I hope life is good in Vermont and your family is well, and I look forward to more of YOUR work. Thanks again!
Jeff Nichols
Mountain Green, Utah
Hello Crystal, I’m so sorry to hear about the death of your mother. There is no harder burden to bear than that i fear. I wanted to thank you for writing Warren’s real story. it would have been an insult to a life led with such painful honesty to have whitewashed who he was. Believe me there’s not a single fan out there that thinks any less of him at this moment. Warren’s music truly saved me as i lived out my own “dirty life and times” in the 70’s and 80’s. without “Warren in my ear” I’m certain I’d never have pulled it off. He’s still in my ear, my heart and my prayers to this day, as are you and his children. Enjoy every sandwich, Crystal. your friend, Tim
My son gave me this book for Christmas, now that I’ve just finished it I want to add my thanks and congratulations for the purity, honesty and clarity with which you and those you quoted told the story. Well done.
Hi Crystal, I just finished your book. Great job! although I have been a fan of warrens music for years, your book seemed to bring me even closer to the reality of what a truly talented genius of the music world he really was. Thanks for writing it like it was, even the bad stuff, like he wanted. My biggest regret is that I never got the opportunity to meet Warren in person, but the music for me will live on and on, Thank again, Jeffrey
Hello Crystal,
First let me begin with complimenting you on the honesty and raw reality both good and bad, the way Warren wanted it. It was a true tribute to the honor of Warren’s life and what he gave to all of us, by seeing the line up of dignitaries who contributrd to this masterpiece. I recently finished the book and when I finished, I was filled with emotion, and happy that I read it.I became a Zevon fan back in ‘83 when I heard “Let Nothing Come Between Us” which to this day remains one of my favorite songs! Thanks for bringing back some great memories.I truley respect the way that you stood by Warren,throughout his life. Thank you for sharing Warren’s life with us through this book.I will recommend this to everyone. Warren’s spirit and music will live forever!
Lou
New Jersey
Hello Crystal….I want to thank you for writing this book and making us all acquainted with Warren Zevon at a much deeper level than we could have ever expected otherwise. And how glad I am he asked that his craziness with drugs and drinking not be diminished, but told as it should be. I loved his early work because of his craziness and probably because at that time I was also drinking heavily and it put me in direct contact with his mental state. I quit alcohol in 1977, and could tell when he sobered up, too….quite a change in the way his composing went; and look at his diary notes from before sobriety and after. I would like to think we both became more human(e) and open to ourselves and others. By the way, I would be curious to know if you are aware whether or not Warren ever read Malcolm Lowry’s great book “Under the Volcano”? Reading that made me see myself in the character of the British envoy, and was very instrumental in bringing me to quit alcohol. Your book was a non-stop page-turner and I think the format made it easier to become (distantly) acquainted with all the writers, players, composers, and lovers in his life. I believe Jorge Calderone would be a great guy to know. Best wishes for you and yours. Tom Layman, Iowa City, IA
Dear Ms Zevon, I just finished your book and I would like to tell you how much I admire your work. Before your book I knew stuff about WZ that you just pick up by magazines et al. But your book gave me an insight that I sometimes didn´t wanna have but that completed my picture of him in a way that I never experienced before.. When I first started your book I knew right away that it was different from the biographies I read before because you can see from the first word that you had a mission - and please let me tell you: You fulfilled that mission to show an artist extraordinaire in all his complexity. Thanx very much for this!