Warren Zevon: Hall of Famer?

Finally on the ballot. Will he make it--accidentally, like a martyr? Here are a dozen songs that suggest, yes.

Greg Mitchell is the author of a dozen books and now writer/director of award-winning films. He was also a longtime editor of the legendary Crawdaddy.

It didn’t come close to matching the unofficial electioneering for Andrea Riseborouogh for that Oscar nomination—which, by the way, she richly deserves—but it was something. I refer to last month’s campaign by a few notables, such as Billy Joel, to finally get Warren Zevon on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ballot. That’s the mere ballot, with ten or so names, not even a coronation—which many have long called for, as they hurled themselves against the wall. I’ve been among them. Poor, poor pitiful Warren, gone too soon at age 56 after urging us to “enjoy every sandwich.”

Anyway, excitable times yesterday as Warren finally made the just-announced ballot. Now we’ll see if he gets voted in against “competition” that includes the likes of Iron Maiden, George Michael, Soundgarden and Missy Elliott. Maybe to help his cause a bit, below, here are a dozen Zevon tracks or covers in no chronological order, omitting the maybe too familiar “Excitable Boy,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and, until the very end, “Werewolves of London” (the latter I caught him howling in a late set at the Bottom Line in NYC at 1 a.m.). Another dozen are nearly as good.

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“Desperadoes Under Eaves,” with classic lines: “And if California slides into the ocean / Like the mystics and statistics say it will /I predict this motel will be standing until I pay my bill.”

Warren said “The Envoy” in question was ‘80s legend Philip Habib.

Ronstadt tuned to “Mohammed’s Radio”

The immortal “Roland The (Headless) Thompson Gunner” (h/t David Corn)

Alternate take for “Carmelita”

Yet he could also find “Tenderness on the Block”

Ronstadt again, live, with “Poor, Poor Pitiful Me”

“The French Inhaler”

And herrrrrre’s “Johnny Strikes Up the Band”

“Accidentally, Like a Martyr”

Much later, “For My Next Trick I’ll Need a Volunteer”

And finally, alternate very early take on “Werewolves”

Cartoon of the Day