I'LL Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon: Amazon.co.uk: Crystal Zevon: Books

Frequently Bought Together

+

+

Price For All Three: �24.65

Show availability and shipping details

This item: I'LL Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon by Crystal Zevon
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
This item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
Stand in the Fire ~ Warren Zevon
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over �5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
Excitable Boy ~ Warren Zevon
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk.
Eligible for FREE UK delivery on orders over �5 with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Preludes

~ Warren Zevon

4.7 out of 5 stars (7) �10.78

Stand in the Fire

~ Warren Zevon

5.0 out of 5 stars (6) �4.98

Mr. Bad Example

~ Warren Zevon

5.0 out of 5 stars (4) �4.98

Excitable Boy

~ Warren Zevon

4.5 out of 5 stars (4) �4.48

The Envoy

~ Warren Zevon

4.5 out of 5 stars (2) �4.98

› Explore similar items

Product Description

Review
"[A] new, riveting oral history... unflinching interviews with his friends, admirers and fellow hell-raisers." -- Rolling Stone

Product Description
Told in the words of his musical accomplices, fellow-travelers, friends, and lovers, "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" is an intimate and unusual biography of fabled singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, the musical force behind such dark, witty rock-and-roll classics as "Werewolves of London" and "Roland, the Headless Thompson Gunner." Narrated by Crystal Zevon, Zevon's former (and only) wife, it draws on interviews with Jackson Browne, Tom Petty, Emmylou Harris, Linda Rondstadt, Stevie Nicks, Lindsay Buckingham, the Everly Brothers, and a host of other denizens of Southern California's influential rock scene to tell the story of the original "Excitable Boy": literary hoodlum, OCD sufferer, brilliant songwriter, and rock-and-roll icon.

See all Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

(What's this?)

Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.

biography(1)

warren zevon(1)

See all 6 tags...

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

Average Customer Review

4.7 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Bad Example, 3 Jul 2007

By	Nigel Tant (Exmouth, UK) - See all my reviews

If you are not a fan (or, as he preferred, a 'customer') already, then this book is probably not the place to start. For those of us who followed his 'career' and stuck with him through the years, then this extraordinary book tells us just about all we need to know about he dirty life and times of Mr Warren Zevon, who was simply the most consistantly fascinating and talented songwriter of the rock era. Quite why he didn't become the star that, say, Bruce Springteen became is, in part, answered by this book.

He wanted to have the whole truth about his life (including 'the ugly stuff') to be published after his death, and his estranged wife, albeit lifelong friend, Crystal Zevon has done the man proud in meeting his wishes. She set about interviewing over 80 friends, collaborators, managers, lovers and relatives and has assembled the book from those direct quotations to present the story in a linear fashion, but from differing viewpoints. Not much is spared the reader; WZ was a man with a ferociously addictive personality, firstly to alcohol and drugs, and then, after giving up drink, to sex, all of which he consumed in Olympian quantities. As he says himself, 'I got to be Jim Morrison a lot longer than he did'.

His problems with relationships are also examined in forensic detail, most poignantly in comments from his children, who had to put up with a father who often ignored them. Thankfully, most of those rifts were healed by the time he died and the story ends with him cradling his twin grandsons a short time before he passed away.

If you don't know the man's work, then I urge you to discover it; almost uniquely, there are no poor albums in his discography, so dive in with confidence. Then this book will tell you all the rest you need to know.

This is a frequently uncomfortable read, but those of us familiar with his work and the rumours of his lifestyle will not be surprised by that. I doubt there has been any other rock biography quite like this, or any other subject who could have inspired it.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dirty Life and Times...a depressing, one sided, read, 9 Feb 2009

By	Barmee (Notts, UK) - See all my reviews

I was really looking forward to this book but it has turned out to be quite a let down.

Sorry this is a long review but I wanted to justify my view to other Zevon fans. If you don't have time to read all of my thoughts just cut to my closing remarks at the end.

The book has lots of details for sure and numerous contributors. However the details are often not of the sort of things you want to hear and the contributors are all too frequently folks you have never heard of (granted there are some big names making brief contributions too - Carl Hiaasen, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty etc).

Overall the book makes for a wearing read with very few uplifting or amususing moments. The bulk of the book covers Warren's drinking - or rather lists times when he was drunk and (very) badly behaved. Sadly while him being a drunk may be an unavoidable fact, it seems a shame that this should be the only real focus of a book like this.

There seems no doubt that his former wife was very badly treated (both phsically and mentally) by Warren and as such she has a slanted view of the man for good reason. However It becomes wearing to have page after page of tales about him 'drinking several bottles of vodka' and then behaving awfully (allegedly beating up his wife etc) without any light at the end of the tunnel. You have to assume that he might have sometimes done amusing things when he was drunk (as hinted at with a tale of him playing with a loaded gun), but all too often the details of what he did when drunk are not there other than in a general sense to make us feel he was not nice guy.

The book hints that when not drinking he was quiet, polite, intelligent and likable. However examples of THAT bevaviour are thin on the ground.
Details of what inspired many of his songs, how, why and when (considering he seems to have been drunk day and night for much of his early adult years ... if you believe the book) he wrote them are simply not in the book.

Indeed that brings me to another gripe - the book is actually rather poorly put together. It feels a lot of the time like a rant by the author his (understandably upset) ex wife, rather than a rounded life story.
There is no discography (great shame) and no Index and very few quotes from the man himself (there are extracts from his diary - you wonder how he found the time to write it, or ANY songs bearing in mind how often he was allegedly drunk - but such quotes as there are are all too often short or meaningless). Extracts from magazine interviews would have been helpful - but are not here. There IS a list explaining who some of the contributors are (the book is in essence constructed from a series of anecdotes). Such a list of contributors is vital as you won't know who half the folks being quoted are. Indeed various folks mentioned are NOT detailed in the list. Also there are various referencs to a 'lady DJ' who he seemingly had an affair with, but we don't find out who she was.

There are photos in the book but they mostly appear out of context and so add little to the text on the page that they are on.

Over all the book leaves you finding it hard to like Warren. This is a shame as it is obvious that most of those contributing DID like him very much. The trouble is that no one is given much time (despite it being a lengthy book) to talk about the positive and fun side of Warren. Where did the ideas for all those amazing songs come from? You are told about the thinking behind only a handful of them.

Roughly half way through the book we come to when Warren went 'on the wagon' for several years. It means a slight change of narrative for a while but does not really save a book which by then is already doomed as many of Warren's best musical moments have been and gone but have not been covered.

If you are new to Zevon and want to know more about him this might not be the place to start as it may put you off someone who was to music what say Carl Hiaasen is to the crime thriller (clever, amusing, different). You might do better to start with the DVD 'Keep Me In Your Heart' where you start at the end of his life and see somthing of the man behind the bottle. Or read the notes with the CD 'Preludes' (to be fair these notes are actually partly extracted from 'I'll sleep when I'm dead...' but also see Warren through the eyes of his son).

In summary - This book is a wasted opportunity in my view ... and a depressing one at that. The story is one sided and paints Zevon simply as a drunken, wife beating, sex addict, OCD sufferer. All of that may well be true but Warren deserves to be celebrated too - more than this book allows him to be. RIP Warren.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MR. BAD EXAMPLE, 2 Jul 2007

By	Robert Hewitt "'stratmasters.com'" (North Wales UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If he hadn't have been who he was, Warren Zevon would have had very few friends at all.
This is a compelling book for all fans of Zevon music - it just makes you want to listen to all the songs again and try to understand them a little more.
Lots of lows and just a few highs in the life of a man who was insecure and very unstable - but loved (pitied?) by most whom came into contact with him.
Crystal Zevon has put together a wonderful collection of words and photographs - it's compulsive reading and difficult to put down.
How does Warren come across? A complete bastard who uses and abuses people and substances - a loyal friend a some - a person of weird habits and tastes.....but then anyone who knows his music wouldn't have it any other way.
He's the kind of guy you wish you could have known - in a dangerous sort of way - a bit like playing with fire....you know you'll get burned - but the temptation is too much.
All the greats die young - and usually sell more of their music post mortem than when alive. Warren will be jamming with the best of them now - he was an absolute genius above all else. Bob Hewitt 2nd July 2007. North Wales UK.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 7 customer reviews...

Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Yes, enjoy every sandwhich ... A true tortured genius who found some peace

I found this book to be deeply moving, affecting and touching. It allowed me to travel with Warren through his life, thanks to interviews with friends and family, and -... Read more

Published 1 month ago by Celtic Mystery

5.0 out of 5 stars I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
Prior to reading this book I only had a vague awareness of Zevons music and wouldn't call myself a fan. Read more

Published 12 months ago by Gordon Mckean

5.0 out of 5 stars Zevon - legendary songwriter
Warren Zevon was one of the best singer-songwriters that ever lived and yet he isn't a household name and his songs are rarely heard. Read more

Published on 8 Jul 2007 by Neal Parkinson

5.0 out of 5 stars Warren Zevon's life captured
Do you ever get depressed browsing through the music sections in book shops? Thick tombs of Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison analysed to death & so-called musicians writing their memoirs... Read more

Published on 21 Jun 2007 by Mr. A. W. Riggs

› See all 7 customer reviews...

Listmania!

The List: Best Albums ever: A list by Jack Beadle
Albums You Must Own: A list by Manic Hedgehog
Essential albums of 2008: A list by Fergus Pearson

Create a Listmania! list

Look for similar items by category

Books > Biography > Film, Television & Music > Music > Rock & Pop
Books > Biography > War & Espionage
Books > Music, Stage & Screen > Music > Styles

Feedback

Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.

The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia

"Michael Gray's book embodies a lifetime of critical engagement with... Read more
£16.99 £11.04

›Find similar items

Beauty without the Beast

Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream

From au naturel to party glam, we have all the best names in cosmetics and skincare.

›Discover Beauty at Amazon.co.uk

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Braun Series 3 390cc Clean & Renew System Rechargeable Foil Electric Shaver

Get in touch with your smooth side with Braun Series shavers, now with Gillette blade technology.

›Discover Braun Series at Amazon.co.uk

Treat Someone

With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is).

›Learn more about Gift Certificates

	83% buy the item featured on this page: I'LL Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon 4.7 out of 5 stars (7) �15.19
	5% buy Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon 4.7 out of 5 stars (6) �7.98
	5% buy Mr. Bad Example 5.0 out of 5 stars (4) �4.98
	4% buy Excitable Boy 4.5 out of 5 stars (4) �4.48


Amazon Home

International Sites: United States \| Germany \| France \| Japan \| Canada \| China

Business Programs: Sell on Amazon \| Fulfilment by Amazon \| Join Associates \| Join Advantage

Customer Service \| Help \| View Basket \| Your Account

About Amazon.co.uk \| Careers at Amazon

I'LL Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon (Hardcover)

Frequently Bought Together

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Product details

Product Description

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Customer Reviews

Customer Discussions

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight

Start a new discussion

Listmania!

Look for similar items by category

Feedback

The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia

Beauty without the Beast

Up to 53% off Braun Series Shavers

Treat Someone

Where's My Stuff?

Delivery and Returns

Need Help?

Your Recent History