{"product_id":"warren-zevon-excitable-boy","title":"Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRhino Reserve\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFrom Allmusic guide:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tabContent review\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"review\" class=\"albumContentSubModule\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWarren Zevon's self-titled 1976 album announced he was one of the most striking talents to emerge from the Los Angeles soft rock singer\/songwriter community, and \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/artist\/linda-ronstadt-mn0000686897\" class=\"name-link\"\u003eLinda Ronstadt\u003c\/a\u003e (a shrewd judge of talent if a sometimes questionable interpreter) recorded three of its songs on two of her biggest-selling albums, which doubtlessly earned Zevon bigger royalty checks than the album itself ever did. But if \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/warren-zevon-mw0000312155\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eWarren Zevon\u003c\/a\u003e was an impressive calling card, the follow-up, Excitable Boy, was an actual hit, scoring one major hit single, \"Werewolves of London,\" and a trio of turntable hits (\"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner,\" \"Lawyers, Guns and Money,\" and the title track). But while Excitable Boy won Zevon the larger audience his music certainly deserved, the truth is it was a markedly inferior album; while it had all the bile of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/warren-zevon-mw0000312155\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eWarren Zevon\u003c\/a\u003e, and significantly raised Zevon's dark-humor factor, it was often obvious where his previous album had been subtle, and while all 11 tracks on \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/warren-zevon-mw0000312155\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eWarren Zevon\u003c\/a\u003e were strong and compelling, two of the nine tunes on Excitable Boy -- \"Johnny Strike Up the Band\" and \"Nighttime in the Switching Yard\" -- sound like they're just taking up space. Musically, most of Excitable Boy is stuck in a polished but unexceptional FM pop groove, and only \"Veracruz\" hints at the artful intelligence of \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.allmusic.com\/album\/warren-zevon-mw0000312155\" class=\"album-link\"\u003eWarren Zevon\u003c\/a\u003e's finest moments. It's hard to say if Zevon was feeling uninspired or just dumbing himself down when he made Excitable Boy, but while it made him famous, it lacks the smarts and substance of his best work.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"tab userReviews\" id=\"userReviewsTab\" data-subtype=\"userReviews\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Vinyl Veritas","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48014118355179,"sku":"VVA1178","price":29.56,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0653\/5692\/3115\/files\/4454525-3495069.jpg?v=1774475011","url":"https:\/\/www.vinylveritas.com\/products\/warren-zevon-excitable-boy","provider":"Vinyl Veritas","version":"1.0","type":"link"}