Saturday Night Listening - Warren Zevon's "Excitable Boy"

Excitable Boy is a true classic.

I've been listening to a lot of music lately, both new and old. One disc that has been on standard rotation in my car right now is Warren Zevon's Excitable Boy.

It is Zevon's most commercially successful work and also one of his best (although he has many other great albums). He really is one of the more underrated rock 'n' roll geniuses, and in my book, is in some ways as brilliant or moreso than Bob Dylan or even Bruce Springsteen. Instead of singing about small-town working class life, Zevon's work was much darker, and his political commentary was always engaging as well.

Below is a live version of the album's title track, "Excitable Boy", which tells the tale of a young man who murders his prom date, as an example of Zevon's macabre style of humor and lyricism.

Someone should tell the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame to induct the artist. But it's not like he needs the honor, since many fans already recognize Zevon for the legend he was up until his death.