My Ride's Here
| My Ride's Here | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Warren Zevon | ||||
| Released | May 7, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:10 | |||
| Label | Artemis | |||
| Producer | Warren Zevon | |||
| Warren Zevon chronology | ||||
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| Singles from My Ride's Here | ||||
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My Ride's Here is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on May 7, 2002, by Artemis Records. Zevon described it as "a meditation on death"; it was released several months before Zevon was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma.
My Ride's Here finds Zevon collaborating with a number of writers from outside the world of music - not the first time, on The Envoy he co-wrote "The Overdraft" with novelist Tom McGuane. He also covers Serge Gainsbourg's " Laissez-Moi Tranquille" which roughly translates as "leave me alone". Gainsbourg first recorded it in 1960 on the Romantique 60 EP. "I Have to Leave" was a song by Zevon's high school friend, Dan McFarland, formerly of the band Sinch.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  |
Mark Deming of AllMusic rated My Ride's Here two out of five stars. He stated that "the jokes tend to be a bit obvious", and that "the more introspective moments don't connect the way one might hope". However, he said that some of the tracks "are strong enough to remind listeners of just how talented Zevon still is". He concluded by saying that the album "is a misfire from an artist capable of much better work."[1] Robert Christgau rated the album an A-, stating that Zevon was "at his best in the fictional-mythic mode that prevails". However, he said that he was "not above touring acoustic to shore up his collateral".[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sacrificial Lambs" | Larry Klein, Warren Zevon | 3:55 |
| 2. | "Basket Case" | Carl Hiaasen, Zevon | 3:37 |
| 3. | "Lord Byron's Luggage" | Zevon | 4:35 |
| 4. | "Macgillycuddy's Reeks" | Paul Muldoon, Zevon | 3:04 |
| 5. | "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared" | Hunter S. Thompson, Zevon | 5:14 |
| 6. | "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" | Mitch Albom, Zevon | 5:26 |
| 7. | "Genius" | Larry Klein, Zevon | 5:01 |
| 8. | "Laissez-Moi Tranquille" | Serge Gainsbourg | 3:32 |
| 9. | "I Have to Leave" | Dan McFarland | 3:05 |
| 10. | "My Ride's Here" | Paul Muldoon, Zevon | 3:41 |
Personnel
- Warren Zevon – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Charlie Bisharat – violin on "Genius"
- Larry Corbett – cello on "Genius"
- Joel Derouin – violin on "Genius"
- Anton Fig – drums
- Sheldon Gomberg – bass
- David Letterman – background vocals
- Tony Levin – bass on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
- Sid McGinnis – guitar on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
- Katy Salvidge – fiddle, tin whistle
- Paul Shaffer – organ on "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
- Evan Wilson – viola on "Genius"
- Michael Wolff – organ on "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared"
- Jordan Zevon, Ariel Zevon – additional vocals
Production
- Warren Zevon – producer, mixing, arranger
- Engineers: Michael Delugg – engineer
- Harvey Goldberg – engineer
- Klint Macro – engineer
- Will Schillinger – engineer
- Noah Scot Snyder – engineer, mixing
- Stephen Marcussen – mastering
- Michael Krumper – A&R
- Henry Diltz – photography
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Top Independent Albums | 22 |
References
- 1 2 Deming, Mark (2002-05-07). "My Ride's Here – Warren Zevon". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-08-29.
- 1 2 Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Warren Zevon". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- ↑ "Warren Zevon: My Ride's Here : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. 2008-10-13. Archived from the original on 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2012-08-29.