I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Crystal Zevon
The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon
Although only one of the 15 albums in his 35 year career saw commercial success, Warren Zevon was one of the most respected songwriters in rock history, particularly among his peers. Bruce Springsteen, Linda Ronstadt,
The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt and Jackson Browne are but a few of the stars who've not only recorded his songs, but were his friends. Zevon died of lung cancer in 2003.
"Tell the Whole Truth, Even the Awful Ugly Parts"
It's tempting to view ex-wife Crystal Zevon's oral biography I'll Sleep When I'm Dead: The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon, as a revenge-oriented tell-all. Much of the 450-page text detailing the musician's mistreatment of her (and nearly everyone he ever knew) would back up such a notion, but it's not the case here.
Crystal tells the story of Warren --having recently been diagnosed and given a few months to live--charging her with the telling of his story. "If you do it, you've got to tell the whole truth," he told her, "even the awful, ugly parts, because that's the excitable boy who wrote them excitable songs." The participation of many friends who added commentary seems to verify his wish.
As to the awful, ugly parts, there is not only no shortage of them, they dominate Zevon's life story. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is a hard book to digest, all the more so for the reader who may admire Zevon's music. That reader, however, may have already had an inkling as to the inner workings of a songwriter who wrote such ditties as "Lawyers, Guns & Money" and "Mr. Bad Example."
Zevon was a hardcore alcoholic who often treated those around him --lovers, family, and fellow musicians-- so poorly that it is a wonder he had a friend in the planet. Yet most of them returned to his side time and again.
Not only was he a truly gifted composer both lyrically and musically, but he had a combination of intellect, humor and charisma that was hard to resist. All of these traits are apparent throughout his song catalog. Eventually, after numerous attempts, Warren quit drinking and remained sober for the final 17 years of his life.
Despite Repetition, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead Hard to Put Down
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead utilizes the "oral history" structure, piecing together the reminiscences of friends into a chronological story. In this case, Crystal Zevon is less the "author" than she is a "compiler and arranger" of those remembrances, though her own commentaries are the most complete.
While this style of storytelling does give the book both a more intimate feel and wider perspective than a traditional expository biography, there is simply far too much repetition here. It could be argued that in the telling and retelling (and retelling) of especially the negative anecdotes about Zevon, the reader will really understand just how bad (and how often) he was Mr. Bad Example.
Despite the repetition, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead is hard to put down, akin to staring at a horrible car wreck, unable to avert your eyes, even in all its horror. Finally, thankfully, there is a degree redemption as the dying Zevon makes most of his amends, along with heroically recording a final album with all those friends, often barely able to stand or sing.
Zevon, Crystal. I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, 2007 Ecco/Harper Collins, (isbn: 978-0-06-076349-7)
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead by Crystal Zevon
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