I’ve been thinking about Warren Zevon (1947-2003) a lot this week. I’m not sure why.

I mean, I know “why” in general:  Mr. Zevon’s music sings to me, and he was a fascinating guy. He was a brilliant songwriter, a multi-instrumentalist, an obsessive-compulsive, and a James Bond fan. He was a voracious reader who befriended authors like Carl Hiaasen and Hunter S. Thompson. And he had a sardonic wit the likes of which is seldom seen in popular culture (and is seldom understood or rewarded when it is).

So it’s no surprise that I admired Mr. Zevon’s talent while he was alive, nor that I still listen to his music (a lot) now that he’s gone.

I’m just not sure why so many of his songs have been continually running through my head this first week of October 2007.

I suppose it could be because we’ve recently passed the fourth anniversary of Mr. Zevon’s death (September 7, 2003), or because we’re coming up on the fifth anniversary of his final public performance (October 30, 2002, on The Late Show with David Letterman).

Or maybe I simply happened to hear a snippet of “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” last weekend, and the resulting earworm metastasized into squirming spaghetti-strands of every song The Excitable Boy ever recorded.

Luckily for me, he recorded some great ones.

And luckily for you, too. Because I realized today that the power vested in me as an EatOurBrainiac means – regardless of why I’m having this particular obsession this week – I don’t have to ponder the life and work of Warren Zevon alone.

I can make you do it with me.

Indeed, the mere fact that you’ve read this post means . . . you already are.

Thanks, gang. I hate to listen alone.

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A new book about Warren Zevon, consisting of interviews and anecdotes compiled by his ex-wife Crystal Zevon, was published this year. It’s called I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD: THE DIRTY LIFE AND TIMES OF WARREN ZEVON.  I don’t have a copy yet, but I’ll be getting one soon. Word is that, at Mr. Zevon’s request, it’s a starkly honest portrayal. As we say here in Texas, he warn’t no saint – but then, what saint could have written “Excitable Boy”?

Here’s a terrific poster that artist Danny Garrett created for a 1978 Warren Zevon performance at the Austin Opera House.  Note the werewolf and headless gunner in the background.

Quite a number of Warren Zevon clips are available on YouTube.  A few of my favorites:

“Excitable Boy” live in concert.

“Werewolves of London” — of course.

“Splendid Isolation” – I want to live alone in the desert/I want to be like Georgia O’Keeffe . . .

A solo performance of “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” – just Mr. Zevon, a microphone, and a 12-string.

And this is Mr. Zevon’s final public performance, in October 2002 – “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner”.

Happy Birthday, Sputnik! Where would we be without you?