08.24.03 - He'll Sleep When He's Dead
So tonight after I returned home from a wonderful birthday meal I turned on VH1 and saw they were running an uninterrupted special about Warren Zevon and his struggle with terminal lung cancer. The documentary focused on Warren recording his album, "The Wind", and his reflections on life and his music.

When I first heard that Warren was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer last August around this time I, like most people who were aware of Warren's music was saddened by the thought that the world would lose arguably one of its best rock poets. I immediately dusted off my old Warren Zevon records and sat listening to some of the most beautiful and disturbing music I had ever heard. I was once again reminded why I fell in love with his music in the first place.

Anyway, during the course the this special he mentioned several times how he was suddenly being asked to do interviews by every one, including people who wouldn't give him the time of day even when "Werewolf of London" was number one! And that really got me thinking. I got very pissed off because here was a genius that people were only acknowledging because he was going to die soon! I honestly become very angry with the way that the world treats people sometimes. These people who hated Warren and his music thirty years ago are all of a sudden singing his praises from the mountain tops. It doesn't make sense, if you didn't like him then, it's very hard to see why all of a sudden you would like him. For example, I hate everything about Kenny G. If I heard that Kenny G. had terminal lung cancer I wouldn't go saying that he was the best sax player in the world and that "Breathless" was a masterpiece. Why is that? Because he'd still be the same ass that I hated way back when.

I guess what I'm saying folks is why can't all be a little more honest with the way we treat one another. If you don't like some one's art or music, say you don't like their art or music. Don't feel as though you have to love somebody's music just because they're dying, love their music because it deserves to be loved and it speaks to you in that special way. I for one and truly, deeply saddened at the thought of losing Warren and his music, and I will mourn him when the time comes. In the meantime I will continue to celebrate his life and his music in the same honest way that I have always done.