Excitable Boy
by Warren Zevon

“Excitable Boy” works best when it’s diving in Zevon’s macabre sense of humor. The lyrics are delivered with a hilarious deadpan that builds off of irony. “Tenderness On The Block” would not have worked if it hadn’t been sung like some sage advice about street walking. “Excitable Boy” reminds me of Oingo Boingo’s “Only a Lad” if it had been wrapped in doo-wop. While the latter is energetic and contemptuous, “Excitable Boy” works from its nonchalant juxtaposition. Horrible crimes are treated like nothing. “Werewolves Of London” earns its reputation from its tight instrumentation, and its cackling one-liners. The piano is so jaunty and makes perfect room for the guitar solo in the center. “And his hair was perfect” never ceases from sending me. Unfortunately, except for “Werewolves Of London” and “Nighttime In The Switching Yard” the instrumentals are underwhelming. They fall into rather plain 70s piano rock. The more serious songs like “Accidentally Like A Martyr” and “Veracruz” just don’t function as well either. Not without flaws, but definitely worthy of a bowl of beef chow mein. (Edited)

From buzzdainer TOP 100 COMMENTER 09/18/2020 18:42 | #258385 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

During the late eighties, Excitable Boy was in heavy rotation at the pizza place in Auburn, Maine, where I worked in the kitchen after school to earn pocket cash. It might have been the only album that was universally liked by all the high school aged staff who worked in the kitchen those years. It's easy to see why we all liked it so much: the songs are snappy, the lyrics clever, the instrumentation solid. At the time "Lawyers, Guns, and Money" and "Werewolves of London" were the songs everybody knew, but upon reflection I think "Tenderness on the Block" and "Accidentally Like a Martyr" are the most lyrically mature songs here, and the ones that keep me coming back. They're also the ones that anticipate the songwriter Warren Zevon was becoming as he faced getting older and, eventually, confronted his own mortality. Overall just a very solid collection of straight-ahead rock songs.

Warren Zevon's best album. Excitable boy, is a stunning record from an underrated artist. Shades of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Waits here on a great record featuring some superb tracks. Johnny strikes up the band, tenderness on the block, and, accidentally like a martyr, are all standouts. Most famous off course is the wonderful, werewolves of London, brilliant. Great quirky rock.

From ironmic40 06/13/2018 01:28 | #216615 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Zevon's juxtaposition of upbeat sing-song music with macabre lyrics on this album is a rare treat. There is also a poignant sincerity to the ballads that is surprising. Definitely recommend the expanded version, as "I Need A Truck" and "Tule's Blues" are hidden gems.

A Standout album & Zevon's best. Each & every track are real good to great. The one track that took me a while to really appreciate was "Nightime is the Switching Yard" but I really dig it now. Fav tracks: "Excitable Boy", "Accidently Like A Martyr", "Lawyers Guns & Money", "Johnny Strikes Up The Band" & "Tenderness On The Block". Warren's at his peak. MEZ