My Ride's Here
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 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | May 7, 2002 | |||
| Recorded | 2001 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 41:10 | |||
| Label | Artemis | |||
| Producer | Warren Zevon | |||
| Warren Zevon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from My Ride's Here | ||||
| ||||
On My Ride's Here, Zevon collaborated with a number of writers from outside the world of music. The song "Basket Case" features in Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name. 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 written by Zevon's high school friend, Dan McFarland, formerly of the band Sinch.
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | A−[2] |
| Rolling Stone |  |
| The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) | |
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 guitar
- David Letterman – background vocals
- Tony Levin – bass guitar 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
- Deming, Mark (May 7, 2002). "My Ride's Here – Warren Zevon". Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Warren Zevon". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
- "Warren Zevon: My Ride's Here : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
- Rolling Stone album guide