This came out in 2003 – or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
THE ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: 1969.
THE BACK STORY: Recorded back when he was still a struggling session musician, this 10-song offering offers glimpses of the greatness Warren Zevon would later achieve with dark-hearted anthems like Werewolves Of London and Excitable Boy. Most of the time, though, it’s clearly the work of a young songwriter still finding his own voice. Still, it makes an interesting souvenir for fans of his beautifully grim songcraft.
THE GOODIES: The title track and Hitchhikin’ Woman are hard-hitting blues rockers; the joyful cover of Iko-Iko is just plain bizarre; and Gorilla’s riff was recycled years later into Jungle Work.
THE EXTRAS: None — at least in this country. In the U.S., later Zevon efforts Transverse City and Sentimental Hygiene were reissued at the same time. So what gives?
