Excitable Boy

Infobox Album
Name = Excitable Boy
Type = studio
Artist = Warren Zevon


Released = start date|1978|1|18
Recorded = start date|1977, The Sound Factory, Los Angeles
Genre = Rock, pop rock, folk rock
Length = 31:29
Label = Asylum
Producer = Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:2r63mpv39f1o link]
*Music Box Rating|4|5 [http://www.musicbox-online.com/reviews-2007/warrenzevon-excitableboy.html link]
*Robert Christgau (A-) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=warren+zevon link]
*"Rolling Stone" (favorable) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/warrenzevon/albums/album/113421/rid/5941212/ link]
Last album = "Warren Zevon" (1976)
This album = "Excitable Boy" (1978)
Next album = "Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School" (1980)

"Excitable Boy" is the third album by Warren Zevon, released in 1978 (see 1978 in music. It includes the top 40 hit "Werewolves of London." It is the highest-selling album of Zevon's career. A remastered and expanded edition was released in 2007.

The album includes several songs that use dark humor ("Excitable Boy," "Werewolves of London"), as well as some songs that take place in locales outside the United States, ("Veracruz"), and two songs that both use dark humor and take place in countries other than the U.S.A.("Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner," "Lawyers, Guns and Money"). In addition, there are two straightforward ballads about life and relationships ("Accidentally Like a Martyr" and "Tenderness on the Block").

Track listing

All songs written by Warren Zevon except as noted.
# "Johnny Strikes up the Band" – 2:49
# "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" (David Lindell, Zevon) – 3:47
# "Excitable Boy" (LeRoy Marinell, Zevon) – 2:40
# "Werewolves of London" (Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, Zevon) – 3:27
# "Accidentally Like a Martyr" – 3:37
# "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" (Jorge Calderón, Lindell) – 4:15
# "Veracruz" (Calderón, Zevon) – 3:30
# "Tenderness on the Block" (Jackson Browne, Zevon) – 3:55
# "Lawyers, Guns and Money" – 3:29

Bonus Tracks (2007 reissue)

# "I Need A Truck" (Outtake) — 0:50
# "Werewolves Of London" (Alternate version) (Marinell, Wachtel, Zevon) — 3:41
# "Tule's Blues" (Solo Piano Version) — 3:13
# "Frozen Notes" (Strings Version) — 1:59

Personnel

*Warren Zevon – organ, synthesizer, bass, guitar, piano, keyboards, Vocals
*Jorge Calderón – vocals, harmony vocals, Spanish vocals on "Veracruz"
*Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar - guitar, percussion
*Russ Kunkel – drums

Additional personnel

*Karla Bonoff – vocals, harmony vocals on "Accidentally Like a Martyr"
*Jackson Browne – guitar, vocals, harmony vocals
*Luis Damian – jarana on "Veracruz"
*Kenny Edwards – bass, harmony vocals
*Mick Fleetwood – drums
*The Gentlemen Boys – vocals
*Arthur Gerst – harp, Mexican harp
*Bob Glaub – bass
*Jim Horn – recorder, saxophone
*Greg Ladanyi – bells
*Rick Marotta – drums
*John McVie – bass on "Werewolves of London"
*Jeff Porcaro – percussion, drums on "Nighttime in the Switching Yard"
*Linda Ronstadt – vocals, harmony on "Excitable Boy"
*Leland Sklar – bass
*J.D. Souther – vocals, harmony
*Manuel Vasquez – requinto on "Veracruz"
*Richard Wachtel – guitar, vocals
*Waddy Wachtel – synthesizer, guitar, harmony vocals
*Jennifer Warnes – harmony vocals on "Excitable Boy"
*Linda Warnes – vocals

Charts

Album