I recently picked up a copy of Warren Zevon's "Learning To Flinch" for next to nothing. Despite being a fan for many years - as I know some of our regular readers are as well - for some reason this album has never previously crossed my path. So I snapped it up.
Released in 1993, "Learning To Flinch" was Mr Zevon's second live album. But unlike 1980's "Stand In The Fire" on which he ans band rocked their socks off, on this album it is just the great man on his own recorded at assorted venues in the US, UK, Europe and Australia during 1992.
Among the 17 tracks were three new songs. Two of them subsequently popped up again on "Mutineer" in 1995, but the other never made it on to a studio album. So obviously that has to be the first pick.
For the other selection, how about an 11 minute version of one of the best songs ever written (recorded appropriately in Norway, home of the headless gunner himself)?
"Worrier King (live)" - Warren Zevon
"Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner (live)" - Warren Zevon
The opening track on "Learning To Flinch" is a suitably splendid version of "Splendid Isolation". Here is another one from around the same time on which Mr Z is accompanied by someone called Neil Young (no, I've no idea either). To that I've added two more clips from the same concert, including a cover version I had not expected to find.
I'm away working for a few days at the start of next week. See you on my return.
This live album is new to me and reminds me on his last album before he passed away.
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