Accidentally Like a Martyr – Reviews

Praise for Accidentally Like a Martyr thus far:

“I’m going to say this, Accidentally Like a Martyr– The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon is a definitive biography, drawing on interviews with Warren’s friends and family; James Campion has written a book that is so ingenious both in terms of the quality of the writing, which is lovely, but also the device he used to tell Warren Zevon’s story. Rather than a conventional biography he takes ten songs and three seminal albums and extrapolates from them a portrayal of the man, the career, the work and the legacy – each depicting a different side of his character, his artistry, his personality, his soul, his life, and from there each song is a seed in which he springs forth all of these narratives. The book is so beautiful for the fan of Warren Zevon’s humanity as well as people who like Warren Zevon but want to know why he is so revered by some of the most charismatic artists we have. It is a pleasure to read a rock biography by a talented writer whose passion for the source material as well as his passion for the English language just comes through on every page. It is a book that has the same integrity and fearlessness in studying its subject as Zevon did with his songs studying his own beautiful, fucked up, imperfect life.”

– John Fugelang, Host of SiriusXM’s “Tell Me Everything”, click here to listen to the entire interview

My wife, being an avid reader, of course, bought the book as soon as it came out and then we had about a solid week and a 1/2 of laffs and tears and lots of z’s music playing in the house.
I felt very justly represented in the book and I thank you for that. I think you did an outstanding job, James…really…. well fucken done mate!!!

– Waddy Wachtel

Accidentally Like a Martyr is a wonderfully written and researched “text book” on my
friend. Warren would have loved your scholarly work and literary writing…for sure. Congratulations. When we were talking, I had no idea what your book was going to be. I never expected such an intelligent, serious examination for a man and his work. I congratulate you and, of course, now I can think of what stories I could have told and all the things what I didn’t think of at the time!

– Jimmy Wachtel

Official Reviews

For all the writer’s complexity, he does a wonderful job providing illuminating background information on Zevon such as the impact of William Ford Gibson’s “Neuromancer” on the Transverse City album, one of the artist’s most misunderstood and unsuccessful discs, and discussing Zevon’s love of classical music. Zevon was classically trained and friends thought his goal was to someday write a symphony, something only hinted at in short interludes included on Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School. Campion enlightens us on Zevon’s appreciation of writers such as Norman Mailer, Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett and F. Scott Fitzgerald, and how their words, characters and vistas influenced his lyrics.
– American Songwriter, click here to read the rest of the review

Campion tells you, passionately, what the music he has chosen to highlight means to him, but he isn’t just engaging in musical masturbation; he has done a lot of research into his subject.
– The Arts Fuse, click here to read the rest of the review

In his gushing, heart-on-his-sleeve prose, heavy on first-person pronouns, Campion is trying to transform the standard critical take on Zevon: that the tremendous promise of his early work was left unfulfilled by his struggles with drugs, alcohol and self-aggrandizement. Campion doesn’t evade those struggles, but he argues that Zevon was able to use those challenges as the raw materials for some of his best work on his final records. Campion has some famous musicians willing to testify on his behalf. In 2004, the posthumous tribute album ‘Enjoy Every Sandwich’—The Songs of Warren Zevon featured contributions from Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Steve Earle, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Ry Cooder, often performing songs from later in the songwriter’s career. The author calls on many of them and their peers in the book to bolster his case.
– PASTE Magazine, click here to read the rest of the review

Campion gives the audience something deeper and richer than a standard biographical narrative or a thematically organized string of interpretive readings, even as both of those elements do play a role here. Instead, Campion tells the story of his experience with Zevon, bolstered by a sharp critical eye and an obvious expertise of Zevon’s music. Accidentally Like a Martyr epitomizes that wonderful feeling of being a Zevon fan.
– Pop Matters, click here to read the rest of the review

Campion’s adoring book will speak mostly to Zevon s fans, and will encourage them to listen to his music anew
– Publishers Weekly, click here to read the rest of the review

Here, music journo Campion uses 10 individual songs and three albums as the subjects of elongated essays on Zevon s music, but that s something of a misnomer. Through original interviews, archival quotes, and his own analysis, the book covers far more of Zevon s catalog and life story than just passing mentions
– Houston Press, click here to read the rest of the review

“Part love letter to an icon, part scholarly attempt to learn what makes an icon tick, Accidentally Like a Martyr is a tribute quite unlike anything I’ve seen before.”
– Manhattan Book Review, click here to read the rest of the review

“Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, Accidentally Like a Martyr offers an extraordinary and analytical study of a man and his music that is unreservedly recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary American Biography and Contemporary American Music collections in general, and Warren Zevon supplemental studies lists in particular.”
– Wisconsin Book Watch – Midwest Book Review, click here to read the rest of the review

“Accidentally Like a Martyr is one of the best recent rock biographies for its profound insights.”
– Shepherd Express, click here to read the rest of the review

“Zevon’s life and career are more than worthy of analysis and author James Campion has written a stunning new book, Accidentally Like a Martyr – The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon. The author interviewed those closest to Zevon, including a wide array of songwriters, producers and family members, in order to examine his life through the songs he wrote. In so doing, Campion broke down Zevon’s life into 13 insightful essays that not only recall the artist’s life story but also shed valuable new light on the songs, which ultimately are his greatest legacy.”
– Brooklyn Reporter, click here to read the rest of the review

“Campion descends through the layers of Zevon’s music gently, starting with the most literal interpretation of lyrics, then tying in the personal and contextual stories of Zevon’s life and relationships, and finally reaching for the intellectual threads that bind each album together and tie one to the next, a string of small buoys bobbing rather forlornly in a nearly forty year deep sea of rock music. It’s worth venturing out to explore them all.”
– Snowman on Fire, click here to read the rest of the review

“Examining these songs and albums allows Campion to discuss aspects of Zevon’s life (including his alcoholism), themes (his obsession with death, his fondness for handguns), his influences (Raymond Chandler, Martin Amis), and the influence he had on other musicians (especially the Eagles, but also Bruce Springsteen).”
– Booklist Online, click here for the rest of the review

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Warren Zevon, neither was I, until I read this book, and now I listen to the guy on a loop. James, it’s another home run. It’s an excellent book and it should be read. Thank you for writing it.
– Professor Joseph Burns, Southern Louisiana University and Co-Host of the Rock School Radio show and Podcast.

James Campion is the true Excitable Boy, the real Mr. Bad Example. Reading this book has been a joyous and mind opening experience. A deep dive into the world that Warren lived and created in. There is nothing out there on Warren as well thought out, well written and well researched than this book. I recommend it to any music fan and especially any Zevon fan. Love it.
– Connor Reid, director of upcoming Warren Zevon documentary.

Zevon songs, and his life, were like a boundless cacophony of sound and fury, chock full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. As such, it takes a writer with the earnestness, honesty and grasp of James Campion to make sense of it.
– Sound Waves Magazine, click here to read the rest of the review

Campion has written a book that only a Warren Zevon fan could write. Who but a fan would devote fourteen pages to “Studebaker,” a song that was never recorded to Zevon’s own satisfaction and therefore doesn’t appear on any of his official albums? Campion’s challenge is to make such minutiae compelling enough that readers unfamiliar with Zevon and his unique and impressive musical canon want to come along for the ride.
– Kevin Avery, 11/18/2018, click here to read the rest of the review

Accidentally Like a Martyr (the book) is a masterpiece. It taught me so much, and I wept through pretty much the entire chapter on The Wind. Amazing work. Thank you for sharing Warren’s genius with the world, and thank you for sharing your work with me.
– David McMillin, 5/30/2019

Reader Reviews

To appreciate the depth and dare I say — scholarly quality — of Campion’s dissection of Warren Zevon’s catalog requires putting this book on the third vertex of the musical triangle formed by “Deep Tank Jersey” (his summer-of-swagger tour with Dog Voices) and “Shout It Out Loud” (pulling back the curtain on KISS’s Destroyer album). “Martyr” resonates with exceptionally well-chosen adjectives and phrasing; each sentence feels like it has the same painstaking effort conveyed by Campion to describe Zevon’s songwriting and ethos. While most of us growing up in central New Jersey in the mid-70s would look to Springsteen for the working man, difficult family dynamic association, Campion takes a seminal teenage moment – his first listen to “Excitable Boy” – and stretches it, through forty years of reflection — into his best piece of writing about an under-appreciated and under-listened artist. It’s not a book that you’ll breeze through sitting on the Asbury Park beach, but one that merits your attention, your pauses to reflect on your own moments when musical lyrics took you to another place, and you’ll savor the journey.
– Hal Stern, Amazon

This book is terrific. The reading material of choice for any Warren Zevon devotee.
Some time back I wrote an Amazon review advising readers/fans of WZ to (in my opinion) avoid purchasing ‘I’ll sleep when I’m dead’ by Crystal Zevon (his estranged/ex wife).
I felt, and still feel, it was a one-sided (and largely negative) rant which did not allow for almost any of the positives about Warren’s life to shine out.
My other key criticism of that book was that it barely scratched the surface in terms of telling the stories behind Warren’s vast number of amazingly literate and often humorous songs and ballads (the very reason why most people looking for a book about the man would have got to know him at all in the first place).

Buy (and keep him in your heart – and bookshelf – for a while)!
Barmee – Amazon, United Kingdom

Consider me converted.
– Adam Reed, Amazon

Recommended for both Warren Zevon fans & for those who are only
familiar with him from “Werewolves Of London”. Not a biography, per
se, but more an examination of Zevon’s career & personal life through
an analysis of his songs & albums through the years. Many facts I was
unaware of before reading this, both trivial (I didn’t realize until
reading this that Linda Ronstadt was one of the back-up singers on
“Excitable Boy” or that R.E.M. played on his “Sentimental Hygiene”
album.) & not (he risked his friendships with Bruce Springsteen &
Billy Joel by name-checking them in a song about the 1992 LA riots.).
I’ve always been a casual Zevon fan, but reading this made me want to
revisit his entire catalog. Recommended.
– Joseph J. Hansell, Amazon

I wasn’t a fan of or very familiar with Warren Zevon but after hearing the author read an excerpt from the book, I was curious. It turned out to be a new favorite book and I’m recommending it highly. It’s formatted in essays which I enjoyed, making natural breaks for reading and absorbing information (new to me) both biographical and musical. The title may not be upbeat, but to the contrary in reading the book, I learned, laughed, marvelled and grew to cherish the artist and person that Warren Zevon was. It’s admirably crafted with depths of insight by James Campion who shares personal bits in the telling which creates an even more enlivening read.
– Liz O’Connor, Good Reads

James your book was awesome. Great insight into the man. Since October
I have watched all the interviews, live shows and any other video I
could find on Warren Zevon. I have become so obsessed with him and his
music that I honestly haven’t been able to listen to anyone else. The
only exception being the tribute album. I have purchased everything I
could from iTunes. I wish I could put down in words like you can about
what the music does to a person. Anyway, today is the first day since
October that I have been able to listen to someone else. But I only
got as far as Jackson Browne.
– Eric Pett, Amazon

I read several books about Warren Zevon and enjoyed them all. This is no exception. It artfully tied the information from the other books together for me. It is obvious that Mr. Campion did a ton of research for this book. He shares that research, blending it with his personal reflections. It was an amazing and emotional read. Job well done!
– Connie Evan-Marquart, Amazon

A look at the life and music of the late, great Warren Zevon. Each
chapter focuses on either an album or a particular song, and discusses
both the song as well as the events in Zevon’s life that inspired the
song. Very interesting, though probably only to Zevon fans.
– Ben Bzarit, Good Reads

Dear James,

I am a retired history teacher who bought Warren’s first album upon its release in 1976; I was just out of college beginning my teaching career. I stayed with him through thick and thin. My vehicle broke down on the way to a Zevon show in Oneonta in 1982. As a result of that breakdown I missed that show and suffered minor burns from a radiator explosion that resulted in abysmal psychic turmoil that subsequently led to me proposing to my wife (of now almost 40 years) Betsy. Betsy is a retired military veteran who has always agreed that “except for dreams we’re never really free.” She has always allowed me to stay update listening to … well, we moved to New Mexico in 1983. Fortunately, Warren toured through Albuquerque and Santa Fe several times in the 1990s. On September 3, 2003, ten years after you “crashed and burned,” I T-Boned a car while going downhill on my bicycle and almost died. Four days later, recovering my some major surgery, I learned about Warren’s passing. Coincidentally, Johnny Cash died on the same day as my accident. My dad always said “things come in threes;” I danced away from that fire… My family has confirmed that my near-death experience was one of the best things that ever happened to me, as I stopped torturing myself and others… Anyway, I now keep busy by attending professional conferences. Next week I’m presenting a paper at the Southwest Popular Arts and Culture Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My presentation is entitled “The Romances and Tragedies of Warren Zevon.” I submitted and prepared the presentation months ago, before Warren’s RRHOF nomination and before finally picking up your beautiful book “Accidentally…” I just finished reading your essays and wanted to reach out to thank you for your writing and your insights. Your hygienic sentimentality about how Warren’s music allowed you to finally contemplate the vast indifference of heaven truly resonated with me…so, thanks as we continue with our backs turned, looking down the path…

Truly,

Michael Nadler

This book enhances the experience of listening to Warren Zevon as much as a decanter enhances the experience of drinking a fine wine. Zevon is my favorite songwriter (in 2009 at a live music venue in New York City I hosted a “Zevon-athon” show). Author James Campion made me realize things about Zevon songs that I had never before grasped. Such as the influence of his gangster father on the brilliant lost track “Studebaker;” the recurring theme of loving to be punished that stretches from “Poor Poor Pitiful Me” through “Finishing Touches” up to “Hostage-O;” and the influence of the Rodney King riots on “The Indifference of Heaven.” Campion backs up his insights with a trove of fresh reporting including interviews with Zevon’s son and daughter, Jordan and Ariel, as well as with his musical collaborators including Waddy Watchtel, Jorge Calderon and Paul Muldoon. Their anecdotes alone make this book worth reading: Watchtel on the Rolling Stones’ reaction to Zevon in 1978, Muldoon on Zevon writing the last verse of “My Ride’s Here,” and Calderon on the drama of recording “The Wind.” This book left me feeling as gutted as a baked fish and as euphoric as a cherub — the same feelings I get from listening to the canon of Warren Zevon.
– Nate Schwerber, Amazon

The “tortured art” truly comes through in this elegantly written personal and musical journey through much of the life of the late, great Warren Zevon. The famous and infamous cast of characters lend a weight and substance to each chapter that will make you go back and listen to every song and then reread the chapter. A great musical and emotional ride!
– Barry Geller, Good Reads.

Very interesting read. Unique essay style format that explores the
music and lyrics of Warren Zevon. Recommended to any fan of this
master lyricist. Would also be great for someone new to his music
getting familiar with it.
– Evonne W., Amazon

TERRIFIC book! ZEVON LIVES!!!
– Richard Page Wright

This one (Campion’s) is exceptionally great in it’s analysis of Z’s work, and in a very fresh and interesting perspective vehicle. It and Kushins’ books re the best by far and make a great set, since they come at the subject from different angles and with different voices. I strongly recommend both. I read Campion’s first and followed it with Kushins’ it was a good order, but if I had it to do over I’d reverse it, get the big biographical picture that Kushins provides first, and then revel in the close-up of the work that Campion delivers. That’s almost nitpicking as they’re both great, different and neither will spoil the other, but I might have had slightly more appreciation for Campion’s work had I read Kushins’ first. Campion’s, as well the the other two books (can’t really call them bios) by Crystal and George Plasketes, left me wanting much more straightforward and objective biographical info of the sort I found in Kushins’. Having all that info makes for more value in the other three. If I could do it all over, I’d have read Crystals last instead of first.
– Fred A. Viceral, Facebook

Don’t think there can ever be a better book on Zevon, as the author
did a fantastic job of getting everyone on the record. Great read for
me, harder for someone who can’t keep up with the musical references.
– James H. Lynch, Amazon

A tremendously insightful book connecting Zevon’s life and lyrics. I
had already read a biography on Warren Zevon, but James Campion’s book
focuses much more on the lyrics, songwriting and creation of the music
of 10 songs and most of the albums. It therefore provides additional
insights and enriches my understanding of Zevon beyond what I had
gained from other books and articles. Campion is a diehard fan of
Zevon, which only adds to the depth of analysis. Not only did he
interview many of the key people in Zevon’s life, but he also analyzes
and explains the lyrics and music of the songs to an extraordinary
level. This is a valuable book for any serious Zevon fan, but may also
help other lesser fans to realize what they might have missed about
how special a songwriter Warren Zevon was.
– Warren Van Wicklin (note on jamescampion.com)

“What a beautiful & fitting tribute to one of the greatest songwriters of our lifetime. From the very opening chapter (dedicated to Desperados Under The Eaves) I was transfixed by it. Using specific songs from throughout Warren’s career as a starting point, the book is more than just a looking glass at the man but also a magnifying glass to the man’s words.

The closing chapter, from the David Letterman story onward pretty much left me bawling my eyes out like a baby with a bad diaper rash.

Great job and thank you to James Campion for sharing this with us.”
– Raymond Rusinak, Good Reads

For the serious fan, a great literary critique. Generally good,
scholarly writing. Great insights into the creative process.
– Elizabeth, Amazon

The book is fantastic, Zevon is so important to me and my wife.
Campion’s writing is spot on and openhearted to his mad genius. The
Desperadoes chapter should be music canon. HUH! A rare book that
actually elevates the listening experience of a musician’s work. To
any Zevon fan or to anyone who wants to discover this important artist
I cannot recommend this book high enough. Side note; why Warren Zevon
is not in The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame doesn’t tarnish his star but
dulls theirs.
– Stilson Greene, Amazon

Warren Zevon is one of rock n roll’s most underrated songwriters. A complicated man with a unique approach to music, he channeled his personal struggles and appreciation for literature and history into his art. “Tortured art” is a fitting description by Campion in the title and the author explores Zevon’s work with such honest and thorough care. It was an intriguing and insightful read.
– Chris Dixon, Goodreads

“It is fantastic!! I got teary in so many places…..especially “Keep me in your Heart,” which made me go watch the video, which made it worse. Easily, the music book of the year!!”
– Mark Gould, Facebook

Great book on Warren Zevon! Each chapter goes into details on multiple
songs. Big Warren fan.  I now know the depth of his skill.
– J.W., Amazon

“The essays are insightful, giving historical and artistic context to each song discussed. If you’re a fan, it’s an emotional journey culminating in Zevon’s death.”
– Malcolm, Good Reads

As a garden variety Zevon fan (Werewolves of London, Excitable Boy
were the only familiar tunes), I found Campion’s book to be a
revelation. I have much more appreciation for Zevon’s work and the
demons that drove him. I’ve enjoyed learning more about the hits I
knew, delving deeper into his catalog and understanding the influence
Zevon had on his peers. “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner” never
would have made it to my ears without this book, and it’s now my
favorite Zevon song!
– John F. Slater, Amazon

“A wonderful book, I enjoy reading anything about Warren Zevon. It’s clear the author put a whole lot of time and thought into the essays in here and his true love of the material shines through. Well worth reading for anyone who is a fan of Warren Zevon. It was great to hear the excitable boy howl one more time.”
– Robert Collette, Good Reads

Generally good, scholarly writing. Great insights into the creative process.
– Elizabeth, Amazon

“What a beautifully written book! From the introduction, to the acknowledgements, James Campion has created a piece that has the reader truly invested. While reading “Accidentally Like A Martyr”, I found myself stopping and listening along the way to the songs Mr. Campion mentions in his essays and having an even deeper respect for Warren Zevons works. I highly recommend this book, it is an absolutely worthy read!”
– Lisa Geller, Amazon.

Exceptional book about the most exceptional musician of the Baby
Boomer generation.
– William Hogan, Good Reads

“If you haven’t read it yet, the James Campion book is a fabulous read. It’s very well written and full of interesting insights. It is a must read for those in ‘Zevon’s Corner’.”
– Tara Bergeron, Facebook

If you are a Warren Zevon fan, you won’t want to miss this book. It will bring back fond memories of every period of Zevon’s career and provide deep insights into his life and work that you may not already know. If you are not a Zevon fan, you will be by the time you finish Campion’s book. Not strictly a biography, Accidentally Like a Martyr is more of a cultural history of Zevon’s “dirty life and times. Campion devotes each chapter to one of Zevon’s songs and uses that song as a lens to focus on Zevon’s artistic process, events in his life, and the state of the world at the time. Highlights are the chapters “Mohammed’s Radio,” an homage to Zevon’s strength as a live performer and “The Wind” which examines the making of Zevon’s final album, much publicized since it was written and produced as Zevon was dying. This book is not dry reporting, but rather a meticulously researched, lovingly written tribute by a fan of one of the great, overlooked songwriters of the rock and roll era.
– R.G. Evans, Amazon

While, thankfully, a few books have already appeared about the deeply-missed Warren Zevon, this new volume fills an essential gap by grappling with Zevon’s work on a thoughtful and firmly-researched literary and musical plane. A previous biography is in print, which is interesting and informative, but is more in the form of a subjective memoir than a formal analysis (although it does provide an entertaining Who’s-Who of some of Zevon’s professional and personal world through interviews with a range of people).

Campion’s book also provides much biographical detail, and is also based on interviews with key figures in Zevon’s life and work, but his aim is to try to understand Zevon as an artist — how an enigmatic, brilliant, mercurial man struggled to produce his literate, resonant, funny and complex songs. The book hits its mark. Although Campion only covers selections of Zevon’s catalogue (largely earlier work), he draws the reader in for a close, informed listen that proves both satisfying and provoking. I was left wishing for a Volume 2. Strong recommend.
– Publius, Amazon

Excellent.
– Nic Donarski, Amazon

Freaking best Zevon ever. Real stuff.
Great style of music writing.
– Shannon M. Carlson

I don’t think there can ever be a better book on Zevon, as the author
did a fantastic job of getting everyone on the record. Great read for
me, harder for someone who can’t keep up with the musical references.
– James H. Lynch, Amazon

I was never a big Warren Zevon fan until a friend introduced some of
his songs to me. An amazing song writer and an amazing book on his
life and career. excellent read, well researched and detailed.
Intelligently written. Great work JC.
– Kevin McCormick, Amazon

Very interesting read. Unique essay style format that explores the
music and lyrics of Warren Zevon. Recommended to any fan of this
master lyricist. Would also be great for someone new to his music
getting familiar with it.
– Evonne W., Amazon

Excellent writing. Have read other work by the author. Highly recommend.
– Tom W.

Also available at Amazon