Nothing's Bad Luck

The Lives of Warren Zevon

De: C. M. Kushins

Narrado por: Fleet Cooper

Biography of legendary singer-songwriter Warren Zevon, spanning his nomadic youth and early recording career to his substance abuse, final album, and posthumous Grammy Awards

As is the case with so many musicians, the life of Warren Zevon was blessed with talent and opportunity yet also beset by tragedy and setbacks. Raised mostly by his mother with an occasional cameo from his gangster father, Warren had an affinity and talent for music at an early age. Taking to the piano and guitar almost instantly, he began imitating and soon creating songs at every opportunity. After an impromptu performance in the right place at the right time, a record deal landed on the lap of a teenager who was eager to set out on his own and make a name for himself. But of course, where fame is concerned, things are never quite so simple.

Drawing on original interviews with those closest to Zevon, including Crystal Zevon, Jackson Browne, Mitch Albom, Danny Goldberg, Barney Hoskyns, and Merle Ginsberg, Nothing's Bad Luck tells the story of one of rock's greatest talents. Journalist C.M. Kushins not only examines Zevon's troubled personal life and sophisticated, ever-changing musical style, but emphasizes the moments in which the two are inseparable, and ultimately paints Zevon as a hot-headed, literary, compelling, musical genius worthy of the same tier as that of Bob Dylan and Neil Young.

In Nothing's Bad Luck, Kushins at last gives Warren Zevon the serious, in-depth biographical treatment he deserves, making the life of this complex subject accessible to fans old and new for the very first time.

Reseñas de la Crítica

Amazon, "Best Books of the Month in Biographies and Memoirs"
Amazon, "Best Books of the Year So Far in Humor and Entertainment"

"Nothing's Bad Luck is a riveting, definitive, and exhaustive account of the suspenseful and eventful life of one of rock's most gifted and eccentric singer-songwriters, and one of the best rock and roll biographies of the past decade."
—Jay McInerney, author of Bright, Precious Days and Bright Lights, Big City

"The best of the books written thus far about Warren Zevon is Nothing's Bad Luck. C.M. Kushins follows the legendary singer/songwriter down streets mostly Californian and mean; like a good detective, he sifts through the relationships and songs left behind. What he uncovers makes for compelling reading."
—Kevin Avery, author of Everything Is an Afterthought: The Life and Writings of Paul Nelson

"Kushins's energetic writing and his deep dive into Zevon's life and music offers a rounded and complete portrait of an enigmatic musician."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

"This book will have you pulling out records, or launching your streaming app of choice, and digging into Zevon's exceptional catalog."—Brooklyn Rail

"[A] deep, rewarding and insightful biography... an embarrassment of riches on the Excitable Boy, Mr. Bad Example, and a howling L.A. werewolf."—The Houston Press

"[A] straightforward account, including a comprehensive discography, of Zevon's fascinating creative life."—Booklist

"Chad Kushins has delivered a nuanced, in-depth, loving look at this complicated figure, one that helps cement him as one of the most complex and captivating musicians of our times."—NPR.org

"[An] absorbing, compelling biography."—Shelf Awareness

"[An] appreciative but honest biography."—Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

"[Kushins] captures the essence of the brooding yet wickedly witty singer."—Booklist

"[Chad Kushins is] articulate and authoritative in recounting [Zevon's life] precisely because he knows his subject inside out."—All about Jazz

A must read for fans of Mr. Bad Example

I have spent the better part of the last few years immersing myself in the catalog of Warren Zevon. I have come to realize that he may very well be the face of tortured soul rock ‘n roll.

Kushins does an excellent job of weaving the musical talent of Zevon with his personal tales of mind numbing upheaval and crippling addictions. It was this way of life that provided the fuel for such songs as “Desperadoes Under the Eaves” and “Lawyers, Guns and Money.”

I’ve been waiting for a complete biographical account of Warren Zevon, and this is it. I recommend this book to all fans of Zevon and music fans.

Excellent!!

C.M. Kushins chronicles Warren’s complex life with unmatched precision supported by extraordinary research and brings outstanding attention-to-detail that is consistently delivered from cover-to-cover. Fleet Cooper captures the listener’s attention from the outset with his excellent narration, varied tone, and inflection, which made it easy to pick up where the listener leaves off. Nothing's Bad Luck: The Lives of Warren Zevon serves as a plethora of information that can easily be used as a main source of information for this artist who belongs in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Highly recommend this book - either in print or in audio format. Enjoy!!

if you want to relive zevon...

...this is the book to do it with. It is cosmic, poetic, and told in objective detail.

There is a lot more to Warren than Werewolves,..

A very thought provoking book opn one of the greatest lyrysists of our time. Highly recommended.

<shakes head>

awesome story about an incredible artist, however Fleet Cooper mispronounces the simplest names. So much so that I want to reach in and grab him.

A Must for Zevon Fans

If you are even a casual fan of Warren Zevon’s you will devour Nothing’s Bad Luck. It’s a terrific telling of a fascinating life. A detailed, warts and all account of one of music’s true legends. You won’t be disappointed.

Thoughtful Account Marred by Underprepared Reader

Kushins' detailed and often insightful account of one of the best--if one of the least popularly appreciated--songwriters/singers/composers/rockers of the late 20th and early 21st century mostly comes through here. This is in spite of a reader, Mr. Fleet, who while he has an agreeable voice, show scant knowledge of Zevon's work or the musical culture he came from. As others have noted, the names of the late Glenn Frey (of the Eagles) and of Zevon's first major romantic partner (and mother of his sin, Jordan) are consistently mispronounced, and other lapses are sprinkled throughout the work (including confusing the late, great John Belushi with his brother Jim in the last chapter). While it is worth remembering how long this audio book is, noting that a few errors in reading are understandable in so many hours, some of these mistakes could have easily been avoided (though one or two usage issues may be in the text itself, which I have not read myself). If you can tolerate these mistakes, and the way Fleet attempts to voice female characters, this is a passable job, though I think Kushins and I know Warren and others deserve better.

a story of my favorite person

This encompasses all I needed to know about the journey of WZ. Beautifully written with great dignity to himself, his friends ,and family. Wonderful.

Impeccably-researched and well-written, but...

I've admired Warren Zevon's work throughout the years and I've recently found myself poring through his back catalog with fresh ears and a curious mind. So it was inevitable that I'd seek out an account of his life and in "Nothing's Bad Luck," author C.M. Kushins knocks it out of the park. Exceedingly well-researched and spun with an approachable, easygoing prose, the book proved stupidly-addictive. Without spoiling anything for unfamiliar readers, Kushins leads one through Zevon's near-mythic life with a sharp, high-contrast lens that's as unafraid to zoom in on Zevon's more diabolical behaviors as it is to pull back and capture the man's unimpeachable brilliance.

My dogs were the greatest beneficiaries of this book -- they received double walks every day, just so I could listen to this story. You don't always like or respect Zevon throughout the balance of the book but as his story reached its inevitable culmination, I found myself awash in sentimentality and admiration for Warren. His story is one of music's criminally-underappreciated tales of redemption.

The performance. Yikes. To be fair, blame the producer as much as the narrator. His inability to correctly pronounce some of the most well-known -- and easily-pronounced -- names in music is astonishing. Glenn Frey, Ray Manzarek, Toots and the Maytals, Leland Sklar and Zevon's partner Tule all bear the brunt of the narrator's wince-inducing mispronunciations. He additionally mispronounces the Palladium ("Puh-ladd-ium") repeatedly. Maddeningly, he gets it right once, then, only a few sentences later, resumes the mispronunciation. He misses other words as well and ultimately, his performance proves a gnawing distraction. But where were the producers? How do you have two or three people recording sixteen hours worth of audio and NOBODY picks up on any of this? The entire production team appears to have been wholly unfamiliar with the American music scene between 1966 and 2003, as nobody bothered to correct the poor guy reading the text. It's a shame because his voice, tone and various voicings are all solid and well-suited to this type of story. But as they say, the devil's in the details.

Still, if you're interested in the life and works of Warren Zevon, you'll enjoy this version, warts and all.

Excellent!

While I could quibble with the numerous mispronounced names ( why don't readers do some research?), I still found this book a very compelling"read." The writer did a fabulous job of capturing a very complicated man , seamlessly weaving Zevon"s work and personal life into a fascinating narrative. I liked the way the author managed to portray Zevon's addictions without romanticizing them. I would definitely recommend