26th December - Warren Zevon's Stand in the Fire

Artist – Album: Warren Zevon – Stand in the Fire

Released: 26^th December 1980

Sounds Like: Mad, Bad and Dangerous 

Oops, technical error there guys! Hopefully any of you keen readers out there who saw my half-finished piece before weren't too put out...

Boxing Day. Regardless of what day it actually lands on, Boxing Day has to be the most Sunday-ish day of the year. You could go and battle the hordes to pick up some slightly reduced junk in the January Sales, but that ain’t me. Alternatively, some have sought to soothe their hangovers with a day sitting zombified in front of the television, looking at (as opposed to watching) a full day of sports. Unfortunately, I tend to find that on Boxing Day I’m still with all the family and so to slink off and watch the football would be considered poor form. Nope, it’s a day of sitting around, sporadically tidying up, and drinking cups of tea. Fortunately, 33 years ago Warren Zevon released a live album which is electrifying enough to take some of that boredom away.

For a guy with only legitimately well-known single - the hilarious, 'Sweet Home Alabama'-alike 'Werewolves in London' - Zevon has more than a set lists worth of excellent rockers. 'Stand in the Fire', 'Excitable Boy' and 'Lawyers, Guns and Money' are grade-A anthems, with Zevon sounding like Springsteen's edgier brother. The roof-raising finale 'Bo Diddley's A Gunslinger/Bo Diddley' is a masterstroke; a totally convincing take over of what a more straight laced artist might have thought was an untouchable classic.

I think I may have found a new Boxing Day tradition.

Albumaday... rating: 8/10

1.       Stand in the Fire – 3:26

2.       Jeannie Needs a Shooter – 4:00

3.       Excitable Boy – 3:52

4.       Mohammed’s Radio – 4:45

5.       Werewolves of London – 4:48

6.       Lawyers, Guns and Money – 3:49

7.       The Sin – 3:06

8.       Poor Poor Pitiful Me – 4:08

9.       I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead – 4:28

10.   Bo Diddley’s A Gunslinger/Bo Diddley – 4:15

Listen to ‘Excitable Boy’: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eUsSXXc8wU

Also released on the 26^th December:

2006: Omarion – 21