Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner - Warren Zevon
Aug 6, 2021 16:04:58 GMT
ChrisB and petea like this
Post by Slinger on Aug 6, 2021 16:04:58 GMT
I'm an out and out Warren Zevon fan from way back. In the mid/late seventies my then girlfriend, who ran the record department of a local store, pointed me at this interesting-looking eponymous album with a hairy guy in cool shades on the front, and a list of "guests" that was pure West Coast royalty plus an Everly Brother, a Beach Boy, a couple of Felletwood Maccers, and many more, on the back. What I didn't realise at the time was they were sort of returning the favour," for Warren playing keyboards on their albums in a lot of cases. It also featured a guitarist I'd never heard of, but have since come to appreciate hugely, Waddy Wachtel. I eventually came to realise that I'd actually heard Warren (and Waddy) prior to this, on albums I already owned; I just didn't realise it back then. They were both on The Everly Brothers' "Stories We Could Tell" for instance, an album I like a lot.
I bought it, and I loved it. I've now bought everything Warren ever released.
Warren's next album, Excitable Boy, featured this track, Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner, and I purchased it without a second thought. It also featured the following rock royalty:
Personnel
Warren Zevon – lead, harmony and backing vocals, piano, organ, synthesizer
Jorge Calderón – harmony and backing vocals, Spanish vocals on "Veracruz"
Danny Kortchmar - guitar, percussion
Russ Kunkel – drums
Additional personnel
Karla Bonoff, Jackson Browne, Luis Damian, Kenny Edwards, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, The Gentlemen Boys (Jackson Browne, Jorge Calderón, Kenny Edwards, J. D. Souther and Waddy Wachtel), Arthur Gerst, Bob Glaub, Jim Horn, Greg Ladanyi, Rick Marotta, Jeff Porcaro, Linda Ronstadt, Leland Sklar, J.D. Souther, Manuel Vasquez, Waddy Wachtel, Jennifer Warnes.
John McVie and Mick Fleetwood was actually the rhythym section for "Werewolve Of London," which also came from this album.
Roland... was actually a co-write with a guy named David Lindell. Zevon met Lindell in 1973 in Sitges, Spain, where the latter was running a bar - The Dubliner - after a stint working as a mercenary in Africa. Always interested in the darker side of life, Warren decided to collaborate with Lindell on a song about a mercenary.
The fictional character Roland is a Norwegian who becomes embroiled in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War and Congo Crisis of the 1960s—the lyrics mention a "Congo war" and the years 1966 and 1967, which correspond to the mercenary-led Kisangani Mutinies after the Congo Crisis.
He earns a reputation as the greatest Thompson gunner, a reputation that attracts the attention of the CIA. Roland is betrayed and murdered by a fellow mercenary, Van Owen, who blows off his head.
Roland becomes the phantom "headless Thompson gunner" and eventually has his revenge, when he catches Van Owen in a Mombasa bar and guns him down.
Afterward, he continues "wandering through the night".
Other violent conflicts of the succeeding decade are said to be haunted by Roland, including Ireland, Lebanon, Palestine, and Berkeley, California, and the song concludes with the suggestion that the Patty Hearst controversy was inspired by Roland as well.
I think it's absolutely brilliant. For those people whose entire knowledge of Warren revolves around "Werwolves Of London," it's probably a bit of an eye-opener.
Warren wrote great songs, and I do mean great. He wrote lyrics that ranged from insightful to playful, and he knew a damn good tune when he found it too.
He passed away, from cancer, on September 7, 2003.
Upon learning of his cancer diagnosis, Warren determined to record a final studio album. His record label gave him a large budget to record, and he got assistance from the usual array of stars and friends.
Take a quick look at the track listing along with the artists appearing. It's pretty mindblowing, and shows the esteem in which he was held. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_(Warren_Zevon_album)
He was inspired to include a Bob Dylan cover on his final album after Dylan performed several of his songs in concert in 2002, and it had to be "Knocking On Heaven's Door," with Warren's self deprecating and wicked sense of humour. The album closes with the track "Keep Me in Your Heart," and we do, Warren. You are missed.
I bought it, and I loved it. I've now bought everything Warren ever released.
Warren's next album, Excitable Boy, featured this track, Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner, and I purchased it without a second thought. It also featured the following rock royalty:
Personnel
Warren Zevon – lead, harmony and backing vocals, piano, organ, synthesizer
Jorge Calderón – harmony and backing vocals, Spanish vocals on "Veracruz"
Danny Kortchmar - guitar, percussion
Russ Kunkel – drums
Additional personnel
Karla Bonoff, Jackson Browne, Luis Damian, Kenny Edwards, John McVie, Mick Fleetwood, The Gentlemen Boys (Jackson Browne, Jorge Calderón, Kenny Edwards, J. D. Souther and Waddy Wachtel), Arthur Gerst, Bob Glaub, Jim Horn, Greg Ladanyi, Rick Marotta, Jeff Porcaro, Linda Ronstadt, Leland Sklar, J.D. Souther, Manuel Vasquez, Waddy Wachtel, Jennifer Warnes.
John McVie and Mick Fleetwood was actually the rhythym section for "Werewolve Of London," which also came from this album.
Roland... was actually a co-write with a guy named David Lindell. Zevon met Lindell in 1973 in Sitges, Spain, where the latter was running a bar - The Dubliner - after a stint working as a mercenary in Africa. Always interested in the darker side of life, Warren decided to collaborate with Lindell on a song about a mercenary.
The fictional character Roland is a Norwegian who becomes embroiled in the aftermath of the Nigerian Civil War and Congo Crisis of the 1960s—the lyrics mention a "Congo war" and the years 1966 and 1967, which correspond to the mercenary-led Kisangani Mutinies after the Congo Crisis.
He earns a reputation as the greatest Thompson gunner, a reputation that attracts the attention of the CIA. Roland is betrayed and murdered by a fellow mercenary, Van Owen, who blows off his head.
Roland becomes the phantom "headless Thompson gunner" and eventually has his revenge, when he catches Van Owen in a Mombasa bar and guns him down.
Afterward, he continues "wandering through the night".
Other violent conflicts of the succeeding decade are said to be haunted by Roland, including Ireland, Lebanon, Palestine, and Berkeley, California, and the song concludes with the suggestion that the Patty Hearst controversy was inspired by Roland as well.
I think it's absolutely brilliant. For those people whose entire knowledge of Warren revolves around "Werwolves Of London," it's probably a bit of an eye-opener.
Warren wrote great songs, and I do mean great. He wrote lyrics that ranged from insightful to playful, and he knew a damn good tune when he found it too.
He passed away, from cancer, on September 7, 2003.
Upon learning of his cancer diagnosis, Warren determined to record a final studio album. His record label gave him a large budget to record, and he got assistance from the usual array of stars and friends.
Take a quick look at the track listing along with the artists appearing. It's pretty mindblowing, and shows the esteem in which he was held. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind_(Warren_Zevon_album)
He was inspired to include a Bob Dylan cover on his final album after Dylan performed several of his songs in concert in 2002, and it had to be "Knocking On Heaven's Door," with Warren's self deprecating and wicked sense of humour. The album closes with the track "Keep Me in Your Heart," and we do, Warren. You are missed.
