A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon

A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon
Greatest hits album by Warren Zevon
Released	October 24, 1986
Recorded	1975-1982
Genre	Rock
Length	46:59
Label	Elektra
Producer	Warren Zevon, Jackson Browne, Waddy Wachtel, Greg Ladanyi
Warren Zevon chronology
The Envoy (1982) A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon (1986) Sentimental Hygiene (1987)

A Quiet Normal Life: The Best Of Warren Zevon is a greatest hits album by Warren Zevon released in 1986. Warren Zevon's second album (his first, Wanted Dead or Alive, appeared in 1969) Warren Zevon included three songs "Hasten Down the Wind", "Carmelita" and "Poor Poor Pitiful Me", that gained popularity from Linda Ronstandt's cover versions. Zevon's second album, although it achieved critical acclaim and sold better than his solo debut, lingered at the bottom of the pop charts. Warren Zevon finally broke through with the song "Werewolves of London" from his third album Excitable Boy. Although Excitable Boy sold well, Zevon had a difficult time capitalizing on the success of the album. The follow-up album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School features Zevon's cover of Ernie K-Doe's "A Certain Girl" and while the single did chart, it was not included on A Quiet Normal Life. Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School peaked at #20.

Later albums fared even worse with the album The Envoy peaking at #93 in the Billboard Charts. That album is represented here by three songs including "Looking for the Next Best Thing". Zevon's last album under his Warner contract was represented by this Best of collection, mastered by Barry Diament. This set was superseded in 1996 by I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, a 2-disc anthology of hits, album tracks and rarities and, later, by a single disc Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Track listing

All songs written by Warren Zevon unless otherwise indicated.

1. "Werewolves of London" (LeRoy Marinell, Waddy Wachtel, Zevon) (from Excitable Boy, 1978) – 3:29
2. "Excitable Boy" (Marinell, Zevon) (from Excitable Boy, 1978) – 2:39
3. "Play It All Night Long" (from Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School, 1980) – 2:50
4. "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" (David Lindell, Zevon) (from Excitable Boy, 1978) – 3:47
5. "The Envoy" (from The Envoy, 1982) – 3:12
6. "Mohammed's Radio" (from Warren Zevon, 1976) – 3:41
7. "Desperados Under the Eaves" (from Warren Zevon, 1976) – 4:45
8. "Johnny Strikes Up the Band" (from Excitable Boy, 1978) – 2:48
9. "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead" (from Warren Zevon, 1976) – 2:56
10. "Lawyers, Guns and Money (Radio edit)" (single, 1978) – 2:56
11. "Ain't That Pretty at All" (Marinell, Zevon) (from The Envoy, 1982) – 3:34
12. "Poor Poor Pitiful Me" (from Warren Zevon, 1976) – 3:04
13. "Accidentally Like a Martyr" (from Excitable Boy, 1978) – 3:39
14. "Looking for the Next Best Thing" (Kenny Edwards, Marinell, Zevon) (from The Envoy, 1982) – 3:39

Certifications

Organization	Level	Date
RIAA – U.S.	Gold	December 4, 1998

References

1. Deming, Mark. "A Quiet Normal Life: The Best of Warren Zevon - Warren Zevon". AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-12-03.