My Ride's Here

My Ride's Here
Studio album by
Warren Zevon
ReleasedMay 7, 2002
Recorded2001
StudioAnatomy of a Headache, Los Angeles; The Ed Sullivan Theater, New York; Pilot Studios, New York; Private Island Studios, Los Angeles; Spike Recording, New York
GenreRock
Length41:10
LabelArtemis
ProducerWarren Zevon
Warren Zevon chronology
Life'll Kill Ya
(2000) 		My Ride's Here
(2002) 		Genius: The Best of Warren Zevon
(2002)
Singles from My Ride's Here
  1. "Basket Case"
    Released: 2002
  2. "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"
    Released: 2002
  3. "Genius"
    Released: 2002

My Ride's Here is the eleventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Warren Zevon. The album was released on May 7, 2002, by Artemis Records. Zevon described it as "a meditation on death"; it was released several months before Zevon was diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma.

On My Ride's Here, Zevon collaborated with a number of writers from outside the world of music. The song "Basket Case" features in Carl Hiaasen's novel of the same name where it was performed by a fictional rock band. Zevon also covers Serge Gainsbourg's "Laissez-Moi Tranquille" which roughly translates as "leave me alone". Gainsbourg first recorded it in 1960 on the Romantique 60 EP. "I Have to Leave" was a song written by Zevon's high school friend, Dan McFarland. Zevon had told sports writer and Rock Bottom Remainders member Mitch Albom about his desire to write a hockey song (telling Albom "nobody sings about hockey") and the two would collaborate to write "Hit Somebody!" which would feature performances from Late Show cast members David Letterman and Paul Schaffer.[1] "You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared" was cowritten with Hunter S. Thompson, and a phrase from the song would share the title for Thompson's 2003 book Kingdom of Fear.

The title track of the album was cowritten by Zevon and Paul Muldoon.[2] Muldoon had studied Zevon's catalog prior to cowriting the song, with a character named Jim alluding to "Werewolves of London" and the opening verse at a hotel mirroring the opening setting of "Desperados Under the Eaves." Romantic poets, Percy Bysshe Shelley, John Keats and Lord Byron; are referenced during the song, with Byron also featuring in the track "Lord Byron's Luggage" the only song on the album attributed to Zevon writing solo. "My Ride's Here" would be covered by Bruce Springsteen to open a concert at the SkyDome Toronto in 2003 shortly after Zevon's passing, and the live recording would be featured on Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon.[3]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStar[4]
Robert ChristgauA−[5]
Encyclopedia of Popular MusicStarStarStar[6]
Rolling StoneStarStarStarHalf star[7]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004)StarStarStarHalf star[8]
Uncut8/10[9]

Mark Deming of AllMusic rated My Ride's Here two out of five stars. He stated that "the jokes tend to be a bit obvious", and that "the more introspective moments don't connect the way one might hope". However, he said that some of the tracks "are strong enough to remind listeners of just how talented Zevon still is". He concluded by saying that the album "is a misfire from an artist capable of much better work."[4] Robert Christgau rated the album an A−, stating that Zevon was "at his best in the fictional-mythic mode that prevails".[5] In a twenty year retrospective review Joey Arnone of Under the Radar would praise the album as "one of Zevon's key releases" and ranked it higher than it's contemporary Zevon albums The Wind and Life'll Kill Ya.[10]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Sacrificial Lambs"Larry Klein, Warren Zevon3:55
2."Basket Case"Carl Hiaasen, Zevon3:37
3."Lord Byron's Luggage"Zevon4:35
4."Macgillycuddy's Reeks"Paul Muldoon, Zevon3:04
5."You're a Whole Different Person When You're Scared"Hunter S. Thompson, Zevon5:14
6."Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)"Mitch Albom, Zevon5:26
7."Genius"Larry Klein, Zevon5:01
8."Laissez-moi tranquille"Serge Gainsbourg3:32
9."I Have to Leave"Dan McFarland3:05
10."My Ride's Here"Paul Muldoon, Zevon3:41

Personnel

Production

  • Warren Zevon – producer, mixing, arranger
  • Michael Delugg – engineer
  • Harvey Goldberg – engineer
  • Klint Macro – engineer
  • Will Schillinger – engineer
  • Noah Scot Snyder – engineer, mixing
  • Stephen Marcussen – mastering
  • Michael Krumper – A&R
  • Henry Diltz – photography

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
2002 Top Independent Albums 22

References

  1. ^ Albom, Mitch (September 9, 2003). "Singer Zevon's Life Anything But Gray". Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  2. ^ Campion, James (2018). Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon. Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Backbeat Books. p. 202-203. ISBN 978-1-61713-672-6.
  3. ^ "Bruce Springsteen Setlist at SkyDome, Toronto, ON, Canada September 10, 2003". setlist.fm.
  4. ^ a b Deming, Mark (May 7, 2002). "My Ride's Here – Warren Zevon". Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  5. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Warren Zevon". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  6. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  7. ^ "Warren Zevon: My Ride's Here : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone". RollingStone.com. October 13, 2008. Archived from the original on October 13, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  8. ^ Rolling Stone album guide
  9. ^ "How to buy Warren Zevon". Uncut. October 2023. p. 71.
  10. ^ Arnone, Joey (January 9, 2026). "Warren Zevon – Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of "My Ride's Here"". undertheradarmag.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Ride%27s_Here