Warren Zevon performs "Splendid Isolation"

[xterra43]

what year was this?

[iclypso]

Sanborn crushes that solo

[brianswine]

I'm putting tin foil up on the windows

[zebra64]

badass band. great video.

[1977jnasty]

Kick ass artist, sucks he passed away. Hard to believe he doesn't get the recognition he deserved, lot of people here his music and think it's someone else lol. Zevon was a genius though, and this is one of my favorites.

[urwrongnofu]

yeah this was sanborn and he hosted sat night show called 'michelob present saturday night HA. I REMEMBER STERN'S CHANNEL 9 SHOW WOULD BE ON RIGHT B4 THIS SHOW' sorry caps. but i was 15 . 1987.

[rayfer]

lock the gates goofy take my hand, lead me thru this world of self

[galvanium]

Nice to see this song live. On of my fav's of WZ's from Genius (greatest hits) album. Love the haunting harmonica and lyrics such as " lock the gates Goofy, take my hand ".

[Pensezfirst]

All that ... and then the raised eyebrow at the end - still lovin your stuff WZ!

[wallyd28]

This song was written before the last chapter of Neverland was. It looks like Warren's song was a tongue in cheek warning for what can happen to a recluse

[rayfer]

lock the gates goofy, take my hand... and lead me thru that world of self

[jtmichaelson]

I've learned to make this my all-time favorite WZ song. When it first came out I wasn't all too impressed - boy was I too young to know. Next to "Hasten Down The Wind" and "I'll Need A Volunteer", this is one of the best Zevon cuts. However, the Letterman version was much better - imho

[SmileyGarrish]

the tempo is down like he is having to pull the band along - Letterman's band got the tempo right - this one is kind of flat to me

[ComedySceenwriter]

Warren was not cynical! He merely liked to laugh at life's ironies.

[cantonadenmark]

I once read Bruce say in an interview "this guy does something with words that I can't and will never ever learn"...RIP Warren...you were the best

[TheWrench84]

Warren Zevon kicks major ass.

[agilblom]

Between this song and John Lennon's "Isolation" I'm not sure there's much left for us songwriters to write about solitude.

[mrpepperkitty]

@agilblom u forgot "sounds fo silence", then it's all taken.

[portlyculver]

I just played this song live in front of a crowd at a local bar's Open Mic Night. This was the first time I had ever played live music in front of a crowd. This amazing piece of music will always bear the distinction of being the first thing I ever played for an audience. I am about to turn 25, and I feel like I just redeemed a wasted youth. I don't know if Warren Zevon is in heaven, hell, or wherever, but if they have internet there, I hope he reads this, and it makes it all seem worth it.

[driverain2]

@portlyculver splendid !!!!

[Clancee7]

thanks for this great upload. RIP Warren.

[steve3440]

There will NEVER be another Zevon. He was the Master Wordsmith.

[bobkatfan]

Man, I wish this show was still around.

[keepthechangebob]

brillliant warren

[niamhorourke]

I wanna be like Georgia O'Keefe . . .Zevon is THE MAN!!!

[Coondog407]

When cool was real cool.

[perrierpierre]

superb !!



[gwengoad]

Written for Michael Jackon or Nome Alaska

[cruithneuladh]

Absolutely bloody brilliant!

Think of the dross the media foist on us these days, Cheryl Cole, Christina Aguilera, and other assorted soft-porn bimbos, then listen to this master!

Looking for a heart, was there ever a better song written?, apart from "Desperadoes under the eaves"?

[palmerstonian]

This is OK, but the Letterman band read the song much better. Oh, and 'Midnight in the Switching Yard' is one of my favourite WZ songs, BTW!

[GalaxyHorse]

Has to be in the 80's -if you did not know, Sanborn's hair alone tells us this.

Great shame Warren was taken from us so soon..sadly missed by countless.

[mpellet5]

One of his best songs in my opinion.....I thought this one was going to get some airplay when it came out! Just goes to show you really can't rely on radio airplay to give you the stuff! More so now than ever!

[Warrensdeciple]

Hail to the KIng !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tsungvarsky]

The upturned eyebrow at the end...

I love his box set. All great songs.

[tsungvarsky]

all Zevon, all the time...

[driverain2]

" I don't need no one"

[tsungvarsky]

we needed Zevon. Or we wouldn't be here.

His voice is missed.

[JoeChrisMorris]

great great track

disturbing last lyric as well

[Tulipp56]

so love this tune, though I a people person, as it describes how I sometimes feel, fell in love with Warren's manly voice first time heard it on radio...RIP ...you were a classic....

[Highland804]

One of my favorite songs by Warren!

[Darwinpasta]

Great song, great artist.

All the same, "Micheal Jackson in Disneyland" isn't something I want to consider. lol

[MU51CF4N]

hahaha

[Java2400]

@Darwinpasta

aha, keep in mind this was years before any child molestation allegations.

I think it more reflects Jackson's withdrawal into a disney-esque self made world that was his NeverLand Ranch.

[mjf80pa]

It's a reference to the day M Jackson "rented" Disneyland for a day. It pissed WZ off because of MJ's "world of self."

[MDBrookman]

@Darwinpasta

this was written c. 1989.

[Warrensdeciple]

Warren was a Genius !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tundraahugo]

"showmerightnow", well the clunker status is in the ear of the beholder-- I enjoy "Nighttime" And he's gone due to his own behaviors and phobias which he admitted. A great loss to we who appreciate him, but he blamed no one-- That's the way it goes.

[PCPrabbit]

anybody know the bass players name? i know he played with steely dan on their tours (maybe still?)

[ripposte]

Brilliant!

[tundraahugo]

Did Zevon ever write/perform a clunker? I think not--I was a hooked fan from my first listen more years than I care to admit!!

[showmerightnow]

I LOVE Warren. LOVE him, but he DID write a few clunkers. "Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse" comes to mind. Was never much a fan of "Nighttime in the Switching Yard" either. WHY WHY WHY is he gone :(

[gefan3]

Holy fucking christ! What's with the saxophonist's hair?

Having said that: half of Zevon's song titles were better than all the lyrics written by most artists.

I saw him live once, at the Wiltern in LA in (I think) 1990. It remains one of my fondest memories and probably always will,

[drewgooden24]

Speaking of hair, nobody ever mentions the obvious fact that Zevon started wearing a wig around 1996. Didn't see that in the book.

[showmerightnow]

Was that David Sandborn with HUGE hair??

[obsidiansands1]

Yes indeed- he was the host of "Night Music" and usually played with the guest(s) at the finale.

[LongBeachHuntington]

Just finished "I'll Sleep When I am Dead, The Dirty Life and Times of Warren Zevon" If you are a fan of rock and roll you will enjoy this book. Enjoy Every Sandwich! RIP

[courtdar]

neil and warren are heros, michael jackson is a perverted freak. how can you compare the two??

[poughkeepsiejohn1]

Too bad they couldn't get Neil Young to play the harmonica part like he does on the record. I hope that when Neil dies, people will be just as graceful and loving to his memory as they are now with Michael Jackson.

[poughkeepsiejohn1]

I had to watch this after the death of Michael Jackson because of that line Warren sings:

Michael Jackson is Disneyland

Don't have to share it with no one else

Lock the gates, Goofy, take my hand

And lead me to the world of self

Leave it to Warren to sum up Michael's painful loneliness.

[catstone]

Noted someone advised playing WZ's CDs up to 1986. Why the hell would you stop there? Warren was the rare artist who produced great, great matierlal throughout his lifetime. Think about it -- veyr few rockers do that. '87 on:"Sentimental Hygiene", "Tranverse City", "Mr. Bad Example", "Mutineer", "Life'll Kill Ya", "MY Ride's Here" and, finally, the great "The Wind" -- not a clunker in the group.

[Warrensdeciple]

All alone on the road to perfection, Amen

[boliverful1]

Transverse City. There's also a great solo performance on Learning To Flinch, a great live one.

[randyUB]

Wow, great video, thanks utube!!!

where would 1 obtain this disc, transverse hgwy (1989) ???

great tunage 4 sure...

ub40

[BuddyKatt]

is that fucking sanborn???

hello. wz is great, but um so is sanborn.

[scmm42]

>> is that fucking sanborn???

Yes. Night Music was David Sanborn's show. Visit my channel for many more clips from this show, many of which feature Sanborn.

[BuddyKatt]

excuse my language. i just had not see dave in a long, long time. he's a great, and, of course, so is the future hall in famer Warren. nice to see them together. thanks.

m

[TheNickrazor]

@scmm42 Responding to a 2 year old reply... yes Sanborn is great both solo and as a session player. As far back as Bowie in '75 (well further actually but that's where most know him from).

[tubesteakZ]

I'm new to Zevon only 2 songs so far I've heard but I'm starting to love his music.

[btwall60]

I 'memba when he came out with his album when I was in Okinawa in the USMC 78 it took the barracks by storm

aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhooooooooo­o

[standylan]

Another great song by a truly great artist, never tire of listening to Warren, glad I eventualy heard of him thanks to Andy Kershaw, arguably the best dj ever on radio one and certainly the best on radio three.

[doran44]

Another great Warren Zevon song that I never once heard played on radio.The man was an amazingly talented singer/songwriter/musician.

[PublicNewSense]

That's a blessing. Radio ruins most songs. Nonmainstream music is the best.

[Cooleemee43]

Hey Zevon folks, I was just listening to NRBQ on Night Music and Utube brought me this clip automatically. I don't know much of WZ'a stuff but I like what I have heard and this song is terrific. I shall have to explore some Zevon on the Utubey. What was it like b4 utube? The Horror The Horror!

[Warrensdeciple]

Warren is the greatest Genius of our time Hail Zevon !

[ILuvMusic1323]

OMG i thought Pete yorn wrote this song? AWw well guese he ripped it from Warren Zevon. But i reakon Pete Yorn's version is beter, Pete's voice is better.

[bowiebyrne]

Pete's voice is better? Pete Yorn's voice is better? Better than mine, maybe.

[THEKINKS08]

this song was written by Warren Zevon, in 1989. from the album Transverse City. Pete Yorn in 1989 was just 15 years old..

[BuddyKatt]

wrong

[tsungvarsky]

he did a great raised eyebrow.

[Xaphene]

What a bad**s cynical angel of rock. I miss Warren dearly.

[realestateyankee]

RIP Warren and Hiram Bullock

[tcpitt2007]

warren zevon, you rock my world

[ILUV74]

AAAHHHH sitting with a beer , just nice this there is some songs you never tire of ,this one of them

[thekey14]

that guy playing the solo oh my god he was amazing

[kdw456]

Hiram Bullock..

[Jiggs46]

5 Stars!!!

[manu1291]

agree with you!

[fedboy47]

He was never banned in Boston - in fact, his intrepid Roadies helped me break into my car to retrieve keys locked therein after his show at the Orpheum (circa 1994) and a year or so later did a lunchtime acoustic gig for the folks at South Station. We loved him here...

[Warrensdeciple]

And that was an awesome performance Warren played an awesome show that day.

[Newgrass]

Andy Slater on guitar!

[hurklinz]

Just another great that was banned in Boston

[LamaJoMaMa]

When was he banned in Boston? Or, was the song banned?

[hurklinz]

That's Funny, I don't recall asking if anyone aggreed with me.....HE WAS BANNED IN BOSTON I WAS THERE!!!!!!!

[hurklinz]

The Wizard of Oz was Banned there too....or can't you find that anywhere! This is a fact!

[OboxerU]

One of my all time favorites.

[rsensorat3]

Like the eyebrow raise at the end. Love ya Warren!

[RSBoots]

love you warren

[johnnykougra]

It's always so cool to see the way that Warren's music inspires/inspired the musicians who play(ed) with him. Perhaps humility was his downfall??? Thankful to be able to see and hear it now.

[FangsFirst]

...humility?

Go read "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead"...I don't think the word "humility" applied to him.

Of course, if you want an inaccurate and saintly image of Mr. Zevon, stay far, far away from the book, as it does just what he asked Crystal to make it do--it paints him from ALL sides.

[limbopete]

5 stars. Such a good song.

[bapyou]

Hiram Bullock!

[frifawnwolf]

Honesty

is it's own reward.

my Warren's angels hold you high.

[moosetundyrockbottom]

isaw peter yorn do this song in boston this summer. i'm glad it still has an audience. i'm glad warren is still in our ears.

[zmtertel]

Yorn covered it on his newest album. It's pretty good.

[rcgoze]

Splendid isolation....

[R56]

Allmost like Radio Nowhere

[Warrengetmeoutofthis]

this song will never die whenever i want to be alone ill just wanna blast this song

[R56]

Sounds like a Springsteen song

[martin2288]

great song!

[peterg1503]

Well, the guy on sax, it was his show so I guess that's why he gets to play and be heard. David Sanborn. I remember this show and he had a lot of good musicians on.

Warren is surley missed

[boiledhooker]

i agree the guy on the sax tries to hog the solo and the sound is better on the Letterman version.

[Kathaarsis]

Something about this video, it just seems a little off. Something about the harmonica and the solo, it just doesn't sound right to me. I'm comparing it to the Letterman video. Either way, I love this song. It's probably my favorite by Zevon.

[captainflummox]

I sure miss Warren Zevon. Thank goodness his music sticks.

[LEClarke]

Absolute genius.

[crimsondagger1]

No one can beat Warren Zevon the man was a living music god!

[Kreal7]

Take Warren's 1976-1986 albums off the shelf and play them all in chronological order. You won't need much of anything else for quite a while. A genius whose quirky personality didn't lend itself to the mass marketing, People Magazine crowd of that era.

[yangcy]

The rythm here is more funky and polished than on the regular version. It's nice but too slick... I'll stick to the "wilder" original if you don't mind ...

[doriman123]

who was the dude playing lead guitar

[mjoyce4550]

I'm pretty sure that was Hiram Bullock. He was the guitar player on the David Letterman show back in the 80's and a studio musician of prowess.

[kevinkmny]

yeah. Hiram Bullock. AMAZING guitar player. I used to run a recording studio where in the middle of a session he left, barefoot with cream cheese in his hair and wasted. Left his guitar on the floor and we didn't see him again. Great player though..

[jahnbon]

Hire him and fire him Bullock. A great player, but god help you if you had a strict-time gig.

[scmm42]

David Sanborn

[StephenKuma]

bet that guy thought his hair was pretty cool back in the day

[HCPictures]

superb!