Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School

With the success of “Werewolves of London” and the Excitable Boy album, Warren Zevon had everything he’d spent a decade chasing. Except his wild ways were leading him down the road to alcoholism. Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School was recorded during one of the many times he tried to sober up for good (that would come later). The album includes two classical interludes that nod towards Zevon’s classical training, but it’s tunes like “Play It All Night Long” and “Gorilla, You’re a Desperado” that show Zevon getting serious and demented all with a painterly eye for detail. The playing is always exemplary and the Bruce Springsteen collaboration, “Jeannie Needs a Shooter” is a premier piece of songwriting, telling a story that ends with a solid twist. “Bill Lee” is a sympathetic tale about the Boston Red Sox pitcher, nicknamed “Spaceman,” who often supported countercultural causes. “A Certain Girl,” known by Ernie K-Doe and the Yardbirds, is given a tough workout. “Wild Age” analyzes Zevon’s own struggles. A sensational album.