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.

My Ride's Here
Studio album by
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

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. He 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.

Reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [1]
Robert ChristgauA−[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music     [3]
Rolling Stone     [4]
The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004)     [5]
Uncut8/10[6]

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."[1] Robert Christgau rated the album an A−, stating that Zevon was "at his best in the fictional-mythic mode that prevails".[2]

Track listing

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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

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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

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Album

Year Chart Position
2002 Top Independent Albums 22

References

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  1. ^ a b Deming, Mark (May 7, 2002). "My Ride's Here – Warren Zevon". Allmusic.com. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Christgau, Robert. "Consumer Guide: Warren Zevon". Robertchristgau.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  4. ^ "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.
  5. ^ Rolling Stone album guide
  6. ^ "How to buy Warren Zevon". Uncut. October 2023. p. 71.