I love Wanted Dead Or Alive

I'm a new Zevon fan, and when I get into an artist I will usually go back and check out their first release. My understanding is that many people don't regard this album particularly highly, and that even Zevon disliked it and advised against listening to it.

And while this album definitely doesn't feel like the guy who would later give us songs like The French Inhaler or Accidentally Like A Martyr, I can honestly say that I love it for its rawness and strangeness. The only comparisons the music brings to mind are people like Captain Beefheart or Tom Waits. Some parts are even Zappa-esque.

I'm surprised it doesn't get more recognition for being kind of a forward-thinking weirdo rock album, and I don't really see that take around the internet much either. I think a lot of people judge it using his later work as the rubric, but it doesn't really seem fair seeing as it's not really a singer-songwriter/folk rock record -- it's just something harder to pigeonhole. Personally, I really like his quirky approach to songwriting, performance and arrangement on this record. It feels very different in an appealing way to me.

Just wanted to share my thoughts on this topic there doesn't seem to be too much discussion of and hear other people's thoughts.