Accidentally like a martyr warren zevon biography

By Jason M. Rubin

Two recent biographies take very different approaches as they revel in the wild lives and examine the distinctive songs of two of rock music’s most enigmatic figures: Lou Reed and Warren Zevon.

When writing a biography of an artist, the problem is always striking the right balance between discussing the artist’s life and the work.

Two recent biographies take very different approaches as they revel in the wild lives and examine the distinctive songs of two of rock music’s most enigmatic figures: Lou Reed and Warren Zevon. As divergent as they are in style, both Notes from the Velvet Underground: The Life of Lou Reed by Howard Sounes (Diversion Books, 2019) and Accidentally Like a Martyr: The Tortured Art of Warren Zevon by James Campion (Backbeat Books, 2018) are recommended reads for the curious as well as for fans.

While Reed and Zevon are not particularly similar musically, as biographical subjects they offer common issues: both are widely resp