Search - Warren Zevon :: Transverse City

Transverse City In The 21st Century

Mike King | Taunton, MA United States | 05/10/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The 24-bit, digitally remastered CD of Warren Zevon's "Transverse City" sounds better than ever. The album's commercial failure upon its release may be attributed to the fact that the subject matter truly was ahead of its time."TRANSVERSE CITY" - Warren sings the lyrics at a breakneck pace, echoing the sensory overload pictured on the cover of the album. "Show us endless neon vistas, castles made of laser lights. Take us to the shopping sector in the vortex of the night...Down among the dancing quanta, everything exists at once. Up above in Transverse City, every weekend lasts for months." This could easily be the theme song for any number of sci-fi movies. "RUN STRAIGHT DOWN" - Outside of Transverse City is a virtual wasteland. "Fluorocarbons in the ozone layer; first the water and the wildlife go. Pretty soon there's not a creature stirring, except the robots at the dynamo." The apocalyptic mood of the song is greatly enhanced by David Gilmour's superb guitar playing."THE LONG ARM OF THE LAW" - Paranoia runs deep when you're living in a police state."TURBULENCE" - The then current turmoil in Moscow not only brought turbulence, it would eventually lead to the fall of communism. Even though Warren is writing about current events, the song does not sound dated. "THEY MOVED THE MOON" - This could be Warren's answer song to Ben E. King's "Stand By Me." "When the night has come, and the land is dark, and the moon is the only light we'll see. No, I won't be afraid, just as long as you stand, stand by me." Unfortunately, Warren's lover deserted him. "I was counting on you to stand by me, to see me through. I was counting on you. They moved the moon while I looked down.""SPLENDID ISOLATION" - Warren at his misanthropic best. Splendid isolation is easily achieved in the computer age. Thanks to the internet, anyone can survive without direct human contact."NETWORKING" - Not having a computer at work when this album was released, I had no idea what Warren was singing about at that time. Now I can understand the lyrics! "Networking, I'm user friendly. Networking, I install with ease. Data processed, truly basic. I will upload you, you can download me." With organs and brass, this song is somewhat overproduced. The acoustic demo version makes for a nice contrast."GRIDLOCK" - Anyone who works in a major city can understand the irony of calling the time when everyone is stuck in a traffic jam "rush hour.""DOWN IN THE MALL" - Warren's satirical jab at consumerism hits the mark. Then again, overcommercialization is an easy target."NOBODY'S IN LOVE THIS YEAR" - Leave it to Warren Zevon to close out his futuristic concept album, featuring synthesizers and electric guitars, with a tender ballad about lost love, featuring brass and strings. Putting a unique spin on the subject, Warren equates love to financial management. "No one's invested enough of themselves to yield to maturity. And the rate of attrition for lovers like us is steadily on the rise. Nobody's in love this year, not even you and I."This overlooked album definitely deserves a second listen, especially considering the superb remastering job they did on it."

Another Zevon masterpiece!

James Ringland | Kennesaw, GA USA | 05/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Ok, so this is only Zevon's second best album of the 80s! It's probably more like 4 and a half stars, but this is one great album. And, surprisingly, it has held up very well. It probably helps that it doesn't sound like anything else released the same year.Originally started as a cyber-concept album, Warren and his producers used up the money Virgin fronted them for this album, and abandoned the cyber-theme for straight forward versions of the remaining songs.There are many strong cuts on here, "Splendid Isolation," "Networking," and "Turbulence," but the high-point is the closing ballad, "Nobody's In Love This Year." Possibly the best ballad of 1989 -- a year that also includes Tom Petty's "Free Falling" and Don Henley's "The Heart Of The Matter."Virgin has remastered this set and thrown in a bonus, acoustic version of "Networking" (just Warren on guitar and harmonica). Well worth the cost, especially since it's been years since this title has even been available in this country. Now, if only Elektra would get on the stick and (re)release his late 70's/early 80's material!Since Amazon.com has not listed the tracks, here they are: 1. Tranverse City, 2. Run Straight Down, 3. The Long Arm Of The Law, 4. Turbulence, 5. They Moved The Moon, 6. Splendid Isolation, 7. Networking, 8. Gridlock, 9. Down In The Mall, 10. Nobody's In Love This Year, 11. (BONUS) Networking (Acoustic)."

Deliver Me From Bypass Mode

Tim Brough | Springfield, PA United States | 01/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Home computers were so far ahead of the basic consumer in 1989 that "Transverse City" pretty much blipped right over the heads of most WZ fans who first heard it back then. Now that it's been reissued, it shows itself as being way ahead of the curve. Let's face it, aside from Kraftwerk, few other artists would have thought up a couplet like "I will upload you, you can download me." And like Warren's wild hair on the jacket cover, "Transverse City" echoed the modern disarray of the times and Warren's vision of the future. After the straightforward rock of his comeback "Sentimental Hygiene," it was more than most of us could take.Now remastered and back in print, that sprawling density makes more sense than ever and makes "Transverse City" essential. The timeliness of "Networking" in the pre-Windows Era spoke to Internet addiction while Al Gore was probably inventing it, and the mall addicts of the claustrophobic, rushed title track (where "everything exists at once") are now just as likely to be picking this CD up via Amazon as at their local record store - "Splendid Isolation" indeed."Isolation," along with "Nobody's In Love This Year" revisit one Warren's strongest topics; the futility of love in the modern world. Even in the "concept" format, these are Warren at his best. With guests like Chick Corea, David Gilmour and Jerry Garcia, the musicians are Zevon's usual array of top drawer players. You may have bypassed "Transverse City" two decades ago, there's no reason to miss out on it now."