I saw there was a thread in Books; figured there should be one here. One thing missing from most of the appreciations written after his death was any mention of the R.E.M. collaboration that gave him a career boost around 1987. He recorded "Sentimental Hygiene," one of his better albums, with three-quarters of R.E.M. -- Bill Berry, Peter Buck and Mike Mills -- on most of the tracks. The result: An album with a bit more kick than the California session vets (called "the L.A. Mellow Mafia" at AllMusic.com) usually gave him. Zevon and not-quite-R.E.M. also recorded a collection of covers under the name Hindu Love Gods. It's priceless, especially the guitar-driven version of Prince's "Raspberry Beret." I also think "My Ride's Here" is unduly panned. His hockey song alone is worth the price, and I'm also a fan of "Macgillicuddy's Reeks." Just a few thoughts on my mind during baby duty at 2 a.m.