True to form, Zevon is selling himself short. While he may not have written a "Masters of War" or a "Joe Hill," a song such as "Gorilla, You're a Desperado," with its send-ups of EST, Transactional Analysis, and the whole late-Seventies, early-Eighties cultural malaise, is every bit as valid a work of social criticism. "Invariably there may be a message you can derive from it," he admits. "`Try to think straight' or `lie to yourself as little as possible.' But after all, it's only songwriting."
WARREN ZEVON performs at 9:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Stephen Talkhouse, 616 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, 531-7557. Tickets cost $25.