''Sentimental Hygiene'' is the sixth studio album by rock singer-songwriter

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...

and his first " sober" one. The album was released on August 29, 1987, by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

. The release of ''Sentimental Hygiene'' marked the first studio album for Zevon in five years. It produced the single "Reconsider Me", as well as the dance single "Leave My Monkey Alone". The band on the album includes guitarist

Peter Buck Peter Lawrence Buck (born December 6, 1956) is an American musician and songwriter. He was a co-founder and the lead guitarist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.; he played the banjo and mandolin on several R.E.M. songs. Throughout his caree ...

, bassist

Mike Mills Michael Edward Mills (born December 17, 1958) is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and composer who was a founding member of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Though known primarily as the bass guitarist and backing vocalist of R.E.M., hi ...

and drummer

Bill Berry William Thomas Berry (born July 31, 1958) is an American musician who was the drummer for the alternative rock band R.E.M. Although best known for his economical drumming style, Berry also played other instruments, including guitar, bass guita ...

(all of

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American alternative rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the fir ...

), who also recorded an

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

of covers with Zevon (under the name “ Hindu Love Gods”) at this time. The single version of "Leave My Monkey Alone" was extended to 10:34 minutes and included a remix by the Latin Rascals (Albert Cabrera and Tony Moran) and the non-album track, "Nocturne". "Even a Dog Can Shake Hands" was used as the opening theme music for the short-lived Fox comedy series ''

Action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

''. The song was co-written by Buck, Berry and Mills.

Michael Stipe John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer, songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the alternative rock band R.E.M. Stipe was born in Metro Atlanta in January 1960. Due to his father's militar ...

, lead singer of R.E.M., appears on the song "Bad Karma". The album also features contributions by

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan; born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Described as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture over his nearly 70-year ...

, playing harmonica on “The Factory”, and

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, forming the folk rock group Buffalo Springfield. Since the begi ...

playing lead guitar on “Sentimental Hygiene”. The song "Boom Boom Mancini" was inspired by boxer

Ray Mancini Ray Mancini (born Raymond Michael Mancino; March 4, 1961), better known as "Boom Boom" Mancini, is an American former professional boxer who competed professionally from 1979 to 1992 and who has since worked as an actor and sports commentato ...

and his contest against Bobby Chacon.

Track listing

All tracks composed by Warren Zevon, except where indicated.

Personnel

*Warren Zevon –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, bass guitar, guitar, piano, keyboards, emulator, vocals *

– drums *

– guitar *

– bass guitar *

Jorge Calderón Jorge Calderón, originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico, is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer best known for his collaborations with Warren Zevon and Buckingham Nicks. Calderón sings, and also plays guitar, bass ...

– bass guitar on "Sentimental Hygiene"; harmony on "Detox Mansion" * Mike Campbell – guitar on "Reconsider Me" *Darius Degher –

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

on "Bad Karma" *

– harmonica on "The Factory" * Amp Fiddler – keyboards on "Leave My Monkey Alone" *

Flea Flea, the common name for the order (biology), order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by hematophagy, ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult f ...

– bass guitar on "Leave My Monkey Alone" * Don Henley – harmony on "Reconsider Me" and "Trouble Waiting to Happen" * DeWayne "Blackbyrd" McKnight – guitar on "Leave My Monkey Alone" * Craig Krampf – drums on "Reconsider Me" and "Leave My Monkey Alone" *

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...

– bass guitar on "Reconsider Me" * David Lindley –

lap steel guitar The lap steel guitar, also known as a Hawaiian guitar or lap slide guitar, is a type of steel guitar without pedals that is typically played with the instrument in a horizontal position across the performer's lap. Unlike the usual manner of pla ...

on "Detox Mansion", bowed saz on "Bad Karma" *

Stan Lynch Stanley Joseph Lynch (born May 21, 1955) is an American musician, songwriter and record producer. He was the original drummer for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for 18 years until his departure in 1994. Early years Lynch was born in Cincinn ...

– harmony on "Bad Karma" * Rick Richards – guitar on "Even a Dog Can Shake Hands" *

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

– lead guitar on "Trouble Waiting to Happen" *

Leland Sklar Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American bassist and session musician. He rose to prominence as a member of James Taylor's backing band, which coalesced into a group in its own right, The Section, which supported so many of Asylu ...

– bass guitar on "The Heartache" *

– harmony on "Bad Karma" *

Waddy Wachtel Robert "Waddy" Wachtel (born May 24, 1947) is an American musician, composer and record producer, most notable for his guitar work. Wachtel has worked as session musician for other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, Beth Hart, Stevie Nicks, Miranda ...

– acoustic guitar on "Sentimental Hygiene", "Reconsider Me" and "The Heartache" *

Jennifer Warnes Jennifer Jean Warnes (born March 3, 1947) is an American singer and songwriter who has performed as a vocalist on a number of film soundtracks. She has won two Grammy Awards, in 1983 for the Joe Cocker duet " Up Where We Belong", and in 1987 fo ...

– harmony on "The Heartache" *Jai Winding – keyboards on "Reconsider Me" *

– lead guitar on "Sentimental Hygiene" *Will Alexander, Brian Bell – computer programming on "Leave My Monkey Alone"

Production

*Producer: Warren Zevon,

Niko Bolas Niko Bolas is an American music producer, sound engineer, and consultant. He is also a business developer in the fields of virtual reality and Internet radio. In 1989, Bolas founded Fakespace Music with Mark Bolas, Ian McDowall, and Christian Greu ...

, Andrew Slater *Engineer: Duncan Aldrich, Niko Bolas, Richard Bosworth *Assistant Engineer: Richard Cottrell, Richard Landers, Bob Levy, Mark McKenna, Dan Nash, Bob Vogt *Mixing: Niko Bolas, Larry Ferguson, Shelly Yakus *Mastering:

Stephen Marcussen Stephen Marcussen is the founder and chief mastering engineer at Marcussen Mastering in Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and distri ...

*Arranger: Niko Bolas, George Clinton, Larry Ferguson *Emulator: Warren Zevon *Programming and computers: Willie Alexander, Brian Bell *Art Direction: Jeffrey Kent Ayeroff, Margo Chase *Cover Photo:

Herb Ritts Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on b ...

Charts

References

{{Authority control 1987 albums Elektra Records albums R.E.M. Virgin Records albums Warren Zevon albums Albums produced by Warren Zevon Albums produced by Niko Bolas Alternative rock albums by American artists Hard rock albums by American artists Folk rock albums by American artists