Excitable Boy earned
Warren Zevon a hit single ("Werewolves of London") and the mainstream success he richly deserved, but his new fame came with a price; the hard-living
Zevon did not react well to the temptations that come with rock stardom, and in the wake of
Excitable Boy he had developed a severe drinking problem.
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School was cut as
Zevon was working hard to stay clean and sober and put his career back on track, and it projects an ambition and strength of focus that was decidedly absent from
Excitable Boy. The album's rockers hit harder and cut deeper than any of his previous work, especially the twisted Southern gothic of "Play It All Night Long" and the mercenary's anthem "Jungle Work," while "Bed of Coals" and "Wild Age" found
Zevon bravely addressing his own failings and expressing his need for a greater maturity in his life. While the album was still short on subtlety compared to 1976's
Warren Zevon, "Empty Handed Heart" proved
Zevon could still write a straightforward song about love (not a happy one, but no one expected that from him anyway), and the two interludes for orchestra gave credence to
Zevon's claims that he planned to write a symphony some day (and that it might even be worth hearing). And if "Gorilla You're a Desperado" was a throwaway, it was a better waste of time than "Night Time in the Switching Yard" on
Excitable Boy. While
Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School didn't quite return
Zevon to the top of his game, it made clear that the quality of
Warren Zevon was no fluke, and is a stronger effort than
Excitable Boy in nearly every respect. ~ Mark Deming