I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) covers the bulk of
Warren Zevon's career, conveniently skipping over his long-forgotten first album and concentrating heavily on his Asylum records, as well as his albums for Virgin and Giant. Over the course of the double-disc set's 44 songs, nearly every one of
Zevon's greatest songs is featured, including six songs each from
Warren Zevon and
Excitable Boy, as well as a number of songs only featured on soundtrack albums, a handful of outtakes, and
Hindu Love Gods' cover of
Prince's "Raspberry Beret." The quality of
Zevon's music declines somewhat as his career progresses, but the compilation captures most of the highlights from his latter-day records. For casual fans who want to dig deeper than
Warren Zevon or
Excitable Boy,
I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (An Anthology) is an ideal purchase. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide