Leonard Cohen - Essential Leonard Cohen
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Music CD Cover
Artist: Leonard CohenBrand: PBS
Edition: Music CD
Format: Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2002-10-22
Music Label: Sony
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
- Suzanne
- The Stranger Song
- Sisters of Mercy
- Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbyen
- So Long, Marianne
- Bird on a Wire
- The Partisan
- Famous Blue Raincoat
- Chelsea Hotel No. 2
- Take This Longing
- Who by Fire
- The Guests
- Hallelujah
- If It Be Your Will
- Night Comes On
- I'm Your Man
- Everybody Knows
- Tower of Song
- Ain't No Cure for Love
- Take This Waltz
- First We Take Manhattan
- Dance Me to the End of Love (live)
- The Future
- Democracy
- Waiting for the Miracle
- Closing Time
- Anthem
- In My Secret Life
- Alexandra Leaving
- A Thousand Kisses Deep
- Love Itself
Free Music Notes for Essential Leonard Cohen
Free Music Review: Two and a half hours of beauty
Hit: 5 Stars
This magnificent retrospective draws heavily on Cohen's legendary earlier work like Songs of Leonard Cohen, Songs from a Room and New Skin for the Old Ceremony (Disc One, Tracks 1 to 11), and then again on his later albums like Various Positions, I'm Your Man, The Future and Ten New Songs.
Of course it deserves five stars - especially since the artist himself made this selection - but I do miss some favorites, like the graceful The Window from Recent Songs (1979), Take This Waltz from I'm Your Man (1988), Heart With No Companion from Various Positions (1985), which in my opinion would have been a better choice than Hallelujah (John Cale has a great cover on the I'm Your Fan tribute album) and Jeff Buckley renders it splendidly on Grace.
I completely agree with his choice of tracks from The Future and Ten New Songs, especially the magnificent Alexandra Leaving. It is perhaps understandable that he ignored Death of a Ladies' Man in its entirety, but this much maligned album has its treasures such as True Loves Leaves No Traces and the lovely, light country number Fingerprints. If Cohen doesn't like the production, why doesn't he re-record some of those great songs?
Another mystery is the skimpy contribution - only Famous Blue Raincoat - from Songs of Love and Hate (1971). That album's masterpieces like Joan Of Arc and Diamonds In The Mine count amongst my favorites in his body of work. Oh well, there's no accounting for taste and it is the artist's prerogative to make his own selection. So enjoy his poetic and melodic genius, infused as it is with a unique spiritual quality, and his weary voice of resignation like a dark painting, more often than not framed with gold by those heavenly female vocals.
And don't forget the various tribute albums, some of which contain real interpretational masterpieces. Besides the aforementioned I'm Your Fan, Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat is brilliant, as is Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy; her elegant renditions of Night Comes On and Sisters Of Mercy with its intricate instrumentation are true masterpieces. The 20th Anniversary edition of the Jennifer Warnes album contains four previously unreleased tracks including a stunning live version of Joan of Arc in addition to the studio duet with Cohen.
Besides John Cale's Hallelujah, the outstanding tracks on I'm Your Fan are Bird on the Wire by The Lilac Time and True Love Leaves No Traces by Dead Famous People. The most memorable songs on the soundtrack album Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man include Winter Lady by Kate & Anna McGarrigle, Tonight will be Fine by Teddy Thompson, Bird on a Wire by Perla Batalla and Sisters of Mercy by Beth Orton. The tribute titled Tower Of Song is not quite as memorable as the others although it does contain a gem or two. I recommend Marianne Faithfull's version of Tower of Song on her superb album Vagabond Ways.
Of course the master returned in 2004 with the incomparable Dear Heather, accompanied by the beautiful voices of Sharon Robinson and Anjani Thomas on further Cohen classics like Morning Glory, On That Day, Dear Heather, Nightingale and The Faith. Let's hope there's a lot more in the vaults.
Essential Leonard Cohen Poster
This two-disc retrospective traces the Canadian bard's musical maturity from poet and novelist who sang a little to multidimensional artist whose oracular vocals and increasingly rich arrangements are every bit as compelling as his verse. Even when Cohen came to prominence through the 1960s songcraft of "Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire," the "folksinger" tag never really fit. Later highlights ranging from the deadpan drollery of "Tower of Song" and "Everybody Knows" to the apocalyptic anthemry of "First We Take Manhattan" and "Democracy" suggest that other labels might be more appropriate: cabaret surrealist, spiritual gadfly, sensual prophet, agent provocateur. Cohen chose the selections, drawing more than half of the 31 tracks from three landmark albums--his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1988's I'm Your Man, and 1992's The Future--along with four from 2001's Ten New Songs. The collection justifies its title as deep as it goes, though it's a shame that Cohen's commercial profile couldn't justify the more elaborate box set his artistry warrants (one that would at least include lyrics and musician credits). Those who sample the consistently inspired music here might come to the conclusion that everything Cohen records is essential. --Don McLeeseFolk Music CDs
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