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I have been listening to people covering Leonard Cohen since I can remember. Well, since Judy Collins started covering them when I was a teenager, anyway. Recently, 30 years later I thought, “Well, the one time I saw the man, himself, on Austin City Limits, I liked him. So – big idea – Buy an album of him singing his songs.” First I bought Leonard Cohen Live. I just loved it. Listened to it over and over, hearing the subtle intonations from him or from his back-up singers. Hearing the similarities of all the backup for the songs as well as the differences in each. So, I thought “Well, I usually don’t like live albums as well as I do studio recordings, so let me just see how that sounds.” Well, sisters and brothers, dear; it wasn’t nearly as good to my ear. I have talked to friends and discovered that there IS NO CONSENSUS about what venue is best for a Leonard Cohen recording, studio or concert. In fact, some of them think I am just plain crazy for liking the live album better than the studio album. They have very strong opinions about it, just as I do. It is one of those “we agree to disagree” things, like the discussion of whether Andy McDowell can act or not. So, you pays your money and you takes your chances. Specifically, here are the differences I found between the studio album and live recordings and what those differences meant for me. Something is added to Cohen’s performance by the presence of an audience. He comes alive in a way not reflected in his studio voice. In concert, he isn’t tempted to do any of those weird, funky additions and embellishments Old Blue Eyes did in his live concerts (I know this is blasphemy to many devotees of the Chairman, but there it is). Those things that seldom fit the scansion of the line but that most singers, nonetheless, find themselves helpless to prevent themselves from adding them in their live performances. The music in the concerts is provided by an orchestra while the studio is much more highly produced and the music highly synthesized. Sort of like the difference between hearing a tennis ball bounce on a clay court (live) versus the sound a racquetball makes bouncing off of an inside enclosed court at the gym (studio). The racquetball smacks of the psychedelic and so does the studio recording for me. I just abhor psychedelics. If the Sixties were good to you, you might like the studio album better. In short, the whole sh’bang is better for me in the live album than in the studio one.Read full review
I was extremely happy with the DVD of the same title. It featured artists Rufus Wainwright and Nick Cage and many others. It also includes interspersed commentary by Leonard which gives you a good picture of the composer/lyricist/poet. One of his comments was that he was generously called a singer since he could hardly carry a tune. This CD has only Leonard as the vocalist and his limited range is exposed. There are some of his songs here where a voice other than a bass would have been better. Nevertheless, with only Cohen compositions, this CD probably is just what a long-time Leonard Cohen fan wants.
Despite it's strong 80's vibe this is one of my favorite Leonard Cohen CDs. The lyrics are brilliant and even though the music sounds a bit dated I find it to be part of the charm. Jazz Police (probably the song everybody dislikes) is one of my favorites here. Fun, quirky, and flat out strange. I'm Your Man and Everybody Knows are essential Cohen songs and alone are worth the price of this CD. 5 Stars.
Love this deep sexy voice! I think this is one of his best CD's. I bought it because I use to have it on a cassette tape and needed it on a CD.
Heard half of this song on the hit show Criminal Minds and just loved it and wanted to hear the rest. Didn't even know it was Leonard Cohen. I am now a Leonard Cohen fan. Love the song and the rest of the cd.
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