Last week I posted about Judy Collins sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (you can read all about it here). I marveled at the quality of the songs and the performances. Deb made a comment–“About 30 years ago, Jennifer Warnes recorded an album of Cohen covers, “Famous Blue Raincoat” (although Cohen’s suggested title, “Jenny Sings Lenny” has a nice ring to it). My favorite song on that album was “First We Take Manhattan”–that motivated me to dig out my copy of Famous Blue Raincoat and listen to it again. Wonderful!
I’m not going to try to pick a winner between the Judy Collins CD and the Jennifer Warnes CD. All I can say is that if you’re in the mood for some great songs sung by two great performers, I highly recommend both CDs! GRADE: A
Track listing:
All songs written by Leonard Cohen except where noted.
- “First We Take Manhattan” – 3:47
- “Bird on a Wire” – 4:42
- “Famous Blue Raincoat” – 5:33
- “Joan of Arc” – 7:57
- “Ain’t No Cure for Love” – 3:21
- “Coming Back to You” – 3:43
- “Song of Bernadette” – 3:55 (Jennifer Warnes, Bill Elliott, Cohen)
- “A Singer Must Die” – 4:52
- “Came So Far for Beauty” – 3:37 (Cohen, John Lissauer)
Additional tracks on 20th anniversary reissue
- “Night Comes On” [New Recording]
- “Ballad of the Runaway Horse” [New Recording]
- “If It Be Your Will” [New Recording]
- “Joan of Arc” [Live in Antwerp, Belgium, 1992]
Like with most artists I prefer the original versions. Leonard Cohen limited voice gives his songs more of a world weary feeling that isn’t present in Warnes. She sounds, at least in First we Take Manhattan, more poppy.
Steve, I like early Leonard Cohn albums, too. At the end of his career, when Cohen was forced to tour to make money after his manager ripped him off, Cohen’s voice was shot.
Love it! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
Deb, I never thought that Jennifer Warnes garnered the recognition and audience she deserved. I loved her voice and her choices of songs she sung. “First We Take Manhattan” is terrific!
To use a word coined by one of our lesser ex-presidents, I may have midunderestimated Leonard Cohen. I did love “Suzanne” all those years ago, but it was more than 20 years later that REM’s cover of “First We Take Manhattan” penetrated my wall of rock snobbery. It’s time for me to take a closer look at Cohen.
Michael, Judy Collins and Jennifer Warnes are good places to start. And, of course, Leonard Cohen’s own CDs.
I’d say that anyone who gets Leonard’s ideas and performs his songs is worth listening to!
Of these songs “There ain’t no cure for love” is my favourite.
PS:
Just looked and saw that Johnny Cash also sang Bird on a Wire – great!
Wolf, Leonard Cohen songs display his brilliance and wisdom. I love his music, too!
Well, she sure doesn’t sound anything like Leonard Cohen!
Jeff, like performers of lot of Bob Dylan songs, other artists enhance Leonard Cohen’s songs, too.
I am so sad that so many of these songs are completely new to me. What was I doing then? Although I did have several Judy Collins records. I had kids at the time everyone else was listening to this music. I am going to ask Alexa to play these today.
Patti, I envy you all the delight you’re going to experience from listening to these wonderful Leonard Cohen songs!
And it is very sad also that I have never heard FIRST WE TAKE MANHATTAN before. WTH.
Patti, Deb has excellent taste in music so when she says she loves “First We Take Manhattan” you can take that to the bank!
Some might disagree with the “excellent taste” part of your assessment, George, seeing as I’m a former Disco Dolly and my CD collection (and Spotify play lists) include such stellar acts as the Bay City Rollers, KC & the Sunshine Band, and Gloria Gaynor. On the other hand, there’s also Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and the Beatles. It’s a rich tapestry!
Deb, variety is the Spice of Life! I try to listen to a music CD each day. Sometimes it’s classical, sometimes it’s jazz, but most often it’s music I grew up listening to and loving it. And, I love Disco, too!
Okay, I’m going to write a long post. I don’t know how many people read these when I get to them this late, but I know George will. (Which is very different from knowing George Will.)
I got a cd yesterday that I haven’t heard yet, that I may not hear for years (that’s just the way things work around here). It’s a Various Artists collection called “Hallelujah: The Songs of Leonard Cohen.” I can easily recommend it, because I’ve heard some of it — unlike the Tribute cds that are made by calling up everybody the producer knows and asking them to record something by the artist being tributized (if it wasn’t a word before, it is now), this is a collection of some of the best versions of Cohen songs that people have put on their own albums over the years. The booklet that comes with it is just great. It has an excellent biographical essay on Cohen, and then there’s a page on each selection that has as much as they can fit of quotes from Cohen, quotes from the artist, quotes from other people, and the compilers talking about all the different versions of the song and why they chose this one. They talk about how good this Jennifer Warnes album is, but end up using nothing by Warnes. The version of Famous Blue Raincoat they use is by someone I’ve never heard of, Marissa Nadler.
The version of Chelsea Hotel No. 2 here is by Rufus Wainwright. I have always loved his take on this. I also get a kick out of him singing the lines “You told me again you preferred handsome men/But for me you would make an exception,” because Rufus is a good-looking guy.
This week’s new cd is a Various Artists collection called “Americana.” It’s okay, with some of it pretty good. But it’s a pretty random selection of people, no rhyme or reason to it. It’ll be in the cd player for ten days or so, and I’ll enjoy it. Every day one of the six cds is replaced. Today’s mix is: the Americana one, Loreena McKennitt, the Byrds, Colbie Caillat,, Simon & Garfunkel, and Yes. Last week the Buckingham/McVie cd you didn’t like was in the mix, reinforcing my enjoyment of it.
I don’t know how many people know this but Cohen’s daughter, Lorca Cohen, is the mother of Rufus Wainwright’s child. Yes, Wainwright is gay and married to a man, so I think Lorca & Rufus’s child was conceived through artificial insemination. But the fact that Cohen’s grandchild is Wainwright’s child adds another layer to Wainwright singing Cohen’s songs.
I didn’t know it until I read it in the booklet to that cd. Another branch in the incredible Wainwright/McGarrigle/Roche family tree. I keep building an imaginary box set in my head that is just full of fantastic music from these folks. I don’t think I would add Leonard Cohen to it, but I would definitely make sure that Rufus-singing-Cohen is in there. (I already “have” the Rufus song singing to his son about watching his parents grow old.)
Deb, you know the most amazing facts! I had no idea that Lorca Cohen was involved with Rufus Wainwright. Astonishing series of events!
Jeff, as you could have predicted, I immediately ordered Hallelujah: The Songs of Leonard Cohen the moment I finished reading your excellent comment! I like Loreena McKennitt, the Byrds, Colbie Caillat, Simon & Garfunkel, and Yes, too!