Leonard Cohen is touring at the age of 73 because in 2005 his manager allegedly stole all his money and the rights to many of his songs. The case is in litigation, but in the meantime Leonard Cohen is working to make money to live on until the courts finally rule. That’s one reason why I bought this CD. I’ve admired Leonard Cohen’s work for decades. But let’s be honest: Cohen’s voice is shot. If you want to hear the “real” Leonard Cohen, find a copy of Death of a Ladies’ Man and listen to that. Live in London includes many of Cohen’s signature songs: “There Ain’t No Cure for Love,” “Bird on a Wire,” “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Good-Bye,” “Suzanne,” “I’m Your Man,” “First We Take Manhattan,” and “Hallelujah.” This great artist doesn’t deserve this cruel fate late in life. GRADE: C (for charity).
You’ve saved me. A guy in my writing group saw him in Detroit last week and persuaded me to buy it. It’s sitting in my shopping cart as we speak.
If you want to help a struggling artist, you can buy the CD like I did. But if you want to hear the “real” Leonard Cohen, buy his early CDs like Death of a Ladies Man, my personal favorite.
Good grief! Patti – do not believe what this reviewer is saying!! Look at the reviews from the shows that Leonard Cohen has doing with that “shot” voice. His shows are simply superb. He is traveling with a small group of the best musicians in the world! People are saying over and over and over again – the best show they have ever seen – ever! “Live In London” is a capture of one of these shows. The sound and the video are first rate – and Leonard Cohen will take your breath away – and then give it back to you and you will breath and sigh deeply! Here’s one review example – but similar reviews follow Leonard Cohen across North America: LEONARD COHEN PUTS ON A MAGNIFICENT SHOW AT THE ACADEMY – “On Tuesday, the 74-year-old Canadian song-poet put on a magnificent three-hour-show at the 152-year-old opera house that was filled with prayer-like intensity and easygoing grace, not to mention sartorial splendor, meticulous musicianship and as perfectly crisp a sound mix as I can ever recall hearing at a rock show.”
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20090513_Leonard_Cohen_puts_on_a_magnificent_show_at_the_Academy.html
Patti – watch the DVD (stunning) or listen to the CD (magnificent). It is much more likely that you will be saved by Leonard Cohen – not this reviewer’s sorry paragraph above. To call these concerts on this marvelous tour a “cruel fate late in life” is a sacrilege. Did this reviewer even bother to watch or listen?
Calm down, Lee. Clearly, we have a difference of opinion here. I’ve seen Leonard Cohen perform several times over his career. I live near Canada where we get the Canadian CBC stations so I’ve seen plenty of his televised concerts including the recent one in Montreal. Cohen remains a compelling artist. But compare his voice on Death of a Ladies Man to Live in London. Night and day. Patti can spend her hard-earned money on classic Leonard Cohen, or on a charity CD for a struggling artist.
Let’s see Entertainment Weekly gave Live In London a grade A. The Independent in the UK gave it 5 out 5. Uncut said of Live In London the older Cohen becomes the better he inhabits the songs. Billboard said Cohen delivers a peak musical and emotional experience. Who are you going to believe, people paid to review or some blogger?
Anna, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY and THE INDEPENDENT are supported by paid advertising. I’m sure their reviewers received Live in London for free. I bought my copy. And I will never allow paid advertising on my blog. You’re getting my honest opinion untainted by endorsements. You’re free to disagree with it. Some people incomprehensibly like Dylan’s voice on his new CD. Different strokes for different folks.
There is no question, his voice has changed dramatically. I guess it comes down to this, do you want a record of an artist doing his songs now or does it make you regret what is lost. Like with Joan Baez.
He does inhabit the songs-I see what Anna’s saying. But after listening to a sample of the album George recommended, he breathed those songs then. But didn’t we all? That was a lovely album, George and I will seek it out.
Death of a Ladies’ Man was produced by the legendary Phil Spector so it really doesn’t sound like any of the other Leonard Cohen records. It is unique.
Since I refuse to support any member of the Scientology Organized Crime Family, I won’t be buying anything by Cohen. Maybe he’d have more money if he hadn’t wasted some on the absurd courses and sessions the SOCF offer, and for which they charge an arm and a leg.
I didn’t know about Cohen’s fling with Scientology. Cohen was more recently a Zen Buddhist monk for five years and probably would still be at the ashram and not touring if his manager hadn’t looted all his money (allegedly).
“You’re getting my honest opinion untainted by endorsements.”
Lucky me. But seriously, what a convulted argument, i.e. I don’t get paid to review so this makes me more qualified than someone who does get paid. I think not. But hey, the CD came out in March and is Cohen’s fastest selling album to date due to all those disagreeing record buyers. I’ll give you this, if your favorite Cohen album is the Phil Spector horror show DOLM, which Cohen essentially disowned, I can understand how anything else by Cohen wouldn’t measure up. Wait, maybe that is “honestly” what is behind your review.
Anna, I never claimed I’m more qualified than the reviewers you cited. I’m just a long-time Leonard Cohen fan who has purchased and listened his records for decades and apparently have different musical tastes than you do.
I saw the current Leonard Cohen tour in Hamilton, Canada, the evening of May 19, and it was remarkable for many how well the performances went and how with such dignity Leonard Cohen performed his songs authentically. One thing that impressed me, above and beyond the excellent music backing Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, was how much of a great showman Leonard Cohen is, even given the advanced age of 73 years old. Especially when Cohen and band performed Bird on a Wire, I think the crowd in Hamilton was moved, and many of Cohen’s beloved songs and exciting and wonderful songs produced a similar mood in the crowd. I think Leonard Cohen is a regale performer and songwriter and that he deserves respect and admiration more than ever at this stage in life. I will browse for Leonard Cohen media the next time I am in a record store!
Unfortunately, I had some commitments on May 19 or I may have crossed the bridge and headed up to Hamilton to see Cohen. Glad you were moved by his performance. I was lucky enough to see k.d. lang perform some Leonard Cohen songs on her latest tour. No one sings “Hallelujah” the way she does.
If he had sense enough to quit the cult, I’m all for him.
I think Leonard Cohen switched religions as often as you switch stations on your TV.
At some point in the late 1960s or early 1970s I acquired a boxed set of Leonard Cohen LPs. I probably still have it in a box somewhere. It didn’t interest me all that much at the time but my first wife liked it a good deal and it was on the player fairly often. Later I noticed Joe Cocker and others covering the Cohen songs but otherwise thought little of him. So I was surprised at how much I liked the Live in London CD. Yes, his vocal range is quite limited but then it was never very great. But the reading this older Cohen gives his songs carries with it a depth and character I don’t recall in the earlier versions. I was also very impressed with the musicians backing him as well as the background vocals by the Webb sisters and Sharon Robinson. I later bought a CD by Robinson, who co-wrote several of the songs with Cohen, and enjoyed hearing her renditions. Yet, I prefer the older Cohen to Robinson. Perhaps if I had been a big Cohen fan through the decades I would feel differently.
I admit my ear is unsophisticated. I would probably enjoy the latest Dylan as I did his three previous albums.
On the Scientology front, from what I read Cohen had a brief flirtation with it before becoming a Buddhist.
There are probably a lot of collectors who would be interested in that boxed set of Leonard Cohen LPs.