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Post by MartinT on Jul 31, 2020 21:38:13 GMT
Leonard Cohen – Ten New SongsI’ve been listening to so much Cohen since he passed in 2016 (was it that long ago already?) that I knew he had to be an Album Choice for me one day. The big question was: which album? There are several well known ones which offer themselves readily but I’ve decided to offer the one which means the most to me personally and which features consistently great songwriting. Cohen sings wonderfully in duets, particularly with Jennifer Warnes, his long-time friend. In this album, he collaborates with a lesser known singer and producer, Sharon Robinson. I find her accompaniment the perfect match; she always enhances Cohen but never gets in the way. So, my Album Choice is Ten New Songs. As well as great songwriting, the recording and production are quite exquisitely well executed with a wideband and natural soundstage and, at times, very deep and potent bass. The overall sound is sumptuous and highlights the two voices very well. Cohen polarises opinion. I expect the votes here will reflect that. Please listen to this album and see if it gets under your skin as it does mine. Leave your Cohen preconceptions by the door, if you can! All the songs are at the least very good and most are exceptional. Special mentions go to the opener In My Secret Life, the emotional wrench of A Thousand Kisses Deep, the incredible production on By The Rivers Deep, the intimacy of Alexandra Leaving and the sax in You Have Loved Enough.  open.qobuz.com/track/18454159Further listening: his fantastic duet with Jennifer Warnes, If It Be Your Will.
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 31, 2020 22:17:16 GMT
Thanks Martin. Nice selection!
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Post by brian2957 on Aug 1, 2020 8:07:01 GMT
This is a great album and one of my favourites . Great choice Martin . I'll be giving it a listen ( or two ) later today  |
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Post by Tim on Aug 1, 2020 11:11:09 GMT
Haha, offering up the low hanging fruit eh Martin? I have many 'favourite' Leonard Cohen albums and this is most definitely one of them - 11/10  Alexandra Leaving is a timeless classic. |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 1, 2020 11:23:22 GMT
Haha, offering up the low hanging fruit eh Martin? I wasn't deliberately, I really thought this was considered one of the more obscure ones. |
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Post by Tim on Aug 1, 2020 15:30:03 GMT
Well either way, it's still a darned good choice old chap - but then again Mr. Cohen has left us with some of histories finest music.
Thank you Leonard.
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 1, 2020 17:16:55 GMT
Leonard Cohen – Ten New SongsCohen polarises opinion. I expect the votes here will reflect that. Please listen to this album and see if it gets under your skin as it does mine. Leave your Cohen preconceptions by the door, if you can! It certainly did get under my skin Martin, if I could have scored this zero, I would have done LOL! His voice does nothing for me, the songs I find tedious and the production is really bland and lifeless ... I would like to find something positive in it all, but I just can't. |
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Post by Slinger on Aug 1, 2020 17:31:54 GMT
An easy 4/5. Not spectacular, but a decent addition to Cohen's canon of works.
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Post by Tim on Aug 2, 2020 9:15:34 GMT
It certainly did get under my skin Martin, if I could have scored this zero, I would have done LOL! His voice does nothing for me, the songs I find tedious and the production is really bland and lifeless ... I would like to find something positive in it all, but I just can't. Well my gast has never been so flabbered!   |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 4, 2020 10:54:51 GMT
Well, polarised it is. I do understand people who don't like his voice (after all, I detest Dylan's voice) but I have more trouble with those who don't find beauty in his songs and words.
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Post by Tim on Aug 4, 2020 11:51:40 GMT
. . . . (after all, I detest Dylan's voice) but I have more trouble with those who don't find beauty in his songs and words.As the Dylan fan scratches his head . . . . |
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Post by jandl100 on Aug 4, 2020 12:29:04 GMT
Leonard Cohen – Ten New SongsCohen polarises opinion. I expect the votes here will reflect that. Please listen to this album and see if it gets under your skin as it does mine. Leave your Cohen preconceptions by the door, if you can! It certainly did get under my skin Martin, if I could have scored this zero, I would have done LOL! His voice does nothing for me, the songs I find tedious and the production is really bland and lifeless ... I would like to find something positive in it all, but I just can't. Phew - that's a relief. Tedious. Bland. I wasn't planning to post about it or vote - I thought it was just me not getting it! I did have a crack at the album with quite high expectations .... but I seemed to be totally wasting precious minutes of my life. |
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Post by MartinT on Aug 4, 2020 12:42:49 GMT
Thanks for trying it, Jules & Jerry. Vive la Difference!
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Post by Barrington on Aug 6, 2020 10:35:41 GMT
About eight or so years ago I didn't know much about Leonard Cohen so I thought I 'd start from the beginning and buy used vinyl albums , I got the first six then jumped to You Want It Darker ,then for some reason I bought his 8th I'm Your Man which all leads to the fact I don't have this album or have I heard it , playing now , very good |
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Post by ChrisB on Aug 6, 2020 11:30:09 GMT
Three points from me.
I own it but don't think it's something I have played too much since I originally got to know it. It's one of that type of albums that I like to listen to when travelling - sitting in a semi-catatonic state for hours on end on a long haul flight, for example. I can relax into it, emersing myself in the atmosphere and mood of the music rather than something I want to listen to forensically. Great for long, nightime car journeys too.
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Post by Barrington on Aug 18, 2020 12:51:04 GMT
I'll give it 4/5 , not as strong as some of his other work but better than most .
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Post by edward on Aug 18, 2020 21:08:28 GMT
I respect Jules' opinion on most things, but in this instance he is just plain wrong. In my youth I listened to LC a lot, then went off him and then back to him about a dozen years ago. Yes his voice at times can sound tedious and turgid (monotonal?), but he strikes an emotional note which I find very appealing. He manages to fuse different styles of music which this album demonstrates to a degree. I don't think one can approach LC simply for his musical abilities, I think one has to approach him as a poet, a writer and, with the risk of sounding somewhat pompous a philosopher. Anyway I like this album. LC is helped very much by Sharon Robinson. Later on LC is joined by the wonderful Web Sisters. Anyway 5. Jules, pop round sometime - we need to change your mind. We can have a proper LC sess.   |
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Post by julesd68 on Aug 18, 2020 23:13:25 GMT
Oh dear, my diary has suddenly become rather busy for the next decade or so ...  |
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Post by edward on Aug 19, 2020 7:59:24 GMT
Too bad that your education has been stifled due to erroneous commitments. :-)
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Post by MartinT on Aug 19, 2020 10:49:03 GMT
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