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So I just checked my Amazon to see when my vinyl of You Want It Darker would be dispatched. It says 25th of November. Is this just Amazon, or is the vinyl not coming out the same date as the CD? If so, they seriously dropped the ball on that one

Could be pure coincidence, but Jubilee is supposed to come after 49 years (seven times seven) and how many years has it been since Leonard's debut album?

Have resisted the stream .
Expect to get the cd on Friday , and then immerse myself in it !

cohenadmirer wrote:Have resisted the stream .
Expect to get the cd on Friday , and then immerse myself in it !

Fair enough. I am a weak, weak man and gave been bathing in the stream. Very cleansing it is too.

I am format-agnostic these days.

Well the restraint is helped by the geographical limitations of the streams.
I would have to use a vpn to get any to work , which i could do but haven't bothered.
The 21st has been in my diary as a special LC day for some time , so may as well keep it that way .
Thanks for all the reports .

cohenadmirer wrote: The 21st has been in my diary as a special LC day for some time , so may as well keep it that way.

I'm with you on that, Cohenadmirer. Could stream, but looking forward to getting that cd into my hands on Friday, lighting the fire, (yes, a real fire! ) and listening to LC 's latest/ last? on a proper sound system, rather than on phone speakers. Each to their own of course, but anticipation is delicious... especially in view of all the positive comments so far. Will return to this thread then, to compare notes.

For those who want:

http://pd.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/fl/2 ... l_lccd.mp3

works anywhere probably. Anyway in my country in Europe.

Listened to the new album a few times now. I'll get cursed for my comments, but I can only give an honest opinion.

Lyrically I give the album five stars of course, but musically I found it, hmmm, more than a tad disappointing - it has a funeral tempo at times. For me, "You Want It Darker" is the clear standout song, with "Traveling Light" and the haunting choir-laden "It Seemed The Better Way" also excellent. Overall though, it falls a long way short of the brilliance of LC's previous album "Popular Problems".

All that said, it's GREAT to have another LC album to savor, especially the title song.

dharma wrote:Listened to the new album a few times now. I'll get cursed for my comments, but I can only give an honest opinion.

Lyrically I give the album five stars of course, but musically I found it, hmmm, more than a tad disappointing - it has a funeral tempo at times. For me, "You Want It Darker" is the clear standout song, with "Traveling Light" and the haunting choir-laden "It Seemed The Better Way" also excellent. Overall though, it falls a long way short of the brilliance of LC's previous album "Popular Problems".

All that said, it's GREAT to have another LC album to savor, especially the title song.

your opinion is the opposite of mine.
according my taste, the music is sublime because is in old style, most the times. classy, light but really dark. the voice of Leonard sounds such genuine in this production.
but travelling light, and sometimes even the title track, have electronic sounds too much in evidence, i.e. deep electronic bass and trivial drum machine.
such "cold sounds" have impacted the Leonard singing in the last two albums, which sounded like a clichè.
imho, the producer of Old Ideas and Popular Problems didn't make a good job.
in fact, they were a job of the producer, and they were a different manner to create an atmosphere around the feeble, evocative, but cold vocals of Leonard. they sold a lot, but they sold the Leonard's art too. this is my honest opinion.
now, the real art is come back in this album.
Leonard's son has better feeling with his father's mood and roots (i.e. his first albums), and a specific culture as musician, not producer.

emaspac wrote: your opinion is the opposite of mine.
according my taste, the music is sublime because is in old style, most the times. classy, light but really dark. the voice of Leonard sounds such genuine in this production.
but travelling light, and sometimes even the title track, have electronic sounds too much in evidence, i.e. deep electronic bass and trivial drum machine.
such "cold sounds" have impacted the Leonard singing in the last two albums, which sounded like a clichè.
imho, the producer of Old Ideas and Popular Problems didn't make a good job.
in fact, they were a job of the producer, and they were a different manner to create an atmosphere around the feeble, evocative, but cold vocals of Leonard. they sold a lot, but they sold the Leonard's art too. this is my honest opinion.
now, the real art is come back in this album.
Leonard's son has better feeling with his father's mood and roots (i.e. his first albums), and a specific culture as musician, not producer.

The use of electronic production has been Leonard's overall production choice on those albums. Don't blame it on any of the producers. It was Leonard's mood and choice for how he wanted those songs to be produced. Back with Ten New Songs, producer Sharon Robinson thought the electronic tracks that ended up being on the record were just demos that she brought to Leonard as sketches that would eventually be rerecorded with live instruments. But Leonard liked the electronic production and decided to release the album as such.
All this said, I'm happy to hear the organic production on You Want it Darker. Adam Cohen did a great job as producer of this one (except for those grating over-the-top violins on Steer Your Way)

The subtle electronics work wonders texturally on this album, especially soundbedding 'Travelling Light'. I can't fault any of the recording, mixing or production decisions at all - I have no issue with the violins on Steer Your Way', they add that bittersweet melancholia which seems to complement Leonard's vocal tone so well.

Let it also be noted that 'Travelling Light' is a nicely arch juxtaposition with the album's title.

Traveling Light can indeed be the flip side of You Want it Darker.

yopietro wrote:

Bennyboy wrote: I have no issue with the violins on Steer Your Way', they add that bittersweet melancholia which seems to complement Leonard's vocal tone so well.

It's the part that keeps coming in after every verse that gets under my skin. But it's a very minor quibble on an otherwise superbly produced record.

wow, i liked leonard's recent albums but this is something else. i've not been moved by an album in this way in some time. it's exquisite chamber music. there's a purity and a surprise to it and depth to the sound. it has moments of real beauty.

I have never posted on the Forum before but have followed the Files since about 1999, and Leonard Cohen since 1973. I have just had my first listen to the new album and feel compelled to express my gratitude. Thank-you Leonard Cohen for still being here, and for opening your heart to us in such a fundamental way.