"A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Leonard Cohen's posthumous album (2019)
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ScottM
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by ScottM »

While it’s exciting and welcome news that we will have the opportunity to experience some of Leonard’s unfinished songs, I think we should reserve judgement. I’ve seen Adam perform live and have a couple of his album recordings. I’ve enjoyed what he does and would go to see him play again. However, as a performer, musician, and songwriter, I think that most, including himself, would admit that he is nowhere near as accomplished as his father. In fairness, who is?
My concern is that, in Adam’s eagerness to “finish” these songs..(”I'm going to bring them and see them to completion”) they risk being reduced in quality, particularly if he is going to attempt to make any changes to the structure of the lyrics or, indeed, to the verse itself.
If the sentiment that “this is for all the people out there...” is genuinely held then that is commendable. However, the fact that he refers, almost in passing, to his involvement as part of “the family business” does leave me feeling a little cynical.
I suppose any alternative, you might argue, is that these songs aren’t heard and that, of course, would be a shame. Also, if Leonard has tasked Adam with this and had the confidence in him to complete the task to a standard worthy of his memory, then, I should suspend my reservations and fully support this endeavour.
I genuinely hope that these recordings are produced and released as the “incredible and powerful readings” they obviously deserve to be.
It might not be obvious from what I’ve said here, but I look forward to being proved wrong. I am still excited and will, of course, be buying the album anyway. How couldn’t I?
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I'm your fan
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by I'm your fan »

I'm glad to read this news. They are an aswer to the question I asked long ago (wether there will be a new album of original songs) here: https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewt ... 39#p368239.
As HugoD said, (I agree with him), we kind of expected this but this confirmation is really great. I look forward the coming of this new album.
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Inna
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by Inna »

ScottM wrote: Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:23 am My concern is that, in Adam’s eagerness to “finish” these songs..(”I'm going to bring them and see them to completion”) they risk being reduced in quality, particularly if he is going to attempt to make any changes to the structure of the lyrics or, indeed, to the verse itself.
If the sentiment that “this is for all the people out there...” is genuinely held then that is commendable. However, the fact that he refers, almost in passing, to his involvement as part of “the family business” does leave me feeling a little cynical.
Totally agree. While I am delighted by the prospect of listening to Leonard's impeccable lyrics, I am somewhat skeptical regarding the extent of Adam's involvement in the album. That being said, I look forward to the new collection and sincerely hope that my apprehensions are unfounded.
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Mabeanie1
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by Mabeanie1 »

Inna wrote: Fri Oct 05, 2018 5:49 pm
ScottM wrote: Wed Oct 03, 2018 11:23 am My concern is that, in Adam’s eagerness to “finish” these songs..(”I'm going to bring them and see them to completion”) they risk being reduced in quality, particularly if he is going to attempt to make any changes to the structure of the lyrics or, indeed, to the verse itself.
If the sentiment that “this is for all the people out there...” is genuinely held then that is commendable. However, the fact that he refers, almost in passing, to his involvement as part of “the family business” does leave me feeling a little cynical.
Totally agree. While I am delighted by the prospect of listening to Leonard's impeccable lyrics, I am somewhat skeptical regarding the extent of Adam's involvement in the album. That being said, I look forward to the new collection and sincerely hope that my apprehensions are unfounded.
I am inclined to trust Adam’s judgement. He worked very closely with his father for a long period of time and made a fine job of producing You Want it Darker. If anyone know’s what Leonard would have wanted to do with these songs it’s Adam. It may be that they had already discussed and worked on many of them - didn’t Patrick Leonard say that he had been working on material for another couple of albums with Leonard?

Let’s keep an open mind and see what happens.

My only reservation personally is that YWID feels like it should be the final word from Leonard - but I will eagerly await and buy the new material along with everyone else ....

Wendy
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jerry
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by jerry »

Put these recordings on a boxset. Leave YWID alone. Let it stand as LC's final word.
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hadley
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by hadley »

This is great news, fair play to Adam for undertaking such an endeavour. However much talent and experience he has it must be a huge burden / challenge for him given the circumstances, good luck to the guy I say, look forward to hearing what come out!

Anything is better than nothing, is hardly going to destroy Leonard's legacy!!
JudasPriest
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by JudasPriest »

Agree with Gerry altho even if it is released as a regular album, get the feeling YWID will still be regarded as his final true work.

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Post by Athnuachan »

JudasPriest wrote: Sun Oct 14, 2018 12:29 am get the feeling YWID will still be regarded as his final true work.
I agree. Would be more appropriate.
Think I'll resist buying this Album if it is ever released, having found "The Flame", sadly, a damp squib. Best part of it is the song lyrics, which we already had. Most of the rest of the stuff would have been better left unpublished.
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nynke
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by nynke »

I understand the reservations some people have made here regarding posthumous releases, but whatever comes out will not alter the status of ‘You want it darker’ as Leonard’s final, shattering commentary on his life and approaching death. The latter part of ‘The flame’ has already in some sense validated the notion that imperfect and uncompleted offerings have their place in the Cohen oeuvre, and applying the same principle to works in progress at the time of his death, as well as other unreleased live and studio material, is absolutely fine by me. Let’s not discourage the money makers with too many advance refusals to buy – a dignified and responsible release programme (like Dylan’s ‘Bootleg Series’, though commercial realities are likely to place limits on the amount of Cohen material that could be aired) is exactly what some of us would value and support.

As far as Patrick Leonard and Adam Cohen are concerned, I think they did a great job - for all its quirky merits, 'Dear Heather' would have been a strange end to Leonard's recording career. That final trilogy speaks to me as intensely and profoundly as the Cohen songs I have known for well over forty years, and I for one am grateful to them for all their enabling and mediating (and creative!) talents.
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Michel_Griffin
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by Michel_Griffin »

What a treat to look forward to ! Does anybody have any idea of its release date ? I can't find any further references online later than last September when Adam gave his interview ...
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peter danielsen
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by peter danielsen »

Now its the third month of 2019. No news about this exciting album? I do not hope the few negative reactions about the album has made Adam think he might not release the songs
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panjandrum
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by panjandrum »

While I am also looking forward to hearing the songs Leonard was working on when he passed away, I definitely feel that YWID is the most perfect and powerful ending to his career we could have hoped for and I think it should stand as his last album, not only in our minds, but officially.

I very much hope that any posthumous songs are released in such a way that they are not considered, as a collection, to be Leonard's last album. They could easily be extras on a boxed-set, or attributed in a way such a way as they are seen as Adam's fifth albums ( "Adam Cohen, completing the works of his father", something like that but articulated in a far more poetic way ).

And while I do expect that what Adam releases will be excellent, it is a risk, and it *is* possible for later works to taint an entire career. I would hate to see something like that happen.
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peter danielsen
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by peter danielsen »

And then, nothing
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LisaLCFan
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by LisaLCFan »

I would be very interested in hearing this "new" album, and I am not at all concerned that it would, in any way, displace You Want It Darker as Leonard's "final" work, because, nothing will ever change that fact (and it is a "fact") -- YWID is simply Leonard's last album, period, and that is not debatable (regardless of what any individual person might think!).

I think that those who already know Leonard's work will certainly see any release of "new" material (whether it was previously finished and recorded by Leonard but never released, or finished by Adam, et al later on) for what it is, and not for what it is not. That is, they will know very well where it came from and how it got here. If someone hears it and thinks that it is something it is not, because they cannot be bothered to learn of its origins (which undoubtedly would be clearly stated somewhere on/in the album information), then who cares what they think? We (and all those who matter) will know that it is NOT Leonard's final album (that honour has already been taken), because we will know how it came about.
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Maarten
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Re: "A new album of original Leonard Cohen songs is in the works"

Post by Maarten »

Hi all

Info from a dear French friend:
Here is an article published today on Paris-Match (France), indicating that Adam Cohen has just finished
in Los Angeles the recording of the last 10 Leonard Cohen's songs to be released in November at Columbia.
This ultimate record will be Leonard's fifteenth.

Friendly greetings

https://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Musi ... en-1620245
Edit:
The article also mentions there will be a series of tribute concerts in Montréal, New York and Paris to go with the release.

Maarten

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