leonardcohenforum.com

LOVE IT!!!!!

Does anyone know how the musicians can make money if they give their product away?

I listened again & there is nothing like this in the whole world!! This album is BRILLIANT BEYOND BELIEF!!

ALL HAIL THE MASTER OF MASTERS, LEONARD COHEN!!

Bravo, Mr. Cohen. This album is absolutely amazing! Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are a genius.

1. Going Home ***
2. Amen *****
3. Show Me The Place ****
4. Darkness ***
5. Anyhow *
6. Crazy to Love You *****
7. Come Healing ***
8. Banjo *****
9. Lullaby *****
10. Different Sides *****

Thanks, Henning - If you're right I've still got the five star ones to look forward to hearing!

All the best, John E

lightning wrote:Does anyone know how the musicians can make money if they give their product away?

people like us will listen to the stream and still go out and buy the record, won't we? it's all brand awareness, i believe.

cpl593h wrote:

lightning wrote:Does anyone know how the musicians can make money if they give their product away?

people like us will listen to the stream and still go out and buy the record, won't we? it's all brand awareness, i believe.

I have listened to the streaming. I have converted the streaming into 10 mp3 tracks in my personal studio, I have recorded a CD with them to listen to it in the car... But it's only to listen to it a little bit earlier. I alredy pre-ordered the original CD to Sony Web site a few months ago. So I'm sure real fans like me will also buy it as I did.

Today, I've spent my day listening to the album (but not in a good condition: I could only use my left ear plug as my boss can see my right ear when sitted - and I had to have a spare ear to hear the phone ringing anyway...) I adore it, in particular the darkness and different sides (and Crazy to love you, and Banjo and...).
I agree with a comment I saw on the forum, that Born in Chains would have found its place on the album, as he arrangements were already done for it - as we could hear during the tour - it's just a proof that LC is not a lazy bastard, even though wearing a suit.

so this evening, I'll listen to the album in better conditions while waiting for the pre ordered cds to be shipped (do we know if they ship them from Jan 30th or if they ship them in order for us to get them by Jan 30th?)

remote1 wrote:Thanks for the link maltmom! It's great!

+1

I like anyhow,
Peter

There is certainly an awful lot here to like

The orchestration and vocal harmonies contrast beautifully with Leonard's unique voice and lyrics.

Amen is an instant hit with me.

I also really like the opening track: Going Home ('I love to speak with Leonard').

EDIT: had to go through it track for track

On first listen at work... thought it sagged in the middle. Gave it a proper listen three times over at home last night.. and I liked it more each time I heard it.

1)Going Home - Best opening lyric of a song on an album I've heard in a long time. Superb lyrically, lovely harmonies by the backing singers

2)Amen - One of the standout tracks of the album. A gentle nod of the cap to Tom Waits here in the 'feel' of the song. Quite long for a Cohen track at over 7 mins too, but it doesn't feel like that long. Very like "I'm Your Man" in it's pace.

3)Show Me The Place - Another strong track, the gospel-y intro lures you in. Not one of my top 3 in the album but I like it, very powerful imagery in the lyrics.

4)Darkness - I'm a bit of bluesman so this is one of the highlights of the album. Lyrically, amazing. So many examples to pull out of this song alone. "The present's not that pleasant, just a lot of things to do" is gold. Already looking to add it to our blues band's set but will find it hard to do it justice. Hammond sounds incredible.

5)Anyhow - lovely dark, smoke-filled room jazzy feel to this, like the minimalist percussion. Leonard's tone is this is spot on, 'ain't no harm in asking me if you'd cut me one more slack... I'm naked and I'm filthy and there's sweat upon my brow'. Piano solo fills some lovely gaps. It's hard to play as simply and gently and make it sound right, but it's great here. The hammond rises just before the climactic 'have mercy on me baby' at the end, sublime.

6)Crazy to Love You - 'had to do time in a Tower'... nice little nod there. Think it's one of weaker songs on the album.

7)Come Healing - just doesn't do it for me. Maybe in time I'll like it but for now it's the poorest song on the album.

Banjo - Getting a bit of stick but I like it

9)Lullaby - is just that. When I ever have kids I can see this being put on for them!

10)Different Sides - Amazing song, really like it and a fine way to close out the album.

So my initial reaction seems to have remained, there is a slight dip around the middle/latter end of the album, but out of the 10 tracks I can say I LOVE 8 of them immediately.

I understand why people are saying Born in Chains would fit in well on this album, it would have sat nicely alongside Come Healing. But I didn't like Born in Chains the couple of times I heard it live, the lyrics and music didn't do it for me so I am happy it wasn't included, probably would have spoiled the album a bit for me. But others love it, that's the beauty of music I guess.

The closing track is quite amazing, probably my favourite one of the album along with Anyhow, Darkness Going Home and Amen.

All in all, a fine effort worthy of the man, a masterclass in lyricism in there and some lovely musical touches. Any backing singers would do well to use this as a point of reference of how it's done.

Look forward to getting my vinyl of it soon...

8.5/10

Chapeau, Léonard, chapeau.

The Last Word on Today FM, Irish radio, on now until 7- Stuart Clarke of Hot Press will be talking about the album according to a tweat of his earlier

Crazy To Love You sounds like it could be an outtake from New Skin for the Old Ceremony. There are parts of it that make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. I have been listening to the stream for over an hour now and have yet to make it past this song