The Essential LC - remastered...?

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 2:33 pm

I am getting a bit confused, and you good people are definitely the place to go to clear up the confusion.

I have "The Essential Leonard Cohen" (and everything else the man has sung that is on release on CD!), but I noticed on the British HMV website what appears to be a remastered (and very expensive!) version. Is it different from the normal one? Should I buy it? Help, please!

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:42 pm

"The Essential Leonard Cohen" is 2CD compilation of remastered LC's songs, and if you have it it's remastered because there's no other version, that's the "normal" one. You must have blue discs with titles "viva tonal electrical process" around Columbia sign... And I think you can hear the difference if you compare those songs from The Essential with original CDs, especially if you're comparing old songs, or those tracks from "Various Positions".

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 6:49 pm

Thanks, Tom! I am relieved about that, in a way. The double CD I have seems to be exactly the same one as you have!

On a website here in England (HMV - a record shop) they have the "Essential..." for £10 or £30, and describe the second of those as being remastered, but not the cheaper one. It is probably imported or something.

What I would really love is an acoustic version of Leonard Cohen's later music. I suspect that some of the background 'noise' has been added to cover the great man's vocie a bit, which is a great pity. That is not to say that I don't love the later stuff as well.

Post by **jarkko** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 2:52 pm

I'm trying to find out what the other Essential set on the HMV page is.
It can't be the one Tom is speaking about: HMV says the more expensive
is a LIMITED EDITION release. Maybe it's a previously unknown
vinyl edition of the album? That would be the simplest explanation.
We know for sure that the songs have been re-mastered only once,
and they are on the "standard" CD release.

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:01 pm

The hmv.co.uk site says that it was issued on 25th October 2002 and comprises just one CD, but that the 'normal' version was issued on 5th November 2002 and is, as we know, two disks. Was a promotional disk produced to send to radio stations or something, perhaps?

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 3:31 pm

I notice that hmv.co.uk are also selling Death of a Ladies' Man for a silly price (£34.99) for a version released in 2003, but only £7.99 for the 1998 one. Is anyone able to shed any light on this one...?

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:31 pm

Jarkko, I bought The Essential here in the store, but it is from beginning credited as "limited" on Amazon because Columbia's series "The Esential..." Cohen, Dylan, etc (dozens of them) is by default "limited edition" series, although you can buy those CDs everywhere...
But still, why this price...

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:34 pm

The higher price for same CD usually means imported CDs... Maybe that's the simplest explanation, I also noticed that usually they do not know number of discs in imported CDs (although is the same) so maybe because of that there's written 1 disc for this mysterious Essential.

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 6:42 pm

Yes, I thought that might be the case, but £29.99 or £34.99 is just silly. Or am I just getting old?

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 7:03 pm

So i was right now on Legacy site, that's actually name of Sony/Columbia's label for The Essential releases, and they actually don't have Cohen in their catalog!? So after some circles thru Sony/SonyATV/SonyUS sites I found The Essential, with link to Jarkko's site

Very funny, so we must know more than Sony about this release. Anyway, I found the option "search by catalog number", paste there number from hmv, and there's no such CD, at least in US, under that catalg number...
But, Jarkko, I see something: new Jeff Buckley release Live At Sin-E with another Hallelujah cover for your Covers Section, from Legacy label.

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:12 am

I have a cover version of Suzanne in Dutch somewhere. I think it's by Elly & Rikkert. I'll let you people have details, if it is of any interest.

I used to have a boxed set of the first three LC albums on proper vinyl records, with a booklet containing the lyrics. The set was called "Songs and Poems". Does anyone know anything about that?

Unfortunately, I gave it to a woman by way of demonstrating my love for her. She is still a friend, so I might just drop hints about wanting it back again

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 3:47 am

BIG hints. It sounds like a unique presentation that may be a bit rare.

Post by **jarkko** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 11:57 am

Rhodes: please let me have the details of the Dutch cover
for our lists (Artist / song title / album title / year of release /
language).

I'm also always ready for a swap! If I get one of the "missing" covers
(a CDR copy would be ok) I'm happy to send some other LC
stuff in trade!
Jarkko

D. Tang · Post by **D. Tang** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 12:34 pm

I also have a 3-CD set with a box; in which are Death of a Lady's Man, Recent Songs, ang The Future; each packed in a box respectively. On the box face there is "Leonard Cohen" and probobaly French words--"3 CD Originaux" and images of the covers of the 3 albums. On one side of the box it reads "2002 Sony Music Entertainment (France) S.A.."There is nothing special about it, I guess.

Rhodes · Post by **Rhodes** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 1:05 pm

jarkko wrote:Rhodes: please let me have the details of the Dutch cover
for our lists (Artist / song title / album title / year of release /
language).

I'm also always ready for a swap! If I get one of the "missing" covers
(a CDR copy would be ok) I'm happy to send some other LC
stuff in trade!
Jarkko

I shall try to check it in the next day or so. It is on vinyl, so I am not sure how I would transfer it to CDR. Does anyone have any ideas? My computer is fine, but my stereo with a record player is cheap.

The Essential LC - remastered...?

The Essential LC - remastered...?

Another 3-CD set, not so rare