? Albums by Phil Spector

Tri-me · Post by **Tri-me** » Tue May 03, 2005 11:14 pm

How many and which albums were produced by Phil Spector. I am listening to "Death of a Ladies Man" for the first time.

Maarten · Post by **Maarten** » Wed May 04, 2005 1:05 am

Hello,

I believe only 1 album (Death of a ladies' man) was produced by Phil Spector.

A quote on his collaboration with Phil Spector for DOALM:

It started as a collaboration with famed producer Phil Spector, but ended with Cohen being excluded from the final stages of recording. "It was a catastrophe," he remembers. "Those are all scratch vocals, and Phil mixed it in secret under armed guard. I had to decide whether I was going to hire my own private army and fight it out on Sunset Boulevard, or let it go. I let it go."

I don't think he wanted to make a second album with the "Wall-of-sound-man"...

My opinion on this album?
I waited until I had bought all the other albums of LC, before buying this one, because I didn't really like it a lot. But I've owned it for several years now and I'm starting to love it! Especially "Paper thin hotel", "I left a woman waiting" and "Iodine" are my favorites (in that order).

The funny thing is I was born on November 13th 1977 and this album was released in November 77, so it's kind of special to me... And I like the artwork too, where Cohen "dissappears" from the front to the back.

Maarten
(going to Berlin!)

Tri-me · Post by **Tri-me** » Wed May 04, 2005 2:27 am

Wall of sound man

My first impression of this was irritation. People say over produced alot but in this case it would be an understatement. I have heard that Spector was "excentric" to be kind. In an interview Leonard said that Phil held a gun to his head and told him "I like you".

I will listen to it again, but my first impresion is that I wish Leonard would re-record his songs from this.

Cheers

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Wed May 04, 2005 10:13 am

Tri-me, Leonard spoke very much about that collaboration in our new RTE transcript (The BP Fallon Orchestra).

LC considered the re-recording in about 1990, he mentioned that in some interviews... But alas

I like the album very much, there are some of Leonard's poetically best writings and the most sentimental/romantical ones. I like True Love Leaves No Traces and Iodine best, Paper Thin Hotel is classic (it should be on The Essential!), and the title song is very straight guitar-Cohen with some succesful Spector's intrusions, and indeed great long poem-song, sadly it wasn't done live.

I was born in the month when Recent Songs were released...

tom (going to berlin!)

Bernardo Gui · Post by **Bernardo Gui** » Wed May 04, 2005 8:37 pm

Death Of A Ladies Man is an excellent album; I like it a lot... Something totally different, but still brilliant. I like every single song on this record, especially True Love Leaves No Traces and Death Of A Ladies Man!! One of the best LC records ever!!

Tri-me · Post by **Tri-me** » Thu May 05, 2005 1:30 am

I have to admit that the songs linger in my mind after I listen to them. It is a huge departure from his other recordings. I love how So Long, Marianne, Famous Blue Raincoat were arranged with the background vocals. On Death Of A Ladies Man it sounds like a party, the music overpowers the vocals where the others bring Leonard and his words front and center.

True Love Needs No Traces and Left a Woman Waiting keep going through my head

.

I really disliked it the first time I heard it irritated. Glad I gave it another spin.

Not sure if I will be able to warm up to Fingerprints

Thanks

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Thu May 05, 2005 11:37 am

Tri-me wrote:Not sure if I will be able to warm up to Fingerprints

That's true

Without that song, the album would be perfect (in tis own terms

).

Bernardo Gui · Post by **Bernardo Gui** » Fri May 06, 2005 1:29 am

Tri-me wrote:On Death Of A Ladies Man it sounds like a party, the music overpowers the vocals where the others bring Leonard and his words front and center.

You're right about that, but DOLM is lyrically very strong album!!
Cohen's contribution didn't failed!! Phil Spector's "wall of sound", as You say, owerpowers the Leonard's vocals indeed, and make the entire record sounds somehow "different".

I like the backing vocals on Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On sung by Bob Dylan and Allan Ginsberg; great song - it really sounds like a party, yes!! But what a party?!