|
| Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man | 
 enlarge | Creator: Leonard Cohen
Label: Verve Forecast
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy New: $4.39
You Save: $9.59 (69%)
New (46) Used (15) from $3.39
Avg. Customer Rating:  56 reviews
Sales Rank: 2850
Format: Soundtrack
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 000716902
UPC: 602517024083
EAN: 0602517024083
ASIN: B000G73UEU
Release Date: July 25, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
|
| Tracks:
| • | Tower Of Song - Martha Wainwright | | • | Tonight Will Be Fine - Teddy Thompson | | • | I'm Your Man - Nick Cave | | • | Winter Lady - Martha Wainwright, Kate & Anna McGarrigle | | • | Sisters Of Mercy - Beth Orton | | • | Chelsea Hotel No.2 - Rufus Wainwright | | • | If It Be Your Will - Antony | | • | I Can't Forget - Jarvis Cocker | | • | Famous Blue Raincoat - The Handsome Family | | • | Bird On A Wire - Perla Batalla | | • | Everybody Knows - Rufus Wainwright | | • | The Traitor - Martha Wainwright | | • | Suzanne - Perla Batalla, Nick Cave & Julie Christensen | | • | The Future - Teddy Thompson | | • | Anthem - Perla Batalla, Julie Christensen | | • | Tower Of Song - Leonard Cohen & U2 |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Already an accomplished poet and novelist before he ambled into the music business in his mid-'30s, Leonard Cohen has remained as musically influential as he is publicly enigmatic for four decades. This celebration of Cohen's songbook began as a free concert that quickly mushroomed into a star-studded live tribute film shot at Sydney's famed Opera House and Brighton Dome. Musically supervised by Hal Willner (who's produced similar recorded tributes to Mingus, Monk, Rota and Weill), it recasts Cohen's evocative, emotionally uncompromising songs in compelling performances by singers who range from fellow cult heroes Nick Cave and Beth Orton to energetic newcomer Teddy Thompson and even rock gods U2. The latter's powerful collaboration with Cohen himself on the signature "Tower of Song" bookends Martha Wainright's solo opening rendition of the composition, deftly underscoring the project's eclectic artisanship in the bargain. Cave somehow channels the title track through Chicago's South Side via Weimar Berlin, while Teddy Thompson ponders "The Future" with exuberance and The Handsome Family informs "Famous Blue Raincoat" with elegant melodrama. Other standouts include Rufus Wainwright's nouveau Tango work-up of "Everybody Knows," Perla Batalla's gorgeous, Norteno-seasoned "Bird On a Wire" and her collaborations with Cave and Julia Christenson on "Suzanne" and "Anthem." A collection that's both a savvy primer to Cohen's catalog and impressive artistic achievement in its own right. --Jerry McCulley
Album Description
This soundtrack features powerful performances of Cohen masterpieces by an outstanding array of today's top singer-songwriters. The tracks on the CD were recorded live at Hal Willner's "Came So Far For Beauty: An Evening of Leonard Cohen Songs", at the Brighton Dome as part of the Brighton Festival 2004 and at the Sydney Opera House as part of the Sydney Festival 2005, except "Tower of Song"featuring Leonard Cohen and U2.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 51 more reviews...
 I so wanted to love this cd... July 30, 2006
51 out of 68 found this review helpful
There are a few good songs here...No, there are a few really great covers of Leonard's masterpieces. Unfortunately there are several that left me just shaking my head and wondering why something better was not presented to showcase this genius of a song writer.
Highlights:
Antony's cover of "If It Be Your Will" (worth the price of the cd)
ANTHEM sung by Batalla/Christensen is sublime.
Also, the 2 songs by Thompson are quite good, especially "The Future."
What was done to some of these pieces seemed tragic. "Winter Lady" is a lowlight, as is "Famous Blue Raincoat."
This should have been so much better. Better song selections and certainly better renditions of Cohen's wonderful songs.
There are some really great Cohen covers out there so I know it can be done. Better yet, listen to The Man himself. No one tops Leonard singing Leonard.
I wish this was better, but do consider it for the Highlights. They are very good.
Laurie
 The magic of Cohen comes alive November 4, 2006
18 out of 23 found this review helpful
There are some magnificent, some great and some merely competent interpretations of Leonard Cohen's music on this soundtrack album. First the highlights. Tower Of Song by Martha Wainwright with its intricate guitars is a powerful interpretation of the classic. The lilting and sensual Tonight Will Be Fine by Teddy Thompsom is magnificent - his voice sounds similar to that of Springsteen.
Then comes the tremulous and atmospheric Winter Lady by Kate & Anna McGarrigle and Martha Wainwright, a true gem. Beth Orton does a splendid version of Sisters Of Mercy with her slow and emphatic enunciation supported by lovely backing vocals. Perla Batalla's Bird On A Wire and The Traitor by Martha Wainwright with its opening trumpets are great, and both have exquisite instrumentation.
The weaving voices of Nick Cave, Julie Christensen and Perla Batalla make Suzanne quite special, whilst Teddy Thompson does justice to The Future in this rhythmic, uptempo version of the eerie song with its apocalyptic vision of the future. The evocative Anthem is a duet between Batalla and Christensen, a classic interpretation with soulful organ and uplifting vocals.
I found the following tracks competent but not really exceptional: The sax-heavy I'm Your Man by Nick Cave, Chelsea Hotel by Rufus Wainwright, the soulful If It Be Your Will by Antony, I Can't Forget by Jarvis Cocker, Famous Blue Raincoat by the Handsome Family and the breezy Everybody Knows by Rufus Wainwright.
Although not a fan of U2, I love the concluding track Tower of Song by Cohen and Bono. The voices work well together and the instrumentation is superb. Fans of Leonard might also be interested in the other tribute albums: Famous Blue Raincoat: 20th Anniversary Edition by Jennifer Warnes, Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy by Judy Collins, I'm Your Fan by a colourful array of artists from different musical backgrounds and the slightly tepid Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen by a selection of mostly country singers.
 fine songs, not-so-fine singers July 28, 2006
10 out of 19 found this review helpful
This seems like the comic-book version of a classic. There is a handful of honest covers of Leonard Cohen's songs out there, but none of them is on this CD. If it's really necessary for you to hear an "interpretation" of the original reality, try Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah," Jennifer Warnes' "Joan of Arc," or (yes!) Joe Cocker's "Bird on a Wire." With one or two exceptions--like the McGarrigles--the singers here are bland, tuneless hacks hitching a ride on songs they don't even understand.
Transporting November 25, 2006
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
I saw the video of "I'm Your Man" which is half-documentary and half concert film, was blown away and immediately ordered the CD. While it's true that some of the singing is, shall we say, weird, most of it is just wonderful. That Cohen's poetry is celestial is indisputable, and it's nice that these young folks like it, too. A particular treat was Teddy Thompson's rendition of "Tonight Will Be Fine." Cohen's lyrics just kill.
This Should Make Him Great News Again. This Movie is a Hit! July 30, 2006
6 out of 18 found this review helpful
I was so moved by the genuine talent and diversity in spanned emotions in these songs and these fresh (non-drone-like) interpretations, I went out and bought all his albums, listened, saw what the movie did right and what it did not, and saw more closely who and what the motive force behind Leonard Cohen appears to be. The summary (or a cut at it) is this poem. [I especially like Rufus Wainwright who is a phenomenal singer and so is Antony. Teddy Thomson was great too. The rest, eh, I can live with or without.]
Leonard Vows
Through a hidden socket on the wall
A curled up parchment, timeless scroll
Heaven grinds wagons, wailing wings
Bumbling euphorias, doubter's tambourines
Revelation mounts the Keeper of the Tower of Song
Muttered drones paint septuageneric fauna
Winking as if twenty bodies strong
Soot eyes smile, widen
Till tears fill his feathered pen
Revelations mount deeper
The Keeper of the Tower of Song
To smile in irony's chords
With Dead Sea tentacles
Leading the chorus dandelions
In a pop country Pentecostal scream
To usher in recantations or murmuring retreats
Revelations all mount
The Keeper of the Tower of Song
Bedros Afeyan
7-28-06
|
|
|
Proud member of the JimmyKat Network. Make sure you check out these other great JimmyKat network sites:
Lyrics Database
Celebrity Blog
Celebrity Thing
Celebrity PC
Celebrity Latest
Celebrity Pro
Travel Photos
Quotes
Flash Games
|
Is there a better
price available?
Find out:
|
|
|
|
