Leonard Cohen: “Live in London”

Leonard Cohen is one of those rare artists (along with Tom Waits and Bob Dylan) that has maintained a high level of excellence over a lengthy career. Since these three artists occupy a category all their own, they have amassed fans of all ages and backgrounds who are deeply moved and devoted to their music. The difference is, Waits and Dylan have been recording and touring over the last fifteen years; meanwhile, Cohen has done a little recording, spent lots of time as a recluse including five years as a Zen Buddist monk, and done zero touring. So you can imagine the excitement in 2008 when one of the greatest songwriters of the 20th century, at the age of 73,  announced that he would be doing a tour. Fortunately for those of us who were not able to attend these shows, we now have Live in London, a splendid recording of a July 2008 show in London. And it is a record that proves that sometimes waiting patiently pays off big.

The two-disc Live in London includes twenty-six of the best Cohen songs spanning the four decades of his venerable career. The best thing is that, for the first time, these songs come together on record as being cut from the same cloth, though many of them were written and recorded twenty (or more) years apart. While some of his albums may have been overproduced or fell prey to the musical fads of their day– all of the songs here are presented excellently with  full band arrangements, beautiful female backup singers, and a lovely horn section that add a gorgeous jazzy vibe to the songs. It captures the highlights of his career at least as well as 2002’s The Essential Leonard Cohen, but adds to a cohesion not found on any previous Leonard Cohen compilations.

As many know, Cohen got his start as a poet– which is why his lyrics have always been among the best composed in 20th century pop music. Cohen the Poet clearly comes across here as he recites some of his lyrics as poetry before performing the song from which they come. Like everything else on this record, this serves to remind us of who Cohen is and the unique niche in music which he inhabits. Though many of Cohen’s songs are painted with the dark blues and melancholic purples found on the album cover, Cohen creates a warmer atmosphere between songs by joking with the audience in his dry humor. Early in the show he says in his instantly recognizable, deep voice, “It’s so nice to see you here–on the other side of intimacy.” Like everything that Cohen does, it’s his delivery that makes it gold. This adds a wonderful balance to the record as many of Cohen’s lyrics explore the darker spaces of religion, death, and love. It also proves that fifteen years out of the spotlight did not tarnish Cohen’s natural abilities as a gifted artist and performer. In other words, this is now the definitive Leonard Cohen collection and is easily one of the best releases of early 2009.

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Stream it at NPR. Hurry, it will only be available until March 31, 2009, the day the album is released.

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Leonard Cohen
Live in London
Columbia, 2009
Rating: 4.5/5.0