Songs From The Road

This is a great CD/DVD mix, with a wonderful collection of songs taken from various performances on Leonard Cohen's 2008-2009 tour. And, while Live In London (from the same tour) gives us a whole show, Songs From The Road offers us various tastes as we see Cohen performing to crowds of varying sizes and formats (one show is from the Coachella festival, the rest are from his headliners); it also manages to carefully select around the incessant and repetitive "introduce-the-musicians" sessions that somewhat annoyingly dotted Live In London, but which don't turn up even once here!The session starts with "Lover Lover Lover", a somewhat robotic take on the old classic, spiced up with a great funky vibe, plenty of clarinet and Javier Mas' familiar banduria sounds. The first thing that we note, though, is that Cohen's band is absolute crackerjack - vibe-ridden, and tight as a whip, if perhaps a bit TOO smooth... "Bird On A Wire" is augmented at the start with some great bluesy guitar, and lovely organ, as well as a bit more guitar and a sax solo to garnish the middle section. Nice! "Chelsea Hotel" is a sweet appearance, which I don't believe he sings often any more, with some nice organ sounds. "Heart With No Companion" is a strange countrified oddball here, and the band plays it by the numbers. "That Don't Make It Junk" is another faithful version of a very recent song - Cohen was touring on the album this song appeared on. Nice. "Waiting For The Miracle" sounds very much like the album version. "Avalanche" is a standout for the album, since it is a very challenging piece to play for its guitar work. Cohen pulls it off like the expert that he is, just him and his Godin up there on stage running through the masterpiece itself, with a bit of keyboard. "Suzanne" gets a similarly-spare treatment, with mostly just Cohen's voice, some guitar, and a few other decorations like barely-audible keyboard... and of course those floating female vocals.. "The Partisan" is also chilled-out and somber; Cohen really wails on the vocals on this one, making it much angrier than the original, which was nearly-muttered in its delivery; he also chops up the English and French lyrics at strange new intervals. In the middle there's plenty more furious banduria jamming by Javier Mas, touches of clarinet, and that final, forceful strum! "Famous Blue Raincoat" is moody, and Cohen takes it throaty and raw; the song includes a very nice sax solo. "Hallelujah", which Cohen lays down in California at the Coachella festival ("I didn't come to Coachella... to fool you" he ad-libs during one of the verses, as he often does); this song ups the ante in terms of audience sounds, which we so far haven't really heard since the first tune (recorded in Tel Aviv), and it feels great; cool singalong by the end too! The rowdy crowd reactions continues into "Closing Time", so far Cohen's first live recording from his native Canada of his recent live recordings (ironically, it was from a show in London, Ontario) and his first live release release since the 1988 I'm Your Man tour; this wonderful song closes the release, and it's pretty darn funky and driving. Great collection!!The DVD follows the set, and is very nicely shot, picking up on the key action onstage (soloists get their moment of glory), and there are plenty of great shots of the man itself. Great lighting!The CD and DVD are housed in an elongated cardboard housing that is probably too tall to fir on most CD shelves, although it's a bit shorter than a book or a DVD. There's a nice 12-page booklet inside, with a write-up and some pictures, and I also got a curious "fortune teller miracle fish" in a plastic envelop, with the explanation that you put it in the palm of your hand and read its movements (moving head = jealousy, moving tail = indifference, etc).

I was two rows back, on the floor, at the Kingston Ontario show in May of 2009 when Cohen played The Partisan. It sent chills up my spine, made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. It was that good.Songs From the Road contains a Helsinki performance of The Partisan that's so intense it did it once again. "Through the graves the wind is blowing. Freedom soon will come".In addition there are seven other songs that weren't on Live In London (only four are repeated). Taken together they round out the record of what must be one of the most amazing tours ever. All performed by a man in his mid seventies.Go figure.Apart from The Partisan, the standouts for me are Famous Blue Raincoat, Lover, Lover, Lover, and Waiting for the Miracle. Famous Blue Raincoat includes what must be one of the most sultry and soulful sax solos ever laid down by the incomparable Dino Soldo. Lover, Lover, Lover throbs with the insistency of unrequited desire, set against the flowing virtuosity of Javier Mas. And Waiting For the Miracle broods with an almost unimaginable darkness.The only song that doesn't work for me is Avalanche ("I stepped into an avalanche, it covered up my soul"). The original version on Songs of Love and Hate is defined by a raw and menacing cello line which here is absent. Considering that the musicians in Cohen's band seem each to play a multiplicity of instruments, it doesn't seem like it would have been a stretch for musical director Roscoe Beck to put down the 5 string electric bass and contrabass to pick up a cello for the part.But it was not to be...

I have followed Leonard Cohen's career amd songs from the 1960's until today. I cherish and recommend to everyone "The Essential Leonard Cohen," as it is a history of his (my? our?) journey in this life. I will always hold the "Live in London" CD and DVD dear to my heart as a welcome "come back." I was one of the first to wait in line to purchase tickets for his concert in Cleveland during his latest tour. Thank you, Leonard: I appreciate your talent, your heart, your compassion, and your soul. Upon watching this latest release, "Songs from the Road," I realize, accept, and embrace the realization of our common Buddhist philospphy: we grow, we suffer and learn, and we age... I can appreciate your (our?) journey in life. We are all getting older. Of course, I can see the effects that stress has had on Leonard since I saw last him in Cleveland. I can see what this world tour has taken on him; however, I will forever appreciate his devotion to his poetry and music. Who am I to criticize his latest performacnces because he appeares to some as tired and/or old? That his voice is not as strong and deep as it once was? Yes, he has aged and appears frailer -- he is OLDER!! So what?? Take this DVD/CD for what is it: a celebration of Leonard Cohen's life. How many of us can do it with such finesse and beautiful compassionn as Leonard when we are his age? Bless you, Leonard Cohen. I hope I am not alone in appreciating your life, your music, your lyrics, and, especially, YOU!!

When I first heard about this album, my reaction was probably the same as yours: 2 live albums from the same tour is milking it a bit.And then I listened to it: wow.For starters, most of the material on here is different from that on Live in London. And second, there are some really terrific versions on here, including some surprises. It's great to hear Avalanche again, for example; and the full band version of Chelsea hotel works surprisingly well. Other old favourites such as Lover Lover and the Partisan are really beautifully interpreted, too - there is no going through the motions here: this is a band at the top of its game.This, then, it not a money-making exercise; but a really carefully compiled and wonderfully performed recording. If you saw the shows or heard Live in London, you know how good Leonard and his band are live. But this album will still surprise and delight you.The DVD is great, and includes some backstage snippets; but some of Leonard backstage would have been nice.This is Len's 6th live album by my reckoning, and it's up there with the best.

If you have "Live in London", you might wonder whether you should be buying this. Don't think for too long - just go and buy it.There are 12 songs on the CD; these 12 songs are also on the DVD and there is a 20 minute documentary devoted to LC and filmed by his daughter Lorca, but from the viewpoints of his backing band members, the tour management and technicians. The 12 songs are beautifully sung and played, the DVD highlights the gentle intensity of the musicians and their remarkable skill at transforming each of LC's masterpieces into something even better, more special.No track is better than any other - each is just fantastic. LC's vocals, for someone in his mid-70's, are exceptional - he is in great form - and the musicians add panache. He is humble, gentle, generous and obviously enjoying himself - and the musicians are given the opportunity to shine, as each do. If this was an album of a single concert, all of us fans would be commenting on what a scintillating show we had just witnessed.Also, a word for the three lady backing singers - the excellent British sisters Charley and Hattie Webb and, the incomparable; Sharon Robinson. Ms Robinson has been working with LC off and on for 30-odd years, has co-written and co-produced a lot of his more recent music, and is an understated and wonderful individual. The Financial Times did a piece on her and her collaboration with LC which you can find if you either read her Wikipedia bio or go straight to her website - a very interesting read.I have to admit to being biased about LC. I love his work. As someone says in the little film, he is neither selling anything nor promoting a new album; he is just touring and giving his fans a chance to see him. I know that LC was swindled out of millions by his long-time manager (a figure of $50m has been bandied around), so maybe he was trying to make a little money. Frankly, I don't care what the reasons for touring and releasing live albums are, I'm just glad he did - because they are wonderful and I'm actually waiting for the next release ....

I have to agree with another reviewer that I thought a second live set from one (seemingly endless) tour was rather hubristic but I have changed my mind. This is not just an outstanding selection of songs (arguably, I would suggest, the best versions that you will ever hear of most of them)but the actual musical presentation is so good. These musicians are all absolutely brilliant and they seem to do more than just play: their talents lift the whole concert onto a higher plane where virtuoso playing, improvised dashes of brilliance, complete mutual understanding and flawless execution meld into one glorious, all-enveloping sound. We should be grateful that Great Uncle Leonard has hit his stride so effortlessly in his 70's as his more recent works (since `I'm Your Man` in 1988) have revealed better tunes, stronger songs and none of the slightly dreary stuff that beset his work in the early 1970's.One other point. `Live in London` was a superb album for me in all but one respect. The relentless name checking of the band (and most of the musicians were thanked about four times, some more than that)combined with the frequent humble homilies (`we're so grateful to be playing for you tonight` etc)really irked me. On this album, all such asides have been omitted or edited out so you get twelve brilliant songs, brilliantly performed. That's all, but it's a lot. Long live Leonard, I say, the man's a genius.

After listening to the album twice I can only give it the highest possible rating. What a privilege to hear this artist in his mid 70's sing his classic songs with such passion, tenderness and in an atmosphere of graciousness, always humble and grateful for the overwhelming love he receives from his audience wherever he performs. Yes, the voice isn't that of thirty years ago, but we have the warmth of his personality, the wisdom of the lyrics, the extraordinary band and female background singers, each song lovingly hand picked from different shows by producer Ed Sanders and cleverly put together to give us this beautiful album.My favourites are Lover,Lover,Lover, Famous Blue Raincoat and Hallelujah. The inclusion of That Don't Make It Junk and Waiting For The Miracle came as a surprise; I would've loved to hear Alexandra Leaving live. Most songs were performed slightly different from the studio versions, even the lyrics differ from the original, which I find interesting.All Leonard Cohen fans should own this album together with the DVD to enjoy and to complete their collection. While listening to these well-known, beloved songs and watching him perform, I experienced a feeling of loss, of someone very precious who is now leaving us. Hopefully this is not his last live album; I guess quite a few more could come out of his 247 shows from the past three years.

I am a relative newcomer to Cohen's poetry and music, I was devoted to Dylan, maybe this caused me to overlook this great man. I have (I think) every studio recorded song so I thought I would try this and glad I did, I have only played one song as yet (disc received today) and it is very different from its studio version. I will be buying 'Live In London' soon from what I have read here and looking forward to listening to the rest of the album. My only sorrow is that the DVD won't play on an Apple Superdrive but it will play on a standard DVD player though.