I'm Your Fan

Various Artists (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 26, 1991)
• Original Release Date: November 26, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Atlantic
• ASIN: B000002ISX
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,038 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Pop > By Decade > 1990s
  • #18 in Music > Miscellaneous > Experimental Music
  • #33 in Music > Alternative Rock > New Wave & Post-Punk > Post-Punk

Track Listings

1. Who by Fire

2. Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

3. I Can't Forget - Pixies

4. Stories of the Street

5. Bird on a Wire

6. Suzanne

7. So Long, Marianne

8. Avalanche IV

9. Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On

10. First We Take Manhattan

11. Chelsea Hotel

12. Tower of Song

13. Take This Longing

14. True Love Leaves No Traces

15. I'm Your Man

16. A Singer Must Die

17. Tower of Song

18. Hallelujah

Editorial Reviews

R.E.M., The Pixies, John Cale, Nick Cave and others sing the songs of Leonard Cohen, including "First We Take Manhattan," "Bird on the Wire," "I'm Your Man" and "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye."
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: I'M YOUR FAN
Title: I'M YOUR FAN
Street Release Date: 11/26/1991
Domestic
Genre: ROCK/POP COLLECTIONS

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brings some light and fun to some brilliant words, April 5, 2001

By 

"uzzi-tuzii" (Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I'm Your Fan (Audio CD)

Right now I'm listening to the man himself, "I'm Your Man", and I guiltily caught myself thinking that I actually prefer the REM version of "First We Take Manhattan" on "I'm Your Fan" to the artist's own rendition. I think for those of my generation (I'm 27), the heavy background vocals and synthesizers of LC's later work (ironic though it may be) is hard to digest, although we can manage to get past it through sheer love of his work. He is certainly a poet first and a producer second - though his acoustic work has a raw power that's hard to match. Also I find that LC tends to over-emote his own songs (for my taste anyway) - I prefer a delivery that is a bit lighter-handed and dispassionate, which most of the tracks on this cover album have. They let the power of the song (pun slightly intended) speak for itself, and give us kids the gift of these songs which many of us might never be able to palate otherwise.

I do think there are some snoozers on here, but none of the tracks really make me cringe (though I generally fast-forward past "Suzanne" as I find the approach a bit heavy and dull. It's hard to bring anything new to that one, it's been done so well by others. I love the cover of "Take This Longing", also "A Singer Must Die", and although others disagree, I adore REM's track. I can't even talk about John Cale's "Hallelujah". As a side note, I strongly urge people who like his track here to buy his "Fragments of a Rainy Season". His songwriting is absolutely compelling to me, though don't try it if you like to be handed obvious meanings on a plate. He accompanies himself on acoustic piano or guitar, creating a gorgeous and chilling atmospheric space, perfect for a rainy afternoon. But I digress.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must have, December 10, 2003

By 

J. Holsinger "Hamlet" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: I'm Your Fan (Audio CD)

I bought this CD when it first came out in the 90's, as part of my R.E.M comprehensive collection. Since that time, this has stayed constantly near or in my CD player. Each interpretation of his songs highlights the beauty of the lyric he composed.

I would be hard pressed to find a favorite track. I am a die hard R.E.M fan, but I don't think theirs is the best (near the top, maybe). But I would have to agree with most about The Pixies rendition of "I Can't Forget".

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ENJOYABLE INTERPRETATIONS, September 6, 2000

By 

Pieter "Toypom" (Johannesburg) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: I'm Your Fan (Audio CD)

This 1991 tribute album reveals the broad range of Cohen's talent as composer in its dazzling variety of voices and styles. Following the prayer Who By Fire by House of Love, Ian McCulloch soars through Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye, adding his own melancholy twist to the song's sublime sadness; The Pixies storm through I Can't Forget at their characteristic fast pace, whilst That Petrol Emotion poignantly render Stories Of The Street and James perform a meandering but moving So Long Marianne. Stephen Duffy of The Lilac Time gently caresses Bird On A Wire, followed by the Ugandan singer Geoffrey Oryema whose Suzanne, embellished by flute and a trio of guitars, fades out on a click-filled chorus.

Quite brutal is David McComb's exploration of the sleazy Don't Go Home With Your Hard-on which shakes, rattles and rolls along with the best of the psychotic beats, while Dead Famous People, produced by Serge Gainsbourg, make a surprising success of a bubblegum singalong rendition of True Love Leaves No Traces. The star of the show is John Cale as he paints a truly great soundscape with only voice and piano in Hallelujah, a classic which would have remained buried in Cohen's own rather monotone version. Others are not so great: REM's sloppy First We Take Manhattan and Nick Cave's pointless Tower Of Song, which is better interpreted by Robert Forster.

Fans of Leonard might also be interested in the other tribute albums like the I'm Your Man soundtrack, Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat: 20th Anniversary Edition & Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy. The one titled Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen by a selection of mostly country singers is not quite as memorable as the aforementioned although it does contain a gem or two. Overall, I'm Your Fan is a varied and enjoyable listening experience that brilliantly showcases the melodic and lyrical depth of Leonard Cohen's work. The CD booklet contains black & white pics of the artists and the lyrics to all the songs.