Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy [Original recording remastered]

Judy Collins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 31, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Elektra / Wea
• ASIN: B0002M5TE8
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,874 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Democracy

2. Suzanne

3. A Thousand Kisses Deep

4. Hey, Thats No Way To Say Goodbye

5. Dress Rehearsal Rag

6. Priests

7. Night Comes On

8. Sisters Of Mercy

9. Story Of Isaac

10. Bird On The Wire

11. Famous Blue Raincoat

12. Joan Of Arc

13. Take This Longing

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Judy Collins met Leonard Cohen in 1966, at a time when the young Canadian was uncertain about his skills both as a songwriter and a singer. Collins responded powerfully to his music, assuring him that his performance and compositions were alluring and potent. She subsequently covered a number of his songs, and she even coaxed him onto the stage. This disc adds three new recordings to 11 of Collins's previous interpretations. Her crystal-clear vibrato is ideally suited to the slow melodic bearing that Cohen favors. From the country lilt of "Bird on a Wire" to the breathtaking and spare live rendition of "Song of Bernadette," Collins demonstrates why Cohen, more than any other songwriter she has covered, has been a constant presence in her repertoire for nearly 40 years. --David Greenberger

Product Description

Pop interpreter Judy Collins' sublime soprano has long made her a favorite worldwide. Leonard Cohen was an acclaimed poet and novelist when Collins had a 1967 hit with his beautiful and timeless song "Suzanne." She put him on the musical map, he became of the most literate and revered songwriters of our time, and their creative synergy has become one for the ages. This new collection brings together 14 of Judy's indelible versions of Cohen's classic works, including three brand new recordings of Collins-Cohen collaborations.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cohen's Best Interpreter, December 15, 2004

By 

H. F. Corbin "Foster Corbin" (ATLANTA, GA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (Audio CD)

No singer is more qualified to sing Leonard Cohen's songs than Judy Collins. She introduced his music to a U. S. audience in 1966 ("Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag"); she has continued to record his beautiful lyrics since then; and no one, including the composer himself, interprets his music better. For Collins and Cohen fans, most of the cuts here we've heard Ms. Collins sing before. Of the 14 selections, only three, "Democracy", "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and "Night Comes On" are the only new material here. I would love to hear her sing "First We Take Manhattan" or "Ain't No Cure For Love," to name two of Mr. Cohen's later offerings. Of course most of the Cohen classics are here: In addition to "Suzanne"-- that one for my money belongs to Ms. Collins alone-- there's "Sisters of Mercy", "Story of Isaac", "Bird On The Wire"-- the one that Cohen always opens his own concerts with-- and one of my all-time favorites, "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye."

What is so amazing is that Ms. Collins' voice has changed little in the 40 or so years she's been singing. Someone not familiar with her recordings would be hard put to tell which cuts are old and which ones are new here. Her voice is as clear and beautiful as her blue eyes. And it doesn't hurt any that she always speaks out for the causes I care about too.

This CD would make a great gift to a Cohen/Collins fan or a great introduction to the few last beautiful people on earth who aren't already crazy about this duo.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a treat!, September 23, 2004

By 

Greg Dexter (Vancouver) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (Audio CD)

When I first heard "In My Life" and "Wildflowers" two classic albums of Judy Collins recorded in the late 60's I was introduced to the songs of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Her interpretation of their songs and so many other great songwriters is always very beautiful and I hear something more everytime I listen to them but she must also be credited with helping in great part to bringing their music to a much wider audience as well. Very few other vocalists could make such a great tribute album collecting together as it does all of her recordings of Leonard Cohen's song from her Elektra years with three new recordings and one live recording from her own label Wildflower Records on a cd called "Live at Wolftrap" (Song of Bernadette) all sequenced with not a whisper of the plus 30 years of time and change from her first recording "Suzanne". Her voice in the new recordings is as satisfying as it ever was and her personal interpretations as intriguing and evocative as Leonard Cohen's poetry suggests. All of the early recordings are brilliantly remastered here and I especially enjoyed the sound of recordings she did with the music of arranger/conductor Joshua Rifkin. I could only wish that Elektra would invest in remastering those early albums to the same clarity as these present on this Leonard Cohen songbook. Thanks to Alan Silverman for the mixing, remastering and engineering of this CD. He has worked with Judy Collins on a number of recording projects among them the retrospective "Forever" and Judy's "unplugged" version of her own wonderful songs on a CD called "Voices". This CD will remain, along with Jennifer Warnes "Famous Blue Raincoat", in my collection of very favourite interpreters of the songs of Leonard Cohen and as one of many Judy Collins CDs that always please.

32 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tremendous!, November 29, 2004

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy (Audio CD)

What better singer to interpret the dark, enigmatic songs of Canadian bard Leonard Cohen than the equally enigmatic Judy Collins? It is particularly apt given that the musical lives of these two have intertwined since early on.
I have been a sometimey fan of Judy Collins for many years. Among today's American female singers, perhaps only Tish Hinojosa comes even close to matching the pure, angelic, and heavenly voice that is Collins' gift to the world. If you listen to Collins' songs recorded over the span of forty-some years, you might note with wonder that she sounds essentially the same today as she did when she first began her recording career.
As for Cohen, he came on the scene nearly as long ago, his songs tinged with Keith Reid-like melancholy and inscrutability. I had always heard his songs as interpreted by others and only recently came to appreciate his own deep and rich vocal style.
Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen brings Collins' gorgeous soprano to interpret the songwriting genius of Cohen. And what a tremendous job she does! Sometime she even bests the original as she does with A Thousand Kisses Deep.
My favorites are the aforementioned, the ever-timely and ironic Democracy, Suzanne (of course), Dress Rehearsal Rag, Bird On the Wire, Famous Blue Raincoat, and Song of Bernadette.
If you are just a casual Judy Collins or Leonard Cohen fan, this could be the album that makes you a permanent part of their fan bases. Do I recommend it? Heck yeah, get it today. You won't be sorry.