Customer Reviews

Tower of Song: Songs of Leonard Cohen

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This compilation is the best in the genre of tribute albums that I have come across. The only thing lacking (and it is a black hole in terms of negligence) is a cut from Jennifer Warnes, who is the premier interpreter of Cohen's songs. Every artist on the disc shines, most especially Willie Nelson and Suzanne Vega. Nelson's rendition of "Bird on a Wire" is one of the classics of recent memory and how anyone can call Vega's interpretation of "Story of Isaac" "unispired" is not only beyond me, but belongs in another lexicon. It is brilliant and enthralling and any other adjective you wish to substitute for an synonym for great artistry.

Leonard Cohen, as a songwriter, exists on a very small playing field. Some would say that only Dylan and he could occupy the same base, in fact. Whatever one's judgement (and it always boils down to a a case of tastes, in these matters) there is no denying Cohen writes verses that are about as intellectually and poetically satisfying as anyone else around. These are not just songs, but angst-ridden tone-poems that are about real-ationships that most of us who have been through the seventies and subsequent decades can absolutely relate to.

I bought this CD when it was a mere cassette, about six years ago, and it still gets lots of play. "Story of Isaac," in particular, still strikes a nerve close to the main aorta. Perhaps to truly feel the deep import of this song, one must have a child him/herself. It ranks right up there with McDuff's reaction to the news of his family's demise in <MacBeth> in terms of emotional impact.

If you are not up on Cohen, give this CD a try. If you are, then definitely add this to your list, and if you aren't familiar with Jennifer Warne's fine cover album, "Famous Blue Raincoat," by all means add that one to your purchase list as well.

There seem to be some very mixed reviews about this album on amazon[.com], and I feel the need to jump in with my own. First of all, let me say that I adore Leonard Cohen, the man is brilliant. However, as much as I enjoy listening to the master himself, I also enjoy listening to other people's interpretations of his work. Overall, I thought that this was a good tribute album and I listen to it frequently. However there were some disappointements. Don Henley's (Everybody Knows) & Sting's (Sisters of Mercy) renditions are rather boring. Bono's version of Hallelujah is just plain awful (which is very upsetting because one of the reasons I bought this album was because I just KNEW Bono, with his gorgeous voice, was going to present an amazing version of the song. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Shame on you Bono). But, there are also some real stand outs (after all it does merit 4 stars in my opinion). In particular I adore listening to the tracks performed by Tori Amos (Famous Blue Raincoat), Billy Joel (Light as a Breeze), Jann Arden (If It Be Your Will), Suzanne Vega (Story of Isaac), and Martin Gore (Coming Back to You). These songs alone, make this album worth purchasing and listening to, repeatedly. The remainder of the album, done by Trisha Yearwood (Coming Back to You), Aaron Neville (Ain't No Cure for Love), Elton John (I'm Your Man), Willie Nelson (Bird on a Wire), and Peter Gaberiel (Suzanne), is fine and remains true to the spirit of Mr Cohen's lyrics.

Leonard Cohen is a brilliant songwriter. His lyrics are true poetry; a rare commodity in the world of popular music. However his "singular" style of performing can be a bit trying at times, so I really don't mind an attempt like this one. Get some talented artists together and see what they can do with his songs. Like any work of this type you will get a few high notes and low notes.
The Good:
Trisha Yearwood puts a bit too much country yodel in "Coming Back To You", but you end up believing her.

Tori Amos's sparse arrangement for "Famous Blue Raincoat" works perfectly and her delicate vocal, breathing in deeply throughout, is beautiful.(I should really think about getting some of her stuff.)

Aaron Neville gets all country on "Ain't No Cure For Love" and makes his great voice plead for a cure, which ain't forthcoming.

Willie does "Bird On A Wire " proud. Softly with guitar then organ and harmonica build up, then drums, but never changing the basic plaintive quality of the vocal.

Peter Gabriel's version of "Suzanne" is haunting and true.

Great Billy Joel on "Light as a Breeze." He makes this one his own.
"Story of Isaac" is a tough song to do convincingly, but Suzanne Vega approaches it with simplicity and intelligence.



The Bad:
Don Henley put more emotion into "Dirty Laundry" than he did on "Everybody Knows."

Sting and The Chieftains make "Sisters of Mercy" sound like an outtake from BELLS OF DUBLIN (I liked that one) this one, not so much.

"Hallelujah" by Bono is absolutely awful. I really thought Bono would make this a classic; instead he transforms this transcendent song into bad techno.

"I'm Your Man"- Elton John Trying waaay too hard.

Jann Arden's take on "If It Be Your Will" isn't really bad, just forgettable, something a Cohen song really shouldn't be.

Martin Gore makes a mistake with the synths on "Coming Back to You" but his vocals almost push it into the good side...almost.

So more good stuff than bad stuff and the good stuff will make it worth your time if your a Cohen fan.

I am addicted to Cohen's gravelly, half-octave voice. But even more than that, I admire his poetry. And part of what makes great poetry is its universality, the way it comes alive in different reader's hands. Willie Nelson's folksy rendition of "Bird on a Wire," coming a few tracks after Bono's breathy, falsetto "Hallelujah" is testament to the elasticity of Cohen's lyrics. No one is trying to be Cohen here. The artists interpret his songs in their own distinct styles--Sting and the Cheiftains' highbrow folk, Aaron Neville's lilting falsetto, Tori Amos' oh-so-earnest efforts. You can see Elton John's ostrich feathers as he belts out "I'm Your Man," and Peter Gabriel tugging at his scalp as he works through "Suzanne." I love hearing Cohen growl each of these songs. But I also love these lyrics in the hands of such a wide variety of musicians.

Like many others, I love Leonard Cohen's brilliant writing, but find his voice less than beautiful. This albun has some great renditions of his wonderful work. Don Henley's biting tone is perfect for Everybody Knows and Tori Amos is poignant with Famous Blue Raincoat. Trisha Yearwood and Jann Arden give sweet melodies. Bono and Martin Gore's versions are interesting and very unlike any others I have heard. And I could listen to Billy Joel sing Light as the Breeze all day -- very sexy. Unfortunately, the album does have some low points. Peter Gabriel and Willie Nelson seem to drag their songs out forever, and Suzanne Vega seems quite uninspired by the Story of Isaac. All in all, though, this album is one of my favorites. And if you like this, be sure to get Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat. It's incredible.

Ironically, it is the more middle of the road artists who excel on this Leonard Cohen tribute album, and the New wave vets and GenXers who are misguided and uninteresting. We kick off with ex-Eagle Don Henley's wonderfully unexpected interpretation of the ultra-anthem to cynicism "Everybody Knows". Where Cohen sang/spoke his lyrics in a deep snarling smirk, Henley pleads with us, as if he had only just discovered that, indeed, everybody knows. Aaron Neville, Willie Nelson and Elton John all offer beautiful interpretations in their turns. The albums finest moments come from Billy Joel's bluesy/gospel rendering of "Light as the Breeze" and Sting's collaboration with The Chieftians for an ecstatic, rowdy, testosterone driven version of "Sisters of Mercy". On the other side of the coin, Peter Gabriel sounds sinister doing "Suzanne", thereby totally missing the point. Tori Amos confuses poignancy with overennunciation on "Famous Blue Raincoat". And Bono lazily whispers the words in a sort of bad-Eno rap version of Hallelujah. What in Heaven's name was this fool thinking of, besides a paycheck. About equal to the "I'm Your Fan" tribute album, though both of these are vastly inferior to Jennifer Warnes' own album of Cohen songs, "Famous Blue Raincoat". PS. . .Novelist Tom Robbins' hilarious liner notes on "Tower of Song" may be worth the price of admission alone.

I was introduced to Leonard Cohen by a friend who identified "Famous Blue Raincoat" as one of his favorite poems; to illustrate, he played Tori Amos' rendering from "Tower of Song," and I was instantly hooked. Cohen's lyrics possess a clarified maturity lacking in so many other artists, and this comes across beautifully throughout this entire CD. Tribute albums are so often little more than a collection of weak imitations of the original work, but appearances by artists who have developed truly individual styles ensure that Cohen's songs will not go stale. Artists like Peter Gabriel, Don Henley, Tori Amos and Aaron Neville give these songs a fresh feel without compromising their poetic integrity. I highly recommend this CD to Leonard Cohen devotees and to those who have not yet had the thrill of his discovery, and I further recommend the book "Stranger Music" as a comprehensive and wildly impressive collection of some of Cohen's best work. --MAA27845.907270290/online-6.amazon.com--

Like Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen's voice is apparently an acquired taste. The charge is that he can't sing, but his brilliant songs compensate for that wretched voice.

Nonsense. The worldly-wise voice of Cohen's later recordings is as perfect an instrument for his lyrics as Dylan's rough and creaky voice is for his. No one sings Cohen like Cohen, and the proof is in "Tower of Song," the second album ("I'm Your Fan" was the first) in which a diverse group of performers try their luck with the Canadian bard's impressive songbook.

For the Cohen faithful, this has some value as a curiosity piece, but at no time do these "real" singers improve upon the man himself. Don Henley's take on "Everybody Knows" lacks the brooding menace (to say nothing of John Bilezikjian's spooky ode playing) found in Cohen's version from "I'm Your Man," and Bono, the one artist who I would have thought capable of making a Cohen song his own, fails miserably with "Hallelujah" (the best version of which can be found on "Cohen Live").

Suzanne Vega, Aaron Neville, and a few others fare much better, but if you're interested in hearing someone other than the man himself sing his songs, stick to Jennifer Warnes whose album "Famous Blue Raincoat: The Songs of Leonard Cohen" is outstanding.

The song from which this album takes its title isn't included here and with good reason. In "Tower of Song," a self-mocking Cohen sings that he was "born with the gift of a golden voice."

Cohen can make that claim without irony, more so than most of the artists on this disc.

I, too, must disagree with the reviewer who says that any of Cohen's music is improved simply by having someone else sing it. While each performer adds his or her own unique twist to each song performed, and it is definitely worthwhile to hear each artist's rendition, it was Cohen's voice that first hooked me. Deep, melancholy, even a tad sinister, it is perfect for such songs as "Everybody Knows" and "Future." It was the sound that got me listening to the lyrics. If it is not everyone's cup of tea, well, that's OK; Bryan Adams isn't mine, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with his voice. A quote that comes to mind, a little out of context: "Vive la difference!"

I should start off by saying that, personally, I always prefer Cohen singing Cohen over cover versions. However, tempted by the idea of Bono doing "Hallelujah" and Sting doing "Sisters of Mercy" and ignoring the voice in back of head telling me that I should know better, I purchased this Album

Let's face it: a cover version will nearly always entail a shift in meaning from that intended by the artist. At best this will be a mere shift in tone and sentiment (read: Willie Nelson (Bird on a Wire) and Peter Gabriel (Suzanne)) and, at worst, the song is ruined almost beyond repair (read: Elton John (I'm your Man and Don Henley (Everybody Knows)).

The three stars go to Trisha Yearwood (Coming Back to You), Billy Joel (Light as a Breeze) and Peter Gabriel (Suzanne).