Leonard Cohen's 'The Complete Columbia Albums Collection' is a rare 18 CD set, that was only available through Leonard's website for a short time in 2011. This set should not be confused with the "paltry" 11CD set 'The Complete Studio Albums Collection' from 2007. Of course, the completeness status of this box set has been undermined by the fact that Leonard released four additional studio albums, after this box set was assembled and released: 'Old Ideas' in 2012, 'Popular Problems' in 2014, 'You Want It Darker' in 2016, and 'Thanks for the Dance' in 2019.
The albums included are:
- Songs of Leonard Cohen
- Songs From a Room
- Songs of Love and Hate
- Live Songs
- New Skin for the Old Ceremony
- Death of a Ladies' Man
- Recent Songs
- Various Positions
- I'm Your Man
- The Future
- Cohen Live
- Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
- 10 New Songs
- Dear Heather
- Live in London (2 CDs)
- Live at the Isle of Wight, 1970
- Song From the Road
Every album has been remastered from the original analog master tapes, and have never sounded better.
These collected
recordings are a remarkable work of art presenting Cohen's talent. Everybody knows some of his songs, which in time became timeless
anthems, but listening to these sixteen (one double) albums
chronologically and in full is a true remarkable experience.
Leonard was a wonderful artist, and what is amazing is the
simplicity and honesty of his artistic way, devoid of any trickery
(studio or otherwise), with minimal orchestration and shunning
unnecessary camouflage, just straight to the point riding on the
strength of his expressive vocals and heartfelt melodies. In retrospect,
Leonard Cohen is a symbol of minimalism at its most effective.
This box set is a capsule of good
taste and aesthetic symbolism of a time, none of which are
to be found today anywhere.
For the freeload, post one verse, of your favorite Leonard Cohen song.
Due to Mother's Day, and sadly, the death of Jim Simons who was a close friend and mentor, there might not be posts for a few days.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences Babs, it is very sad to lose a close friend. I hope that your pain goes away soon.
DeleteWow, Jim was quite a guy. Lots of obits. Like the photo of him with a fag on.
DeleteHappy Mother's Day to you Babs & sincerest condolences.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear of your friends passing. Take all the time you need. We'll be here when you get back.
ReplyDeleteFirst and still favorite-
ReplyDeleteSuzanne takes you down to her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by, you can spend the night beside her
Happy Mother's Day Babs.
Oh, it said post one verse. Here's the rest-
DeleteAnd you know that she's half-crazy but that's why you wanna to be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her that you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer that you've always been her lover
All summer long she touched me
ReplyDeleteShe gathered in my soul
From many a thorn, from many thickets
Her fingers like a weaver's
Quick and cool
"Our Lady Of Solitude" on "Recent Songs"
We grieve because we're left behind.
ReplyDelete"Ring the bells that still can ring,
forget your perfect offering,
there is a crack, a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in."
Condolences on the passing of your friend, Babs. Feliz dia de madre. Still found it amazing that arguably, Cohen's best work came in his 80s, after he had retired but was forced to resume his career after his manager robbed him to the point of bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteIf you are the dealer, I'm out of the game
If you are the healer, it means im broken and lame
If thine is the glory, then mine must be the shame
You want it darker
We kill the flame
"A Tour de Force is forced to tour"
DeleteI think Nick Lowe said that.
And I thank you for those items that you sent me, ha ha ha ha
ReplyDeleteThe monkey and the plywood violin
I practiced every night, now I'm ready
First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin
Condolences Babs... But also happy Mother's Day of course!
ReplyDeleteI like several of his songs, but right now this one comes to mind:
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Thanks to one and all for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteLen1 https://we.tl/t-W60EUUtcy2
Len2 https://we.tl/t-ODxeLpNWnz
Len3 https://we.tl/t-8PwoRcLOa2
Len 4 https://we.tl/t-6zPQp6H2Co
I was married on November 25th 2000 (and still are .... to the same woman!). Our first dance at our wedding party was (as traditionally is here in Argentina) a waltz. We both chose "Take This Waltz" so, my choice today is quite obvious.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now, it's all that there is
Let's meet tomorrow, if you choose
ReplyDeleteUpon the shore, beneath the bridge
That they are building on some endless river
Then he leaves the platform for the sleeping car that's warm
You realize he's only advertising one more shelter
And it comes to you, he never was a stranger
And you say, "Okay, the bridge or someplace later"
So sorry to hear about your friend; sincerest condolences.
ReplyDeleteWell my friends are gone and my hair is grey
I ache in the places where I used to play
And I'm crazy for love but I'm not coming on
I'm just paying my rent every day
In the Tower of Song
I've only ever heard the first album, Songs From A Tomb. I did like Suzanne and Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye, but found his music to be generally dreary. Dreadfully sorry.
ReplyDeleteSorry to whom? You may be touched by the lack of interest in your opinion.
DeleteSorry if I gave an opinion that differed from yours, Farq. After all it was just an opinion and I wasn't particularly interested in whether you or others were interested in it. You should know that saying "sorry" in England doesn't necessarily mean that we are sorry, but that it's simply an odd way of demonstrating politeness. ( imaginary Smiley added)
DeleteAnd here you are being sorry again! Quit being sorry! Or polite! Or whatever! Opinions only matter if they're eloquently or persuasively or entertainingly expressed. "Cohen is dreary" is a boilerplate dismissal shared by many, since forever. Doesn't matter if it's "true" or not - it just ain't very interesting, and it's not going to cause anybody any pearl-clutching.
Delete"Songs From A Room/Tomb" (very droll) is is his second album - "Songs Of" was his first.
"I was always touched by the modesty of their interest in me" is a quote from him about his record label, which I misremembered.
"I'm guided by the beauty of our weapons."
ReplyDeleteBut don't go home with your hard-on
ReplyDeleteIt will only drive you insane
You can't shake it or break it with your Motown
You can't melt it down in the rain
(That's technically the chorus, not a verse, but it was also not originally released on Columbia, so I suppose we can call it square.)
NOT written by Leonard, but he does the "Elvis's Rolls Royce" vocals wonderfully:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzrPDHt5bu4
I fought in the old revolution on the side of the ghost and the king
ReplyDeleteEverybody knows that the dice are loaded
ReplyDeleteEverybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows