Tower of Song: Songs of Leonard Cohen

Amazon.com
If ever an artist deserved the tribute-album treatment, it's Leonard Cohen, an intermittently fascinating songwriter but perhaps the worst singer to ever release more than one major-label album. Cohen has never written a song which couldn't be improved by someone else singing it, and it's no coincidence that he's been the subject of three tribute albums. The latest is Tower of Song, which turns Cohen's work over to such middle-brow pop stars as Don Henley, Billy Joel, and Suzanne Vega. The results from this new project are mixed. Melodramatic, angst-ridden vocals by Tori Amos ("Famous Blue Raincoat") and Peter Gabriel ("Suzanne") emphasize Cohen's narcissism and purple poetry. On the other hand, Elton John delivers a delightfully campy, irreverent reading of "I'm Your Man," and Sting joins the Chieftains for a nicely understated, Celtic-folk arrangement of "Sisters of Mercy." --Geoffrey Himes

Tower of Song: Songs of Leonard Cohen,Gore,Vega,Arden,Joel,Amos,Bono,T,T Leonard Cohen,A&M,Folk & Traditional,Pop,Popular Music,Rock

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Average customer rating: Like any collection of covers you take the bad with the good Buy it if you're a Cohen fan, skip it otherwise OK, but the source material is so much better.... famous blue raincoat ...yet another take.

Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen Various Artists Manufacturer: A&M ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Country | Styles | Music Nashville Sound | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music General | Traditional Country | Country | Styles | Music Outlaw & Progressive Country | Country | Styles | Music Contemporary | Bluegrass | Country | Styles | Music General | Contemporary Folk | Folk | Styles | Music Traditional Folk | Folk | Styles | Music General | Pop | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Soft Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music 1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music General | Compilations | Pop | Styles | Music General | Adult Contemporary | Pop | Styles | Music Adult Alternative | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Album-Oriented Rock (AOR) | Classic Rock | Styles | Music 1990-1999 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music Similar Items: I'm Your Fan Famous Blue Raincoat Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy Recent Songs ASIN: B000001EZK Release Date: 1995-09-26

Tracks:

1. Everybody Knows - Don Henley
2. Coming Back to You - Trisha Yearwood
3. Sisters Of Mercy - Sting & The Chieftains
4. Halleluiah - Bono
5. Famous Blue Raincoat - Tori Amos
6. Ain't No Cure For Love - Aaron Neville
7. I'm Your Man - Elton John
8. Bird On A Wire - Willie Nelson
9. Suzanne - Peter Gabriel
10. Light As The Breeze - Billy Joel
11. If It Be Your Will - Jann Arden
12. Story Of Issac - Suzanne Vega
13. Coming Back To You - Martin Gore

Amazon.com

If ever an artist deserved the tribute-album treatment, it's Leonard Cohen, an intermittently fascinating songwriter but perhaps the worst singer to ever release more than one major-label album. Cohen has never written a song which couldn't be improved by someone else singing it, and it's no coincidence that he's been the subject of three tribute albums. The latest is Tower of Song, which turns Cohen's work over to such middle-brow pop stars as Don Henley, Billy Joel, and Suzanne Vega. The results from this new project are mixed. Melodramatic, angst-ridden vocals by Tori Amos ("Famous Blue Raincoat") and Peter Gabriel ("Suzanne") emphasize Cohen's narcissism and purple poetry. On the other hand, Elton John delivers a delightfully campy, irreverent reading of "I'm Your Man," and Sting joins the Chieftains for a nicely understated, Celtic-folk arrangement of "Sisters of Mercy." --Geoffrey Himes

Customer Reviews:

Like any collection of covers you take the bad with the good.......2006-05-16

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.

Buy it if you're a Cohen fan, skip it otherwise.......2006-03-17

This is a must-have for any Leonard Cohen fan. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of many of the covers on this album. But it's an incredible lineup of artists -- Peter Gabriel, Sting, Bono, Willie Nelson, Suzanne Vega, Elton John, Billy Joel, Tori Amos. You really couldn't assemble a more talented bunch. And as much as I'm not enamored of many of the covers on this album, as a huge fan of Cohen's music, I nonetheless find them interesting.

My favorite track on the album is Suzanne Vega's rendition of Abraham and Isaac. Her voice is simply sublime -- it doesn't have any of the melodramatic affect of Tori Amos's, yet it manages in its subtlety to be incredibly intense and wonderfully conveys the various shades of tone and mood in the song. It's probably the only track on the album that I actually prefer to the Cohen original.

I also like Sting's cover of Sisters of Mercy.

OK, but the source material is so much better...........2005-03-15

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).

famous blue raincoat.......2005-01-08

I owe much to this CD because it introduced me to Tori Amos. Her rendition of Famous Blue Raincoat is simply overwhelming. Unlike other reviewers here I found Billy Joel unbearable, Elton John is always lukewarm. The real gems are Peter Gabriel and Bono in addition to Tori. But if you absolutely love the originals then you will not aggree. My comment is only for people who think Cohen is a very interesting but somewhat dull singer/songwriter.

...yet another take........2004-12-06

Ok, I bought this cd to hear ANYONE other than Leonard Cohen sing his songs. I own his albums and given a choice I prefer to hear others sing for him.

Who I liked: Don Henley, Billy Joel, Sting, Susan Vega and Jan Arden. WOW! Great stuff!

Tori Amos sounded like she should have relieved herself before the recording session.

I expected more of Elton John.

Bono did a lucid reading, I am just not sure I like electronica performance art.

Peter Gabriel...What were you thinking?

Aaron Neville this "country" wasnt cool.

Oh, and that last guy that did the second cover of "Coming Back To You. I liked Trisha Yearwoods better...which is still an insult.

But, It's great to hear how universal L. Cohen's words are. I read all the reviews here and EVERYONE liked SOMETHING. The stuff I dissed, others thought it was great and vise versa. I'm glad I bought the CD.

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