Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 [Live]

Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 [Live]

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Leonard Cohen recorded his last studio album--The Future--in 1992, so Columbia Records can perhaps be forgiven for continuing to mine the master tapes of his old live performances. The songs here are collected from two 1979 concerts at London's Hammersmith Odeon and Brighton's Dome Theatre. At that time, Cohen was touring in the wake of his Phil Spector-produced Death of a Ladies' Man album and was, to judge by the performances collected here, in fine form. His voice had not quite plummeted to the crockery-rattling depths captured on I'm Your Man (indeed, on "Memories", he positively yelps), and the backing band, including Jennifer Warnes on backing vocals, is terrific throughout. The songs, of course, are impeccable, including "Lover Lover Lover," "Bird on the Wire," "So Long, Marianne," and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." --Andrew Mueller

Tracks:

Field Commander Cohen
The Window
The Smokey Life
The Gypsy's Wife
Lover Lover Lover
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
The Stranger Song
The Guests
Memories
Why Don't You Try
Bird On The Wire
So Long, Marianne

Amazon.com

Leonard Cohen recorded his last studio album--The Future--in 1992, so Columbia Records can perhaps be forgiven for continuing to mine the master tapes of his old live performances. The songs here are collected from two 1979 concerts at London's Hammersmith Odeon and Brighton's Dome Theatre. At that time, Cohen was touring in the wake of his Phil Spector-produced Death of a Ladies' Man album and was, to judge by the performances collected here, in fine form. His voice had not quite plummeted to the crockery-rattling depths captured on I'm Your Man (indeed, on "Memories", he positively yelps), and the backing band, including Jennifer Warnes on backing vocals, is terrific throughout. The songs, of course, are impeccable, including "Lover Lover Lover," "Bird on the Wire," "So Long, Marianne," and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye." --Andrew Mueller

Customer Reviews:

Raw and Seminal.......2007-03-10

This Cohen CD is raw, intimate and seminal leading to his later success in songwriting and is much like his recently released poetry Take This Longing, only set to music. The gloves are off on this CD and you will like it if you want to see what 30-something Leonard was like lyrically. Well worth your collection if you are a real Leonard Cohen follower/fan. Jennifer Warnes is prominent on this CD as well. There are many unfamiliar songs on this CD but they grow on you, like much of Leonard's songs. If you like romantic and haunting lyrics, you will like this CD.

Great Band Great Concerts...The True Companion To RECENT SONGS.......2005-12-05

I was at this tour somewhere in Tel-Aviv...Cohen was coming off the "minor" setback of his 'Death Of Ladies Man" with a new album in a more countryish,gypsy,smoky,song structure with a great band of musicians..the studio "Recent Songs" was a welcome back to well crafted,beautiful lyrics and melody with the ambiance lacking the over zealous LA Spector sound..these songs on this live CD spanned his career in a humble elegance..Cohen and the band play beautiful..the cover photo is a photo shot of the cartoonish Cohen gracing the cover of the studio "Recent Song"..both need be not to be missed.

Reaching for the sky just to surrender..........2005-01-07

I have been a Leonard Cohen fan since I was a teenager. I have never seen him perform in concert and this disc has revealed to me how much I have missed!!! This disc is incredible and I'm so grateful it has been released. The musicianship is superb, and Cohen's poetry and vocals never cease to amaze me.

The program is a cross selection of songs from Cohen's recording career up through 1979, with a generous sprinkling of his strongest early songs ("The Stranger Song," "Bird On a Wire," "So Long, Marianne," "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye"), as well as a terrific sampling of songs from the mid-to-late 1970s ("Lover, Lover, Lover," "Why Don't You Try," "The Gypsy's Wife," etc.).

Every song is exceptionally performed. The highest high points: Cohen's interspersing Morey Amsterdam's routine in "Field Commander Cohen" is hilarious, especially given Cohen's deadpan delivery; "The Stranger Song" is performed even more hauntingly than the studio version; "Memories" is outstanding and far surpasses the Phil Spector-produced studio version; and the closer, "So Long, Marianne" brings it all back home.

Cohen really put together an outstanding group of musicians on this tour. Special kudos to Raffi Hakopian (on violin) and John Bilezkjian (on oud and mandolin) and to vocalists Jennifer Warnes and Sharon Robinson. (And special thanks to Judy Collins for convincing Cohen that he must perform...)

Dig on Cohen, Live!.......2004-10-15

I very much like this album. Lover, Lover, Lover is rousing and passionate, and literate like the best of L. Cohen. His accomplaces on stage are equally solid. Add the roar of the crowd when he begins Bird On A Wire and you get the feeling of what a '79 Cohen show was like. Still I come back to Lover, Lover, Lover...Definitely an album for Cohen lovers...

4.5 Stars....Leonard Cohen's Best Live Album.......2004-03-29

In 1979 Leonard Cohen (45 years at that time) was touring behind the just-released "Recent Songs". 22 years later Columbia released this album, and none too soon, as it proves to be the best live album of Leonard Cohen to date.

"Field Commander Cohen: Tour 0f 1979" (12 tracks, 63 min.) gives us a great mix of Cohen songs old and new. There are 4 tracks of the then-new "Recent Songs" album, including a great "The Guests". Leonard's back-up band is Passenger, a jazz-band which appears also on "Recent Songs, and they are outstanding throughout, perhaps nowhere better than on "Lover Lover Lover" which comes with an extended instrumental intro, just beautiful. The set includes of course old staples like "Hey That's No Way to Say Goodbye", "So Long Marianne" and "The Stranger Song", all from Leonard's 1967 debut album.