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Rating: Let's jump back thirty years: it's between December 4th and 6th, 1979 in London, and then in Brighton on December 15th of the same year. The audiences are crowded, and on stage is a band, the Passenger, supported by violinist Raffi Hakopian, oud player John Bilezikjian, and two singers, Jennifer Warnes and Sharon Robinson. But no, they are not the protagonists of this time-traveling journey: our hero is one of the greatest - or even the greatest - songwriters of all time.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Sir Leonard Cohen.
We had to wait more than twenty years (until 2001, to be precise) before Columbia unearthed the recordings of what the Canadian author himself defined as "the best tour of his life." Better late than never, I would add, because it would have been a shame to miss a gem like this. The live album gathers a handful of tracks from four different Cohen albums (Songs of Leonard Cohen, New Skin for the Old Ceremony, Death of a Ladies' Man, and Recent Songs) and seems to mildly mark the transition from the more stripped-down folk of the beginnings to the more modern sound of the album Various Positions.
Our protagonist, in fact, still possessing a deep but not overly deep voice, remains faithful to his guitar, but spices it up with the help of violins, flutes, saxophones, female voices, keyboards, and pianos, exotic instruments, etc.
The album begins with a few notes of guitar, then applause: it starts with the title track "Field Commander Cohen," a song with solemn, martial, melancholic tones, which here becomes at times Caribbean (not entirely coincidental, given the references to Cuba). An excellent start for our protagonist. It follows with one of my favorites by Cohen, "The Window," presented in a version very similar to the studio version. It's the turn of "The Smokey Life" and "The Gipsy Wife" (songs I always tend to associate, perhaps because of the similarity between the titles and their succession in Recent Songs). The first is performed with Jennifer Warnes, and the second is beautifully intertwined with a violin solo by Hakopian: a performance of impressive beauty. The live continues with "Lover Lover Lover," introduced by a brief instrumental part, then jumps to the debut album with "Hey, that's No Way To Say Goodbye" and "The Stranger Song," both presented very simply, without too many embellishments. The same formula is used for the melancholic "The Guests," which precedes the not very "Cohen-like" (if I may say so) "Memories," certainly in contrast with the sad vein that characterizes almost the entire album. To the delight of the audience, the last pieces presented are "Why Don't You Try?," "Bird On The Wire," and "So Long, Marianne." An exciting conclusion with enthusiastic audience frenzy.
What else to add, then? The album is splendid in its studied simplicity, certainly the most beautiful Cohen concert that has ever been released.
Useful for those who want to approach Cohen, essential for those, like me, who madly love the debut albums of this essential singer-songwriter.
Tracklist and Lyrics
01 Field Commander Cohen (04:26)
Field Commander Cohen, he was our most important spy.
Wounded in the line of duty,
parachuting acid into diplomatic cocktail parties,
urging Fidel Castro to abandon fields and castles.
Leave it all and like a man,
come back to nothing special,
such as waiting rooms and ticket lines,
silver bullet suicides,
and messianic ocean tides,
and racial roller-coaster rides
and other forms of boredom advertised as poetry.
I know you need your sleep now,
I know your life's been hard.
But many men are falling,
where you promised to stand guard.
I never asked but I heard you cast your lot along with the poor.
But then I overheard your prayer,
that you be this and nothing more
than just some grateful faithful woman's favourite singing millionaire,
the patron Saint of envy and the grocer of despair,
working for the Yankee Dollar.
I know you need your sleep now ...
Ah, lover come and lie with me, if my lover is who you are,
and be your sweetest self awhile until I ask for more, my child.
Then let the other selves be ONE, yeah, let them manifest and come
till every taste is on the tongue,
till love is pierced and love is hung,
and every kind of freedom done, then oh,
oh my love, oh my love, oh my love,
oh my love, oh my love, oh my love.
02 The Window (05:51)
Why do you stand by the window
Abandoned to beauty and pride
The thorn of the night in your bosom
The spear of the age in your side
Lost in the rages of fragrance
Lost in the rags of remorse
Lost in the waves of a sickness
That loosens the high silver nerves
Oh chosen love, Oh frozen love
Oh tangle of matter and ghost
Oh darling of angels, demons and saints
And the whole broken-hearted host
Gentle this soul
And come forth from the cloud of unknowing
And kiss the cheek of the moon
The New Jerusalem glowing
Why tarry all night in the ruin
And leave no word of discomfort
And leave no observer to mourn
But climb on your tears and be silent
Like a rose on its ladder of thorns
Oh chosen love, Oh frozen love...
Then lay your rose on the fire
The fire give up to the sun
The sun give over to splendour
In the arms of the high holy one
For the holy one dreams of a letter
Dreams of a letter's death
Oh bless thee continuous stutter
Of the word being made into flesh
Oh chosen love, Oh frozen love...
Gentle this soul
04 The Gypsy's Wife (05:20)
And where, where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight
I've heard all the wild reports, they can't be right
But whose head is this she's dancing with on the threshing floor
whose darkness deepens in her arms a little more
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?
Where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?
Ah the silver knives are flashing in the tired old cafe
A ghost climbs on the table in a bridal negligee
She says, "My body is the light, my body is the way"
I raise my arm against it all and I catch the bride's bouquet
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?...
Too early for the rainbow, too early for the dove
These are the final days, this is the darkness, this is the flood
And there is no man or woman who can't be touched
But you who come between them will be judged
And where, where is my Gypsy wife tonight?...
05 Lover Lover Lover (06:31)
I asked my father,
I said, "father change my name."
The one I'm using now it's covered up
with fear and filth and cowardice and shame.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
He said, "I locked you in this body,
I meant it as a kind of trial.
You can use it for a weapon,
Or to make some woman smile."
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
"Then let me start again," I cried,
"please let me start again,
I want a face that's fair this time,
I want a spirit that is calm."
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
"I never turned aside," he said,
"I never walked away.
It was you who built the temple,
it was you who covered up my face."
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
And may the spirit of this song,
May it rise up pure and free.
May it be a shield for you,
a shield against the enemy.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me.
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me,
Yes and lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover, lover come back to me
06 Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye (04:05)
I loved you in the morning
Our kisses deep and warm
Your hair upon the pillow
Like a sleepy golden storm.
Yes, many loved before us
I know that we are not new,
In city and in forest
They smiled like me and you,
But now it's come to distances
And both of us must try,
Your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.
I'm not looking for another
As I wander in my time,
Walk me to the corner
Our steps will always rhyme,
You know my love goes with you
As your love stays with me,
It's just the way it changes
Like the shoreline and the sea,
But let's not talk of love or chains
And things we can't untie,
Your eyes are soft with sorrow,
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.
I loved you in the morning
Our kisses deep and warm,
Your hair upon the pillow
Like a sleepy golden storm.
Yes, many loved before us
I know that we are not new,
In city and in forest
They smiled like me and you
But let's not talk of love or chains
And things we can't untie,
Your eyes are soft with sorrow
Hey, that's no way to say goodbye.
08 The Guests (06:05)
One by one the guests arrive
The guests are coming through
The open-hearted many
The broken-hearted few
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
And those who dance, begin to dance
Those who weap, begin
And welcome, welcome cries of voice
Let all my guests come in
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
And all goes stumbling through that house
In lonely secrecy
Saying do reveal yourself
or why has thou forsaken me
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
All at once the tortures flare
The inner door flies open
One by one they enter there
in every style of passion
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
And here they take their sweet repast
Wild house and grounds resolve
And one by one the guests are cast beyond the garden wall
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
For those who dance, begin to dance
Those who weap, begin
Those who earnestly are lost
are lost, and lost begin
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
One by one the guests arrive
The guests are coming through
The broken-hearted many
The open-hearted few
And no one knows where the night is going
And no one knows where the wine is flowing
Oh love, I need you, I need you, I need you, I need you
I need you now
09 Memories (04:39)
Frankie Lane, he was singing Jezebel
I pinned an Iron Cross to my lapel
I walked up to the tallest and the blondest girl
I said, "Look, you don’t know me now
But very soon you will
So won’t you let me see
Won’t you let me see
Won’t you let me see
Your naked body
Just dance me to the dark side of the gym
Chances are I’ll let you do most anything
I know you’re hungry, I can hear it in your voice
They’re many parts of me to touch, you have your choice
But no you cannot see
No you cannot see
No you cannot see
My naked body"
We are dancing close, the band is playing Stardust Balloons
And paper streamers floating down on us
She says, "You’ve got a minute left to fall in love"
In solemn moments such as this I’ve put my trust
And all my faith to see
All my faith to see
All my faith to see
Her naked body
10 Why Don't You Try (03:42)
Why don't you try to do without him?
Why don't you try to live alone?
Do you really need his hands for your passion?
Do you really need his heart for your throne?
Do you need his labour for your baby?
Do you need his beast for the bone?
Do you need to hold a leash to be a lady?
I know you're going to make, make it on your own.
Why don't your try to forget him?
Just open up your dainty little hand.
You know this life is filled with many sweet companions,
many satisfying one-night stands.
Do you want to be the ditch around a tower?
Do you want to be the moonlight in his cave?
Do you want to give your blessing to his power
as he goes whistling past his daddy, past his daddy's grave.
I'd like to take you take you to the ceremony,
well, that is if I remember the way.
You see Jack and Jill they're going to join their misery,
I'm afraid it's time for everyone to pray.
You can see they've finally taken cover,
they're willing, yeah they're willing to obey.
Their vows are difficult, they're for each other,
so let nobody put a loophole, a loophole in their way.
11 Bird on the Wire (05:10)
like a bird on the wire
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
like a worm on the hook
like a knight from some old-fashioned book
I have saved all my ribbons for thee
and if I have been unkind
I hope that you will just let it go by
and if I have been untrue
I hope you know it was never to you
like a babe stillborn
like a beast with his horn
I have torn everyone who reached out for me
but I swear by this song
and by all that I have done wrong
I will make it all up to thee
I saw a beggar leaning on his wooden crutch
he said to me "you must not ask for so much"
and the pretty woman leaning in her darkened door
she cried to me "hey, why not ask for more?"
like a bird on the wire
like a drunk in a midnight choir
I have tried in my way to be free
12 So Long, Marianne (06:44)
Come over to the window, my little darling,
I'd like to try to read your palm.
I used to think I was some kind of Gypsy boy
before I let you take me home.
Now so long, Marianne, it's time that we began
to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again.
Well you know that I love to live with you,
but you make me forget so very much.
I forget to pray for the angels
and then the angels forget to pray for us.
Now so long, Marianne, it's time that we began ...
We met when we were almost young
deep in the green lilac park.
You held on to me like I was a crucifix,
as we went kneeling through the dark.
Oh so long, Marianne, it's time that we began ...
Your letters they all say that you're beside me now.
Then why do I feel alone?
I'm standing on a ledge and your fine spider web
is fastening my ankle to a stone.
Now so long, Marianne, it's time that we began ...
For now I need your hidden love.
I'm cold as a new razor blade.
You left when I told you I was curious,
I never said that I was brave.
Oh so long, Marianne, it's time that we began ...
Oh, you are really such a pretty one.
I see you've gone and changed your name again.
And just when I climbed this whole mountainside,
to wash my eyelids in the rain!
Oh so long, Marianne, it's time that we began ...
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