'Songs From the Life of Leonard Cohen' 1988 BBC doc

June 6, 2009 12:59 AM

"Songs From the Life of Leonard Cohen. More a biographical documentary than a concert, the 70-minute program combines live performances--some complete, many abridged--mainly from Cohen's 1988 show at Carnegie Hall, in support of his then-current album, I'm Your Man, with interviews with Cohen himself, his original musical patron Judy Collins and protege Jennifer Warnes." Parts: one two three four five six seven eight nine

torrent

Full songs from the soundtrack follow this (leonard) colon:

First We Take Manhattan
Suzanne
Chelsea Hotel #(1) 2
Take This Waltz
Hallelujah
Who By Fire
Bird on a Wire
Red River Valley
So Long Marianne
Famous Blue Raincoat
The Partisan
Joan of Arc live at Burning Man it ain't, Austin City limits it is
Ain’t No Cure for Love
Tower of Song ...in which our hero reads Tower of Song's lyrics at his Rock n Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony
Dance Me to the End of Love

posted by Item (27 comments total)

And hey, y'all, don't forget! This month's Metafilter Music Challenge is to record and post, to Metafilter Music, your own cover version of Leonard Cohen's...

HALLELUJAH!

That's right! The idea was to come up with a song that's already been covered umpteen-gajillion times, so why not a few more? Whadda ya know about that? And check it out: it's still early in the month, but there's one in already, from some guy calls himself "cortex". I dunno, maybe you've heard of him... here it is.

So, check in from time to time this month, to hear what your fellow Mefiers are doing with ol' Leonard's tune. They'll be collected here, all month long.

And thanks for the great post, Item.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 1:40 AM on June 6

so there is another diamond in the mine, after all.
posted by UbuRoivas at 1:55 AM on June 6

I haven't watched the video yet, but I will do when I get the chance.

Thanks Item
posted by selton at 2:22 AM on June 6

so there is another diamond in the mine, after all.

I have no idea what's going on here, but it suits.
posted by Item at 2:40 AM on June 6

I will wait for the google video version
posted by wheelieman at 6:04 AM on June 6

Nice post - thanks for a nice way to start the weekend, Item.
posted by madamjujujive at 6:11 AM on June 6

Oh gosh. . .I wonder if this will be available on dvd. . .or maybe just in an IV bag so I can lay back and die happy.
posted by Danf at 7:50 AM on June 6

Leonard Cohen is a guy that I have no choice but to hate.

I can point to some obvious things, in particular the sappy arrangements of his later albums; his droning, lethargic baritone set against a frothy disco track complete with chirpy background vocals, like a turd in a punchbowl. Or for inflicting his recording of "Suzanne" on us, one of the most lethal earworms I've ever experienced.

Going deeper, he is nearly my complete opposite - he's tall, dark, poised, relaxed, sensitive and (I'm told) attractive.

But, to be honest, I hate him mainly because he can melt panties at 50 yards using only his eyes. It's unspeakable what he can do to a roomful of women with only an old guitar and a couple of poems.

And, damn, he's a good poet.

Stop encouraging him, guys. Unless you've found a way to make 20 minutes of a Leonard Cohen CD a dependable substitute for foreplay, he's just making things more difficult for the rest of us average guys.
posted by Artful Codger at 8:11 AM on June 6 [2 favorites has favorites]

"I studied deeply in the philosophies of the religions, but cheerfulness came breaking through." I love this man.
posted by Midnight Rambler at 8:16 AM on June 6

Thank you for posting this! I am a casual fan of his first three albums. This documentary was my first introduction to his later material, and I was a little shocked, to say the least!
posted by Houyhnhnm at 9:36 AM on June 6

Absolutely ditto what Artful Codger said..... and despite all that, I'll suck these puppies down and watch them endlessly. Especially Joan of Arc. With Julie. Ooooh....

Enough said.
posted by drhydro at 10:44 AM on June 6 [1 favorite has favorites]

"I heard of a man
who says words so beautifully
that if he only speaks their name
women give themselves to him."
posted by Tenuki at 11:06 AM on June 6

Just want to say that one of my favorite Leaonard Cohen albums is Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat. Her soaring vocals transform his poetry. I hardly feel like slitting my wrists at all.
posted by pointilist at 11:58 AM on June 6

Some tracks.
posted by pointilist at 11:59 AM on June 6

*obligatory link to Famous Blue Cheese*
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:11 PM on June 6 [1 favorite has favorites]

he's tall, dark, poised, relaxed, sensitive and (I'm told) attractive.

Codger, you won't catch TEH GAY by admitting that you find another man attractive.

I hate how straight guys do this. "My wife tells me that George Clooney is attractive." Jesus.

Oh, and Leonard Cohen isn't attractive. But he is a Canadian icon, so there's that.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 2:33 PM on June 6

Sisters of Mercy - Cohen Tribute with Beth Orton.
posted by homunculus at 4:34 PM on June 6

> Codger, you won't catch TEH GAY by admitting that you find another man attractive....Oh, and Leonard Cohen isn't attractive.

That's where I was going, too. Makes the fact of his appeal to women that much more remarkable.
posted by Artful Codger at 4:51 PM on June 6

Oh, and Leonard Cohen isn't attractive.

I think he's very attractive. Although I'm told he's not. ;-)
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:33 PM on June 6

Sisters of Mercy - Cohen Tribute with Beth Orton.

damn, and for a second there, i parsed that as a tribute show by The Sisters of Mercy.
posted by UbuRoivas at 6:35 PM on June 6

i parsed that as a tribute show by The Sisters of Mercy.

No, no, Ubu. They're departed. Or gone.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 6:42 PM on June 6

shame; i got stuck into Doktor Avalanche.
posted by UbuRoivas at 7:12 PM on June 6

Oh, and Leonard Cohen isn't attractive.

Ha. LC is attractiveness personified.
posted by Sassenach at 10:01 PM on June 6

he's ugly, but he has the music.
posted by UbuRoivas at 10:19 PM on June 6 [1 favorite has favorites]

Now that would be quite something. A Sisters of Mercy album of Leonard Cohen covers. Or even a Leonard Cohen album of Sisters of Mercy covers. "Hey now, hey now now, sing this corrosion to me ... "
posted by blucevalo at 11:39 PM on June 6

and i can totally hear leonard singing:

i've got nothing to say
i ain't said before
i've bled all i can
i can't bleed no more
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:00 AM on June 7

Thanks for this.
Here is a 2005 Interview with Marianne Ihlen
posted by adamvasco at 2:36 PM on June 7