Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Leonard Cohen: Field Commander Cohen (2000)

Untitled
As much as I like the first live record from Cohen, released in 1973, I think Field Commander Cohen is the best live Cohen record. The songs were recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon on December 4th through 6th, 1979, as well as at the Dome Theatre, Brighton on December 15, 1979.

The concert was part of the Smokey Life Tour, launched after Recent Songs. That tour ever made it to Canada, probably because he was far more famous abroad. Most Canadians were very slow to catch on to his genius. he did tour parts of Canada for the Various Positions Tour of 1985 and 1985.
...Field Commander Cohen makes clear that Cohen writes songs, not literature accompanied by incidental music, and here these 12 songs possess a passionate, aching beauty that's a wonder to behold; this is easily the best Leonard Cohen live recording to emerge to date. [source]
I'd argue that this remains his best live recording.

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