“I have seen the future of rock and roll, it is not Leonard Cohen…”
so deadpanned the Canadian poet, novelist and songwriter during his induction
into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2008. While Cohen has his critics when
it comes to his rock and roll credentials, there can be no argument with regards
to his importance as the consummate renaissance man; a man whose poetry, music
and romantic inclinations are capable of stirring the emotions in a day and
age when sentiment can be impervious to the human spirit. Watching Cohen’s
Live In London DVD, you might, in fact, think you’ve
been transported to another time and place where life is simpler, the grass
is green, the birds sing and music fills the air.
Recorded live on July 17, 2008 at London’s famed 02 Arena (that’s
the same place Led Zeppelin held their 2007 reunion) during the singer’s
2008 World Tour. Backed by a superb group of musicians and singers, Cohen casually
strolls through a four-decade old repertoire, his raspy voice cutting through
the melodies, evoking eloquence and suspense in one fell swoop. The minute he
hits the stage with “Dance Me To The End Of Love” from 1985’s
Various Positions, you’re sitting at a Parisian café,
eating French bread and nipping on vintage Cabernet.
After Cohen expresses his gratitude, adding he was glad “we’re
gathered here on the other side of intimacy,” the gears shift into overdrive
for “The Future,” an apocalyptic romp that warns “Get ready
for the future/it is murder…” There couldn’t have been more
appropriate song to close out the credits for Oliver Stone’s controversial film,
Natural Born Killers.
As the set progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that Cohen is surrounded
by some incredible talent. Bob Metzger’s fluid guitar lines and Neil Larsen’s
rollicking organ lift the lid on tracks like “Bird On A Wire” and
“In My Secret Life.” Metzger applies a similar, sublime touch on
the pedal steel during the alluring “Everybody Knows.” Meanwhile,
multi-instrumentalists Javier Mas and Dino Soldo pull from an arsenal of acoustic
and wind instruments, spinning exotic webs of color and drama on “Who
By Fire,” “Tower Of Song,” “I’m Your Man,”
“Take This Waltz” and many others.
Cohen himself is the air of confidence and assurance, distinguished and gracious
at his advanced age, but just as engaging as an orator, poet and vocalist. Certainly,
his voice is a source of debate divided by those who like their singers technically
proficient (think American Idol) and those who appreciate a voice filled
with grit, character, danger, maybe even a pinch of desperation.
Some think Cohen sits on the sidelines with Lou Reed, Bob Dylan and Captain
Beefheart; but he sings with such style and grace, you tend to get caught up
in the musicality of his voice as it off-roads it with his three female back-up
singers following tunefully behind. It’s there on “Suzanne”
as Cohen breezily feels the flow of each note tugging forward, a momentous chill
undoubtedly filling the large English venue. And it intensifies on “Hallelujah,”
a rapturous lament covered by everyone from John Cale to Jeff Buckley, featuring
a lovely Hammond solo from Larsen.
Whether he’s suspending over the low-end drive of “We Take Manhattan”
or the fortuitous march of “Closing Time,” Cohen is truly in his
element, imbibing each number while leading the band and the audience down a
primrose path dotted with drama, humor, color and passion. Available as a double-CD
set as well as a DVD, Live In London may not turn Cohen into
a “rock star,” but it certainly quells any doubts about his abilities
as a masterful songwriter, performer and presence on the world’s stages.
~ Shawn Perry
