Leonard Cohen: Live in London

 

 

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I was lucky enough to get this DVD a few days before the official release date. I just finished watching it and the audio/video material captures faithfully the brilliance and mastery of Leonard Cohen's live performances. I was in Toronto last year for two shows and watching this DVD reminded me of how wonderful it was to see Mr. Cohen in concert. The DVD offers the entire London performance and the running time is about 160 min. If you were unable to get the tickets for the second leg of Leonard Cohen's upcoming Canadian tour, this DVD is the best you can get as a substitute. If you were lucky enough to get the tickets, once you see the concert the DVD will be a superb reminder of the night you were priviledged to see Leonard Cohen live.

On a technical note, the sound on the DVD is impacable and is faithful to the actual live experience. The DVD offers two options: uncopressed stereo and 5.1 Dolby Digital. I watched the concert in 5.1 surround and it sounded great -- fully immersive, with instruments and vocals clearly separated and mixed to perfection. The same probably goes for the uncompressed stereo sound. The uncompressed stereo audio is of a CD quality and, since the DVD and CD track lists are identical, there is really no need to get audio-only version of the performance.

As for the video quality, it is very good, but not the reference quality (3.5 out of 5). There are some digital artifacts, probably due to the fact that a 160 min. footage needed to be compressed to a 8.5 GB DVD. The concert was shot with only four cameras (4:3 aspect ratio) so the range of shots is somewhat limited. The director, however, managed to squeeze the most out of them. The camera work, editing, and video look are very reminscent of the 1980's style which, perhaps, some viewers might find a bit dated (I personally didn't mind it). The video does not appear to have been shot with film cameras and certainly not with HD equippment.

Overall, this is an excelling DVD and an important document for all of those who have been following Mr. Cohen's career over the years and, equally, for those yet to be initiated into Leonard Cohen's canon of words and music.

He jogs up the stairs to join the ensemble. Looking dapper & groomed in their suits, they are ready & eager to unleash Leonard's Lieder in this unusually vast 02 chamber. Even the lovely female vocalists are formally attired, setting a splendid visual standard for a night of a thousand harmonies. Everything about this extraordinary DVD impresses. There's the breathtaking cinematography, the expert & seamless editing that strikes a perfect balance between shots of Lenny, the musicians, the instruments as they are being played, the graceful backing singers and the appreciative audience.

The lighting too, meets the mood of the music as it bathes the stage in blue, green, red, royal purple or golden brown. Instruments like the banduria and archilaud add new dimensions to the sound whilst the instrumental & vocal arrangements refresh and rejuvenate old songs. The angelic voices of Sharon Robinson & the Webb Sisters caress the lyrics throughout but with particularly arresting effect on Aint No Cure For Love, In My Secret Life, Anthem, Closing Time & Hallelujah.

On the solemn Who By Fire the camera perfectly complements the sounds of the archilaud, keyboards, stand-up bass and - most impressively - the sitar as Hattie Webb plucks the strings. The same happens with the harmonica on Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye. What's more, the audience resonates with LC's every word between songs, whether it be witty or just wonderful. He wisely chooses wit when introducing the disturbing or apocalyptic ones like The Future and Everybody Knows. The first part of the concert concludes with Anthem, a sublime collision of sound & vision with a lengthy outro in which Leonard acknowledges the individual musicians. He does that often throughout the performance.

The proceedings resume with a good laugh or two whereupon Leonard humbly thanks the audience for keeping his songs alive down the years. Ecstatic applause erupts as he sings the ironic line "born with the gift of a golden voice" in Tower of Song. Then the stage darkens for a melancholy Suzanne before a long banduria solo introduces The Gypsy's Wife on which he plays guitar. Next, Sharon Robinson brings soul to Boogie Street by singing lead. The studio recording of Hallelujah sounds like a demo compared to this version which flows, moves and embraces the listener within its exquisitely woven textures.

Leonard recites some stanzas of Democracy before the ensemble renders it in a robust and rhythmic way; A Thousand Kisses Deep is recited in full with only keyboard backing. The stage comes alive for Take This Waltz as he interacts with the musicians before settling into a duet with the blonde Webb Sister that becomes an audiovisual delight. The upbeat mood lasts through a rousing rendition of So Long Marianne; it is abruptly displaced by the subdued resignation of Sisters of Mercy which is however, simultaneously tender and reassuring.

For the third time, Leonard recites - the first few lines of If It Be Your Will. Then he hands the prayer to the Webb Sisters who accompany themselves on harp and guitar for a supra-numinous performance. From the divine to the irreverent, the pace picks up for the buoyant Closing Time as the singers sway and the music swirls to the catchy tune. At the end, all the musicians join voices on the comforting conclusion Whither Thou Goest. July 17, 2008 was clearly a night to remember for those present. Fortunately, enough of the magic is captured here to make one watch this DVD over and over again. The booklet contains a gig review by John Aizlewood, plenty of full-color photographs, the track listing and credits. All the lyrics are available on the Disc itself.

What a remarkable concert. The band is very good, the sound is fantastic and Leonard is simply inspiring. This presentation should be a five star DVD but for only one misgiving - no widescreen. All concerts of this importance should be made with the most recent technology, especially in HD.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Leonard Cohen:Live in London
I'm new to Leonard Cohen music, and was told about him by a friend.I went to Youtube and checked out a few of his songs and decided to try this DVD. Read more

Published 13 days ago by Wingnut

4.0 out of 5 stars Not the best
The performances are great as one would expect from Leonard Cohen. My only real complaint about the concert was the way it was filmed. Too many quick shots.

Published 1 month ago by James Powell

5.0 out of 5 stars It's almost as good as being there.
Love all the songs. Never able to see Lenard Cohen live this is certainly a great alternative. Cohen character shines through.

Published 2 months ago by tindz

5.0 out of 5 stars Great performance
At the time when this concert was recorded he was almost 74 years old. Not many can perform for more than two and a half hours and still be fresh like they're doing it every day... Read more

Published 4 months ago by Rajko Bjelica

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best!
If you are a Leonard Cohen fan you need to add this to your collection.I saw him "live" in Halifax NS and had wonderful seats up fairly close in a small theater but somehow, and I... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Jackie A Moore

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Good!
Leonard Cohen fans will truly appreciate watching his facial expressions during every song!
In history yet to be written, Cohen will be compared to Shakespeare - guaranteed!!

Published 7 months ago by Roxy

5.0 out of 5 stars awesome dvd
I've always enjoyed Leonard Cohens' work. This dvd was a pleasant surprise. His music sounds as fresh and heartfelt as ever. Read more

Published 8 months ago by chickitanana

5.0 out of 5 stars Showing the young one,s how it's done
Brilliant, amazing backup band & singers. Here is a 75 year old doing a 2hr 30 min show. Maybe some bands could learn from this.

Published 14 months ago by Bullwinkle

4.0 out of 5 stars Leonard Cohen DVD live in London
Leonard Cohen is an incredible songwriter and his best songs are on this DVD. The musicians that accompany him are outstanding as well as the female singers who do most of the... Read more

Published 20 months ago by Ann Tyrell

5.0 out of 5 stars fantastic
Excellent dvd if you like Cohen. I saw the same show in Canada and it was incredible to have a digital version of the show. Well worth the money.

Published 24 months ago by D. Thournout

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