Leonard Cohen
Live in London
Columbia
By David Chiu
Leonard Cohen’s new live album, recorded at the O2 last year, offers a pretty accurate representation of his upcoming U.S. tour, his first in 15 years. The music on Live in London is an overview of his four decades plus career balancing between the early romantic ‘60s folk (“Suzanne,” “Bird on a Wire,” “So Long Marianne”) through his somber ruminations of the ‘80s and’90s (“First We Take Manhattan,” “Everybody Knows”). In addition to Cohen’s distinctive deep spoken-singing, the performances by his band are terrific, especially that of his backing singers Sharon Robinson and the Webb Sisters. At the age of 74, Cohen sings and sounds like he’s in good spirits—he even displays a sense of humor. Live in London is a testament to his enduring popularity and influence.
Watch a clip of Leonard Cohen performing “Democracy”:
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