"Old Ideas" to stream one week early on Canadian radio!

[remote1]

According to radio-canada online: http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/ar ... ohen.shtml

The new album of Leonard Cohen exclusively on Espace.mu
Updated Friday, January 20, 2012 at 9 am EST 29


From January 23 to 30, the latest album of Leonard Cohen, Old Ideas, will be offered exclusively on Espace.mu fully a week before its sale.

Listening will then continue for another week, until February 6.

A biography and discography of the artist is also found on the site, plus exclusive interviews with Jim Corcoran and Thomas Hellman, revealing the influence of Leonard Cohen on their lives. Jorane speaks for its part of the song Suzanne.

A webradio called Leonard Cohen and more offer a selection of excerpts from the first 11 albums of the icon from Montreal.

From January 23 to 31 on the site Espace.mu / cohen, a competition will also win a trip to Los Angeles, adopted home of the author-songwriter and his cabinet studio albums.

Old Ideas is the twelfth album of Leonard Cohen. The previous one, Dear Heather, was published in 2004. The 10 songs on the new record deal with poetry of the dilemmas of existence, such as the relationship to a transcendental being, love, sexuality, loss and death.

[brightnow]

I wonder if this will stream Gloablly, or restricted to Canada only.

[remote1]

Well, espace.mu is streaming fine at the moment here in the UK...

[LisaLCFan]

As interesting as it is to to know that we will able to hear the whole album ahead of its release date, plus the now four songs that are available (all for free), I kind of miss the "old days" when I would rush out to the record store, and then rush home, eager to hear a new album, and then I'd sit there in my room, taking it all in, flooded with the sound through good stereo speakers, holding the record sleeve (or CD case) in my hands, flipping through the booklet. It was so easy to get lost in the whole experience. Now, the new stuff comes through the computer (bit by bit, as it turns out), so here we sit, at our desks, listening to brilliant new Leonard Cohen songs through crappy speakers, nothing solid to hold onto. It think it takes some of the romance away from the whole experience (it certainly takes some of the excitement away, I think, since we'll have heard most, if not all, of the songs before we get the album in our hands), and that is kind of sad.

Of course, I could simply wait for the album to come out, but I am weak.

[John Etherington]

Hi Lisa,

I totally agree with what you say, through I've only listened to the three main songs once. I know you can ignore it completely, but the only alternative seems to allow yourself to be bombarded by it. There's something horribly obscene about the whole commercial machine surrounding Leonard's new album (the Leonard world used to be a place where you escape from this sort of thing). As I've said elsewhere on the board, all these previews could actually diminish sales since people will soon be able to hear the whole album online, via previews, youtube, streaming etc.

[LisaLCFan]

As I've said elsewhere on the board, all these previews could actually diminish sales since people will soon be able to hear the whole album online, via previews, youtube, streaming etc.

I was thinking the same thing. People like us, of course, will buy the album regardless, but how many merely curious people won't bother if they can hear it all online anyway?

[musicmania]

John and Lisa, you both make a very good point here and one I totally agree with but whether we like it or not there is still the illegal versions out there which I haven't looked at but between here and YouTube I've seen links for them. I'm hoping though if the songs touch people the way they touch us people will be compelled to buy. I for one am not a fan of digital downloads and will always prefer the hard copy, be it CD in my case or vinyl for those who prefer that format. While I admit I have extensively listened to Show Me The Place, with the exception of a brief snippet of the other songs I have avoided them in full as like Lisa I want the pleasure of sitting down and listening to the album in full. I don't mind knowing Show Me The Place (and The Darkness from the tour) fully as we always know a couple of songs in advance but I had to draw the line so I can fully appreciate the album as a whole and not as individual tracks. I want to get a feel for the album and how each song fits and I wouldn't have been able to do this had I intensively listened to all the songs on offer at this stage. Now it is countdown to Friday for us and heading to the next town as we don't have a record store here and bringing my CD Walkman so I can listen on the bus trip home. Of course I now have an MP3 player but I just knew I needed to keep the CD Walkman for something!

[TipperaryAnn]

I think it takes some of the romance away from the whole experience (it certainly takes some of the excitement away)

Well said Lisa, John E, Musicmania and a few other "voices crying in the wilderness" - it seems to be streaming EVERYWHERE now, apparently with official approval. I enjoyed the snippets and didn't mind one or two songs being released, but the whole album a week early is a bridge too far. How unfair to the few record stores remaining, like my local one where I am looking forward to buying the cd at the weekend. (I did pre-order download too, but will not do so again - what's the point if the material is made available online earlier and free!)

How chaotic the music industry has become. How well Leonard predicted the future - "Things are going to slide, slide in all directions"...

I think I'll just stay away from the Forum and temptation until official release day and read only the reviews of those who wait until then!

[LisaLCFan]

I'm afraid that I did give into temptation (as I knew I probably would!), but I don't regret it at all! I waited until I got home from work, I sat on my bed with the lights low, my computer propped up beside me, headphones in place, and clicked "play." 42 minutes of bliss followed! I doubt if my experience would have been different had I had the CD (except maybe no headphones--although I think these songs are well-suited to the intimacy of headphones). I loved every glorious, unique, brilliant, diverse moment of this album (in fact, I listened to it three times last night, each time equally as wonderful!). I guess, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Lisa

[Mabeanie1]

Sorry, but I can't agree with you John, Lisa, Ann & co. Yes, the CD is streaming "officially" in a number of places - but for a limited time only so I suppose the point is that you will have to buy it to listen again after the streaming ends. Also, the sound quality is much reduced (the Finnish stream seemed particularly compressed and "tinny") so in reality the streams themselves are little more than "samplers". Sony isn't the sort of organisation to get its marketing strategy wrong .....

Like many others, I have listened to the whole album on the NPR stream. I couldn't see any point in waiting for release date, especially as I will be away then and it will be some days until I can play the official CD. I am totally bowled over. In my opinion, the impact of the whole (played in the right order) is infinitely greater than that of the component parts heard as individual tracks - and I loved the ones I got to hear in advance. MaryB used the word "goosebumps" to describe her reaction to the sound samples we briefly heard on Amazon a while ago and having heard the whole album that is still the word I would use to describe my reaction to the album.

BTW my conscience is completely clear as I have copies of the CD on pre-order from both the UK and the US. I may have heard the music but the CD package itself will still be a lovely surprise. I love the cover photo and I am really looking forward to seeing the cover art in its entirety.

Wendy

[LisaLCFan]

Sorry, but I can't agree with you John, Lisa, Ann & co.

As it turns out, I can't agree with me, either! (Note my second post, above!)

[TipperaryAnn]

Sorry, but I can't agree with you John, Lisa, Ann & co.

Wendy

Don't be sorry, Wendy - it's a matter of personal choice. If I were away next weekend as you will be I would certainly listen now. As it is, I choose to support my local Golden Discs as long as it can survive, (no wonder so many record shops have closed! ) and look forward to my first hearing of the whole album on a good sound system, not "tinny sound" ( your words ) on "crappy speakers" ( Lisa's words.) In the meantime I'm quite content to listen to the rest of my treasured Columbia collection!

BTW Lisa, those must be great headphones to have converted you - must invest in some !

[LisaLCFan]

BTW Lisa, those must be great headphones to have converted you - must invest in some !

$40 earbuds made by Skullcandy. Truly sweet sound, they amaze me.

[Cheshire gal]

Hi Lisa,

I just could not resist listening to the album streaming also. I am looking forward to my copies of the actual cd/vinyl next week though.

I think perhaps it was good marketing strategy to put the album out for everyone to hear because so many people who have never heard of Leonard Cohen will be blown away when they listen to it. As you say his fans will buy the cd anyway, so this should not harm sales. I would imagine anyone hearing it would want to have a copy of this cd in their collection. It has to be the best album of the year. I can just see Leonard getting his award on the Grammy's

[LisaLCFan]

It has to be the best album of the year. I can just see Leonard getting his award on the Grammy's

It would be well-deserved! Old Ideas is phenomenal!