Popular Problems - Album Reviews

This section is dedicated to the new studio album and the Dublin concert video
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ilia
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Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by ilia »

http://www.abc.es/cultura/musica/201409 ... 91841.html (Google translation from Spanish :neutral: )

DAVID MORÁN
http://www.abc.es
A Leonard Cohen (Montreal, 1934) ensuring likes to joke that he was born in a suit, a nod to the everlasting elegance that permeates all his work and, of course, verse by verse and filtered dropwise into 'People Problems' work with the Canadian reappears in the record market just three years after publishing "Old Ideas."

An unusually short for an artist who in the last two decades had only released four studio work and it gets 80-the period will meet next on September 21, two days before "People's Problems' reach Stores- redoubling its commitment to nudity and allying again with Patrick Leonard, Madonna co-author with such hits as "Like a Prayer" and "La Isla Bonita" and Cohen associate who took part in the composition of some songs of 'Old Ideas' .

"When you get to write to the blank page, or pick up the guitar, if you start from scratch, you are an absolute beginner, it is a struggle against silence, against your own weaknesses, you can not stop and think if you influence or influence you» , claimed shortly after receiving the Prince of Asturias Award for Literature, 2011 to a Kohen, a step-eighties, once again disguised as an apprentice to erect a monument exciting new weightless blues and folk Spartan. A fairly new skin for the old ceremony bard of Montreal rubric with new signings-not appear in the credits and Jennifer Warnes and Sharon Robinson, Cohen voices replaced here with those of Charlean Carmon and Dana Glover - and limits their collaboration Anjani Thomas with a single song.

Open this new collection of litanies and confessions' Slow 'minimal rust and blues, praise of the slow explosion of female voices in the chorus. "It is not because it is old, I've always liked slow' judgment Cohen. And so, with its delicious parsimony, that taste the verses in a voice of unfathomable abyss, the Canadian delivered nine new songs in which parks the flesh to be covered with the cloak of asceticism and spectral song author.

"Amost Like The Blues' curls beside the piano from murder, rape and burning villages to dig more crepuscular and dilettante Cohen. Here it is, in whispers chewed, the chronicler of disenchantment, the narrator of "The Future", watching from a distance a gig and sunk society. Given such a scenario, there is only one option: to let one will freeze the heart "to keep away the rot. "

With "Samson In New Orleans", Cohen sounds more Tom Waits than ever, with a plaintive organ aupando a singer presented here as wise as aged. A monastic and liturgical climate gently cradled by a violin anthem. The blues again put his head in "A Street" with Cohen taking the role of poet reciting more disenchanted and throat singing to settle accounts with the future becomes clear. "The party is over," he announces just before that female choruses begin to tangle in his throat granite.

"I loved you ever, ever needed you?" Cohen asks' Did I Ever Love You "hint of blues cavernous voices transformed into a smooth and pleasant country walk. "Any time I was able to love someone forever ?, Cohen questioned" unrepentant lover, the eternal disenchanted. "My Oh My" soul approaches the idle winds with joyful and expansive chorus to sign one of the most vigorous parts of the disc and "Nevermind" gets the synthesizer sound that became the hallmark in the eighties to coin once more war, religious and historical references, look askance at "First We Take Manhattan" and slide Arabic borders. "There could kill the way you kill" concludes the Canadian.

With "Born In Chains" Cohen remembers, and a step of gospel, gets one of the pieces already played live 2010 History, flight and exile, always reinforced by those female vocals that Canada has already become brand. 'You Got Me Singing "dismisses the disc with Cohen singing despite everything," but the world is gone "and gypsy violin making its way through the folk and leave with a trail of elegance and durability.

That is Cohen thus singing until the end of love and certifying large that rebirth that began to take shape in 2008, when, after nearly three out decades scenarios, reappeared with torrential performances over three hours. Never hid Canadian his main motivation to return to the road was to recover the money he had filched his exmáganer, Kelley Lynch, who appropriated five million dollars of the singer, but once you took the taste could not get out again. " I was able to restore my small fortune in a year or so, but I went on tour ', claimed in an interview that a Kohen, however, has not yet scheduled for a live presentation of' People Problems' dates.
BEATRIZ SALLES
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by BEATRIZ SALLES »

ilia wrote:http://www.abc.es/cultura/musica/201409 ... 91841.html (Google translation from Spanish :neutral: )
[/quote]


Just was going to post this Spanish review!
2008 Paris. 2009 Barcelona. 2010 Marseille. 2012 Ghent. Verona. Barcelona. Lisbon. 2013 Antwerpen, Berlin, Pula.
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jerry
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by jerry »

Sorry but I don't understand the above review at all.
Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.
Leonard Cohen
cohenadmirer
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by cohenadmirer »

jerry wrote:Sorry but I don't understand the above review at all.
:lol:
Hopefully makes more sense in the original spanish - before the automated ' translation'

Curious phrase!!
An unusually short for an artist who in the last two decades had only released four studio work and it gets 80-the period will meet next on September 21, two days before "People's Problems' reach Stores- redoubling its commitment to nudity and allying again with Patrick Leonard, Madonna co-author with such hits as "Like a Prayer" and "La Isla Bonita" and Cohen associate who took part in the composition of some songs of 'Old Ideas' .

sort of makes sense apart from ..nudity???? :shock:

Some of the translation makes sense though:

With "Samson In New Orleans", Cohen sounds more Tom Waits than ever, with a plaintive organ aupando a singer presented here as wise as aged. A monastic and liturgical climate gently cradled by a violin anthem.

wets my appetite!
Last edited by cohenadmirer on Wed Sep 10, 2014 3:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Leonard's work resonates
Brighton 1979; Dublin , Manchester june 2008; glasgow, manchester Nov 2008; Liverpool july 2009 ; Barcelona Sept 2009 ;marseille, lille september2010: Ghent August 2012;Barcelona October 2012;Montreal x2 November 2012: 2013; Saint John NB April 2013; Brussels June 2013;Manchester August 2013; Leeds , Birmingham September 2013; Amsterdam September 2013
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ilia
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by ilia »

Sorry but I don't understand the above review at all.
Please read between the lines
nudity????
Google Translate: "Lost in Translation" :)
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lizzytysh
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by lizzytysh »

Yes, it became clear shortly in that this was a translation, most likely automated... however, better than some automated ones I've seen. At least with this, you can read between the lines. It comes through as very positive.
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swisschris
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by swisschris »

Critique du journal de Montréal:

http://www.journaldemontreal.com/2014/0 ... problems/i

Track-by-track-Review (en français aussi:-) de Moustique.be:

http://epg.moustique.be/culture/musique ... k-by-track

2008:Lyon July 9th, Lörrach July 25th, Zurich October 25th;
2009: Nimes August 20th;
2010: Basel September 8th;
2012: Verona September 24th;
2013: Montreux July 4th
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jerry
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by jerry »

So far I have not read a single review that I can understand. Are the above reviews positive or negative?
Poetry is just the evidence of life. If your life is burning well, poetry is just the ash.
Leonard Cohen
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Hartmut
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Re: AW: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by Hartmut »

jerry wrote:So far I have not read a single review that I can understand. Are the above reviews positive or negative?
They seem to like it. 'Note: 4,5 sur 5' is pretty unambiguous ... :-)
rmorgan
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by rmorgan »

Dear Sisters and Brothers,
May we not be worried much
By judgements of reviews

There is no bad and good
But Leonard and his gift
His twilight gift to us
Of poetry and blues.

It doesn't matter which we heard:
The light blazes in every word.
yoeri
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by yoeri »

2008: Athens
2009: Madrid
2010: Gent, Lille
2012: Gent, Berlin, Madrid
2013: Antwerp, Brussels, Pula, Amsterdam
Tchocolatl
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by Tchocolatl »

They (some here and in the other by Mr. Lebretch) are extremely good, Jerry. They also are pieces very pleasant to read, like if the particular spirit of Leonard Cohen has inspired the authors.

Though all of the articles seem to contain a little bit of strangeness. Le Soir talks of him as another legend of the Rock. Why not... (He is the original rocker, baby). Journal de Montréal talks about a certain infamous manager... using the masculine pronoun. Moustique talks about Nevermind as the UFO among the usual Cohen style. Like if it is not usual for him to launch UFO regularly.

But Journal de Montréal promises : his best material in career, quite a prolongation of Old Ideas.

All this seems in the natural order of the World, no? :D Enjoy!
Last edited by Tchocolatl on Thu Sep 11, 2014 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
***
"He can love the shape of human beings, the fine and twisted shapes of the heart. It is good to have among us such men, such balancing monsters of love."

Leonard Cohen
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yoeri
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by yoeri »

2008: Athens
2009: Madrid
2010: Gent, Lille
2012: Gent, Berlin, Madrid
2013: Antwerp, Brussels, Pula, Amsterdam
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jarkko
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by jarkko »

From Marc Hendrickx yesterday:
I only just got back from my holiday, and had an invitation of Sony lying in wait for me… Thanks to this I was able to attend one of the first ‘listening sessions’ this morning. Kind of funny, as the one in L.A. which Leonard will attend is also today, but due to L.A. lagging behind some 9 hours, we were first 

What is remarkable right away is that the album sounds a bit more ‘produced’ then ‘Old Ideas’. In all, it has a great homogenity as far as the sound is concerned. The absolute stand out track is ‘Never Mind’, which could easily be played instead of the reporter comments during a News broadcast – what with all the violence that is going on in Syria, Iraq, Ukraine,… This is one that will have lots of people comment for sure!
Also of note is the closing song, which is surprisingly ‘positive without any formal hints of sarcasm’ for Leonard.
1988, 1993: Helsinki||2008: Manchester|Oslo|London O2|Berlin|Helsinki|London RAH|| 2009: New York Beacon|Berlin|Venice|Barcelona|Las Vegas|San José||2010: Salzburg|Helsinki|Gent|Bratislava|Las Vegas|| 2012: Gent|Helsinki|Verona|| 2013: New York|Pula|Oslo|||
stephencharlton
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Re: Popular Problems - Album Reviews

Post by stephencharlton »

Amazon £10.99 for cd
Wowcd £7.99 For cd free post
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2009 Berlin
2010 Poland
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