"Leonard Cohen Live in London" > DVD & 2CD (April 2009)

[bumerang]

The DVD is of quite an early concert. Leonard picked up on forum-members' comments on this over-kill at the time, and in later concerts was more restrained.

In Sydney, end of January 2009 we still saw 2 complete band introductions with almost identical phrasing. I thought at the time: "Hm, did he forget that he intoduced the band already?"

[basecamp]

The "Berliner Zeitung" today on Leonard's new DVD:
http://www.berlinonline.de/berliner-zei ... index.html

MUSICBOX
Halleluja, Halleluhuhuja
Frank Junghänel

Zunächst einmal darf man sich freuen, dass Leonard Cohen noch am Leben ist. Nicht, dass man sich akute Sorgen um die Fitness des alten Mannes machen müsste. Die Freude hat ihren Ursprung in einem Ereignis, das nunmehr zweiunddreißig Jahre zurückliegt, einem aber jetzt erst so richtig zu denken gibt. Cohen nahm damals das Album "Death of a Ladies' Man" auf und sein Produzent Phil Spector wollte das Thema der Platte offenbar wörtlich nehmen. Eines wohl nicht sehr schönen Abends empfing er den Künstler mit einer Flasche koscheren Rotweins in der einen Hand und einem Revolver in der anderen. Er legte zärtlich einen Arm um Cohens Schulter; es war der Arm, an dessen Ende sich die Hand mit der Weinflasche befand. Die revolverbewehrte Hand führte er an Cohens Hals. Er hielt ihm den kalten Stahl ins Genick und sagte: "Leonard, ich liebe dich." Cohen erinnert sich daran, erwidert zu haben: "Das hoffe ich, Phil". Vielleicht ist das auch nur eine gute Pointe.

Eine Pointe, die der Schauspielerin Lana Clarkson nicht gestattet war. Seit Mittwoch tagen die Geschworenen in Los Angeles in ihrem Fall. Phil Spector wird beschuldigt, die Frau erschossen zu haben. In ihrem Abschlussplädoyer nannte die Anklägerin den Musikproduzenten einen "teuflisch Verrückten". Bitte jetzt nicht falsch verstehen, aber nur ein teuflisch Verrückter konnte so teuflisch verrückte Musik produzieren wie Phil Spector. Aber es müssen ja nicht gleich Menschen dabei sterben. Leonard Cohen jedenfalls hat die Platte "Death of a Ladies' Man", die er seinerzeit nur knapp überlebte, herzlich gehasst und so gut wie nie einen Song daraus live aufgeführt.

Auch nicht bei seinem Konzert in Berlin, womit diese Betrachtung endlich lebensbejahenden Charakter annimmt. So lebensbejahend wie heute war Cohen in seinem ganzen Leben noch nicht. Über sein Gastspiel vom Herbst vergangenen Jahres, das den Dabeigewesenen wie eine Erscheinung vorkam, ist viel Gutes, Wahres und Schönes geschrieben worden. Doch bei allem Respekt vor der Schrift geht doch nichts über Musik - vor allem, wenn es um Musik geht.

So trifft es sich gut, dass das Konzert vom letzten Jahr nun im Rahmen einer DVD zu hören und zu sehen ist. Aufgenommen wurde es in der O2-Arena, allerdings jener von London, was aber nur aus geografischen Gründen eine Rolle spielt. Das Programm dort war das selbe wie in Berlin und achtzig weiteren Städten hier und da, auch die Gestik, Kniefall, gezückter Hut, gefasster Blick.

Aber jetzt nicht kleinlich werden. Cohen ist ja kein Ausdruckstänzer und auch kein Improvisateur. Er ist ein weiser Mann, kein Unterhaltungskünstler. Seine Souveränität erlaubt es ihm, in jedem Moment zugleich bei sich und seinem Publikum zu sein. Er streunt auf der Bühne herum, lauscht der Musik seiner Band und flüstert Lieder. Der letzte Song heißt "I tried to leave you". Das wird ihm niemals gelingen.

[paddieu]

whaaaa ?!!! no subtitles for us hearing impaired people and their friends ??

say it aint so !

[danslenoir]

Does anyone know what was yelled out when Leonard chuckles and says, just before Anthem, "I heard that"?

[AaronH]

The Australian (and I suspect all other countries?) edition is in NTSC, region 0 (local TV system is PAL)
I'd like to hear whether this is the same for the European edition.

It should be. Most music DVDs are NTSC, even in PAL regions.

This is because the NTSC->PAL conversion results in a slight (4%) speed-up of the video. This is generally unnoticeable in movies (their running time is just a bit shorter), but it can result in noticeable pitch issues with music DVDs.

The only options to avoid this problem are to leave the audio as-is and try to stretch the video runtime (which results in jerky video) or to leave it as NTSC. The latter option is the best choice, so that's what is generally done.

[Stencil]

Having given both the CD and DVD pretty thorough goings-over, I'm thinking:
1. The CD is superb - the sound is exceptional for a live recording
2. The DVD has great sound (it follows from point 1) but the vision is most disappointing. In fact, the emperor is decidedly naked.

Clearly the vision in the DVD is nothing more than the live footage used for the big screens at the venue. It serves well enough as an adjunct when one is actually present, but as a record of such a memorable event, it's a dud. Way too many second-rate camera angles, the few crowd shots from obscure angles, and nothing from FOH that gives an overall perspective of the scene. Not one directly-in-front wide shot of the stage. Frankly, there's little to differentiate it from some of the better hand-helds appearing on YouTube. And some of the band members should feel downright insulted. Neil Larsen, Rafael Gayol and Dino Soldo were captured from ridiculous angles in ridiculous shadows.

I'm disappointed that this is being released with such obvious flaws. It's shot in 4:3 aspect ratio (in 2008!?) and don't wait for a Blue-Ray version - high-def, 1080p footage isn't part of this scenario.

I'm wondering if this is a case of Sony underestimating the market. Leonard Cohen aficionados (and the tour has shown just how many of us there are) will pay handsomely for the product. The DVD retails for just inder $20 Australian (something like $14 US). I paid around $300 for my seat at the Perth concert. I would have paid three, five, ten times that... and I'd seen him 20 years earlier, so it wasn't a once in a lifetime chance. The same thinking applies to the DVD. Charge us more. $50, $100 - I don't care. Just make a great DVD. As excellent as the concert.

I'm (perhaps optimistically) hoping that the North American tour this northern summer might be a time when a proper video recording can be shot and assembled. Something befitting the grand excellence of the live event. Something befitting the significance of the tour for those of us who have waited for so long. Something befitting the majesty of the songs. Something befitting the poetry. Something befitting Leonard Cohen.

[Henning]

Stencil - thnx for this precise review. I've read the same critics about the screen shots on a German music forum. I will buy this whole stuff in later years, so I have something to look forward to and concentrate on the real live experience for the time being.

[liverpoolken]

Henning

It's not often we agree but we seem to have some common ground on this one. My cd and dvd arrived yesterday and I decided during the day that I would sit down and just listen to the cd but would put the dvd away on the shelf. My intention is to leave the dvd as a treat until after Leonard has finished his Dylan style 'never-ending tour'.
I well remember you telling me that old age will always be fifteen years older than we are, so hopefully we both will live long enough to enjoy the dvd.

In the meantime today's UK Sunday Times has made the cd it's record of the week.......

lc.jpg (118.11 KiB) Viewed 5806 times

[IrishAL]

Stencil, I agree totally with you comments. The Cd quality is indeed excellent for a live performance/recording, but I too was disappointed by the quality of the DVD. The sound is good, but the harsh/poor Lighting, and the editing keep reminding me that I am watching a video. As you say, it is quite like what is on the big screen at the venue on the night. This is competent and adequate but lacks the production qualities that would make it great . I did enjoy it, but it was the songs, the music and The Man, that carried it for me.
The London Concert is relatively early in the Tour and having been at a few concerts since then, I got the impression that the video production on the night at the venues had improved. I undertsand that it is intended to bring out a DVD of the World Tour that will feature video footage from many venues. One would expect that this would be better as there would be a selection of the best of each song to pick from. However it is all in the production...

The importance of these DVD's should not be underestimated. These are what will endure in the future when the World Tour 2009 is but a memory. An Artist of the calibre of Leonard Cohen deserves the very best, so that he and his music is represented as it should be for generations to come.

We are getting 21st century technology with the CD but not the DVD. We should have widescreen, high definition and of course top class editing and production. The world tour started off cautiously with smaller venues and limited dates. As it progressed it grew in confidence and stature with multiple dates at large arenas. It is now a Mega Tour. I would hope that the World Tour Dvd , when it comes, would reflect this.

Albert

[Actually]

Well, in a way I can understand your points, because I was also expecting extremely sharp pictures and everything in absolute perfection, so I was a bit surprized at first - I wouldn't say shocked. But in the end it's just great to have those nice close-ups, because I've never had such a good view to notice all of Cohen's facial expressions.
In short, the DVD really grew on me while watching.

One thing that really bothers me about the dvd is why does Leonard seem to constantly introduce the same band members over and over? Why not do it all at once instead of the in middle of a good song. I'm halfway through the dvd and it seems like he's introduced Sharon Robinson 3 times already!

The DVD is of quite an early concert. Leonard picked up on forum-members' comments on this over-kill at the time, and in later concerts was more restrained.

Seriously? I just noticed that the concert in New York was definitely different from the one that I saw last summer. I remember that I thought it was quite a bit too much, therefore I was prepared for the same procedure and this time I had the feeling that there weren't as many introductions, but I thought that was just me.

[canuck]

I have agree to being a little disappointed by some of the DVD. Nothing that ruined my enjoyment, they're minor things but I agree that not presenting at least a 16:9 presentation is pretty inexcusable these days (and not very future-proof either!). I was also surprised that it was merely the video screen footage with no front on shots (everything is looking up a Leonard) or crane shots.

I know it's difficult to capture live shows - you don't want cameras ruining it for the live audience - but I think a better job could have been done.

As I say, it's not a complaint as I still enjoyed the show - but there were many missed opportunities here.

[NickShears]

I've listened to the CDs several times since buying them on Saturday, and remain entranced. I agree about the remarkably high sound quality, which I did expect based on how well the sound engineers coped with the arena environment at the Entertainment Centre here in Brisbane.

I haven't watched the DVD yet, but won't be able to resist doing so. I wasn't expecting much more than the sort of stuff we saw on the video screens at the shows, and from people's comments here that's all we get. I hadn't thought about it not being wide aspect, but I guess that stands to reason.

Still, I would be rushing out to buy the World Tour DVD once there is one, regardless, anyway, so this just gives me a better reason for doing so than being a completist.

[RainDog1980]

I am listening to Disc 2 on the NPR website now... I am very impressed by the sound quality. The keyboardist/organist is amazing.

I have only heard Cohen Live for a representation of a live Cohen performance, so I'm still getting used to the different arrangements, especially Everybody Knows. I agree the constant introductions are annoying, but overall, no biggie.

Is it just me, or does Leonard's voice sound YOUNGER? I mean, some of the older songs don't sound nearly as foreign as they did when they first transitioned into 80s/90s style pop/rock, and his voice compliments the more sparse arrangements. I was very surprised.

I am probably only going to buy the CD, I'm not much one for sitting down and watching a concert at home.

[bumerang]

How about a theory, that the production of this DVD was not a very well planned exercise?
It looks a bid like the thinking might have gone like this: We remember, the show in London was very nice. What footage have we got to document this night on a DVD? Of course, the footage from the sidescreen camera feeds. OK, let's take this and cut it together the best way we can. Sidescreen footage was shot in 4:3? Well, tough luck, but that's what we got.

Musicians are not always the best organized people, there are plenty out there who neglected to film any of their finest moments all together.

With that perspective I'm greatful for what we got, I'm still holding some hope that somebody will have the bright idea to film one of the remaining shows properly, but what we got is still a million times better than no video at all.

[jarkko]

Every concert in the Fall leg was filmed in high definition in 16:9. There were also automatic cameras in the back, getting good views to Neil and Rafael (who are behind their instruments and other band members, and therefore difficult to catch from the front of the stage). A Blu-Ray featuring the best performances is coming later.