New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Leonard Cohen's last studio album (2016)
Bennyboy
Posts: 97
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by Bennyboy »

My guess is we get the single and album release announcement tomorrow.
User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by jarkko »

I don't think 19th was confirmed...
The official announcement has to come first, and it's coming SOON :roll:
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|||
JudasPriest
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:42 pm

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by JudasPriest »

My guess is the 21st, being his birthday and the date hat the album release date is to be officially announced apparently, is a more appropriate date to reveal the title track to the world at large. We shall see...
JudasPriest
Posts: 282
Joined: Thu Jun 19, 2008 9:42 pm

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by JudasPriest »

Oops- didn't see Benny and Jarkko's posts above before adding my own. Anyway, think Paddy Power can suspend betting now - tomorrow surely....
lkaufman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:49 am

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by lkaufman »

lkaufman
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:49 am

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by lkaufman »

User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by jarkko »

The title song "You Want It Darker" (4:44) is now on YouTube and Spotify (and a number of media sites).
I have moved posts about the song to a new thread
viewtopic.php?p=360576#p360576
This makes it easier for everybody to find the topic.
Use the new thread to discuss the song
and this old thread for any other comments about the new album!
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|||
User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by jarkko »

According to Sony Music Finland, the release date will be October 21 also in Finland.
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|||
User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by jarkko »

Press release by Sony Music here: http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/darkerpr.pdf
Text version here: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=36797
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|||
User avatar
anneporter
Posts: 3168
Joined: Thu Mar 13, 2008 10:36 pm
Location: at home by the sea

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by anneporter »

Is there a release date yet?
User avatar
jarkko
Site Admin
Posts: 7302
Joined: Thu Jun 27, 2002 1:01 am
Location: Espoo, Finland
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by jarkko »

October 21 in most countries
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|||
Cihan
Posts: 41
Joined: Sat Jun 13, 2015 8:54 pm

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by Cihan »

Without putting everyone on a downer, I truly believe this will be Leonard's last album. From the press release referring to it as a culmination of all his works, to Adam referring to it as an "Urgent" album, his words to Marianne before she passed, the lyrics of the new song, and the speed of which he has supposedly moved onto his new "orchestral album" which has less vocals according to Patrick Leonard. I'm not claiming I know anything about this, but this is the conclusion I have come to. I hope I'm wrong.
Bennyboy
Posts: 97
Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2014 3:35 pm

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by Bennyboy »

Cihan wrote:Without putting everyone on a downer, I truly believe this will be Leonard's last album. From the press release referring to it as a culmination of all his works, to Adam referring to it as an "Urgent" album, his words to Marianne before she passed, the lyrics of the new song, and the speed of which he has supposedly moved onto his new "orchestral album" which has less vocals according to Patrick Leonard. I'm not claiming I know anything about this, but this is the conclusion I have come to. I hope I'm wrong.
1. The Press Release doesn't mention it being a culmination of all his works, merely the 'latest chapter'.
2. If he finishes the orchestral work, then YWID won't be his last album.

Let's celebrate his birthday, not his death eh.
cohenadmirer
Posts: 1026
Joined: Wed Apr 09, 2008 3:44 pm
Location: wirral, uk

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by cohenadmirer »

Cihan wrote:Without putting everyone on a downer, I truly believe this will be Leonard's last album. From the press release referring to it as a culmination of all his works, to Adam referring to it as an "Urgent" album, his words to Marianne before she passed, the lyrics of the new song, and the speed of which he has supposedly moved onto his new "orchestral album" which has less vocals according to Patrick Leonard. I'm not claiming I know anything about this, but this is the conclusion I have come to. I hope I'm wrong.
Well it sort of does put me on a downer, but the ' evidence' given for thinking this will be last album doesn't stack up.Especially since we know another may be in preparation, as you state .
As for ' urgency' , he is celebrating his 82nd birthday today , so - even if it turns out he lives many more years , a certain ' urgency' is added to anything he does because for sure he doesn't know how long he may have.i'm not sure this is what adam meant - the word urgent can have many meanings!
I love Leonard's quote: The older I get, the surer I am that I'm not running the show.
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
User avatar
lightning
Posts: 1355
Joined: Fri Jul 19, 2002 4:54 am
Location: New York City
Contact:

Re: New Album announced: 'You Want It Darker'

Post by lightning »

I suspect Leonard is saying something to us about how we human beings cooperate with the dark force, "we kill the flame."
He is addressing the Hebrew deity in most of the song, concluding with "Hineini" " which is what Abraham spoke when God asked him to sacrifice his son Isaac to test of his fidelity, "Here I Am," implies "at your service," a total submission to His will however cruel, insane or incomprehensible it may seem. Religions promise peace of mind for such acceptance.

But does the God of the scriptures want it darker? Didn't he once create a major flood when things got too dark? For Sodom destruction , Lots wife a pillar of salt? Or is it mortals who bring on the darkness by killing the flame?

Leonard describes the darkness in the lives of mortals, the crucifixion of God as man, Jesus, the refusal of the Deity to answer prayers for help and love ( " candles burning for the help (love) that never came."), the same miserable ending to every lover's story ( either break-up or death), Jehovah's endorsement of murder and war, ( wipe out of the ancient Amalekites extended to present day dealings with Palestine) the hidden evil in the seemingly tame middle class, then he refers to the scriptures, where the blame is laid on human' sin for its sorry lot, paradoxically, because God is described as all powerful, so is it not His doing?
Once again he goes back to his card game dealers metaphor we first met in The Stranger Song. "Let me out of the game, I'm ready my lord" may be a wish for death, or a wish to escape the destruction which is the consequence of sin ( "killing the flame" .)
He conclude with submission to his Lord, total acceptance, "If It Be Your Will," "the Holy or the Broken Hallelujah."
We can only hope that this acceptance brings him the peace of mind and sanctification he has earned.
Post Reply

Return to “You Want It Darker”