leonardcohenforum.com

There is a new compilation for the United Kingdom coming this
September (22nd, the day after Leonard's birthday).
Adi Heindl found the following details:

LEONARD COHEN Mojo Presents (2003 UK 'Best Of' 2-CD album set featuring tracks compiled and sequenced by Editors and writers of Mojo magazine, presented in a digipack picture sleeve [tracklisting to follow...]) ** released 22 September 2003 ** -

That's all we know for the time being. I try to get more information!

Jarkko

Here is the track listing:

Suzanne
Sisters Of Mercy
One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong
The Old Revolution
Seems So Long Ago, Nancy
Bird On The Wire
Joan Of Arc
Famous Blue Raincoat
Diamonds In The Mine
Chelsea Hotel No 2
I Tried To Leave You
Who By Fire
Iodine
The Smokey Life
Dance Me To The End Of Love
Hallelujah
If It Be Your Will
I'm Your Man
Take This Waltz
Tower Of Song
Light As The Breeze
They Gypsy's Wife
That Don't Make It Junk

Just for the U.K., Jarkko? I see that Mojo also left off the Master Song .

I took the track listing and cover photo from the following site:
http://www.play.com/play247.asp?source= ... tle=131806

I'm sure we will find out tomorrow or so if this is a genuine
authorized compilation or not.

Jarkko

According to information received from Sony and Leonard’s office
the forthcoming compilation "Mojo Presents...Leonard Cohen" IS in fact a Sony authorized release in conjunction with Mojo.
Jarkko

Well, that's interesting. The least they coulda done was included the Master Song .

The MOJO album has been released yesterday. Haven't heard it yet.

I spoke with Kelley Lynch of Stranger Mgmt. yesterday regarding the
album. Leonard apparently knows nothing about the album, has not
heard it, was not consulted on the track listing, has no idea of the
electronic condition of the tracks, has no idea if they were remastered or
merely compiled, and had no input into the ten page booklet which he
also has not seen...

Jarkko

I ordered it on-line last weekend but, as yet, it has not arrived. I probably won't get a chance to listen to it until next weekend anyway.

JTS

I wondered about same things you mentioned, Jarkko. You can expect my comments when I get CDs from amazon in a couple of weeks. Interesting tracklist.
tom

jarkko wrote: I spoke with Kelley Lynch of Stranger Mgmt. yesterday regarding the
album. Leonard apparently knows nothing about the album, has not
heard it, was not consulted on the track listing, has no idea of the
electronic condition of the tracks, has no idea if they were remastered or
merely compiled, and had no input into the ten page booklet which he
also has not seen...

Jarkko

I can't believe Sony didn't consult Leonard about the MOJO compilation. I guess it's usual in the business but I think it's not fair for the artists.
Plus: I cannot see the interest of such compilation...


all the best to you all,
JF

It's a mystery to me, too, JF, how a company can just compile and distribute. Aren't they copyright laws and all that protecting someone from it? Do they keep all the proceeds? What does Leonard get? To think they'd do it without even consulting Leonard is like putting salt in a wound.

JF

I think the interest in this compilation comes from people like me (I just want all the LC I can get ) and it may attract new LC fans.

In the UK these Mojo Presents albums are quite common and the title may attract people who wouldn't consider looking through artists they have never heard of.

Finally any LC is better than no LC (even if new stuff will have to wait a while)

JTS

I do like compilations, and I am interested in this, it seems it has intereseting tracklist, design, and editor's notes, according to scans. It is legitimate to make authorial compilation of someone's music and explain it in booklet - I myself would like to present MY Cohen if I were in place of some famous editor of some musical magazine. Also, I agree Leonard must confirm it, but I am not sure could he have decision about everything from design to choice of songs. For instance, I enjoyed Ratso Sloman's long essay about Dylan's 1976 tour in his recent official bootleg, although I did not enjoy the music itself - sorry Bob but you & I cannot find our way it seems - and I feel lack of it in, let's say, Field Commander Cohen. We got Pico Iyer's note in The Essential, but it was to short and to general, although fine.
It is legitimate of course to disagree with someone' opinion about your own career, but is is also legitimate to disagree wit artist's own self-perception. That's old discrepancy between poets and their interpreters.

Of course, did Sony told Leonard they give copyrights to Mojo is another thing, but I believe that Mojo did not do anything illegal, they asked Sony, Sony agreed. Problem is of course in Sony-Leonard Cohen communication, and I hope Leonard's manager will ask someone in Sony about this affair and call for responsibility. I think Leonard must do it now, when already did not leave Sony when it was time (I don't believe anybody would not leave after Various Positions scandal.)
This compilation obviously want to tell some kind of alternate story about Leonard Cohen, but I must seedid essay theoreticized on that. I saw there's number of these Mojo Presents CDs, and it is fine if it will atract new fans.
Anyway, on British Amazon this compilation is 7th by bestselling under Leonard's name, The Essential first.

At #7 is Mojo Presents... released by Sony on September 22, for £11.99, but on #39 same CD released on September 30 by Sony International, credited as IMPORT, for £21.99.
Is there another release outside of UK or mistake??
Tom