New Skin for the Old Ceremony
by Leonard Cohen$13.95 Free Shipping
- Released
- 5/03/96
- Music Genre
- Pop
Description
Personnel: Leonard Cohen (vocals, guitar, Jew's harp); Janis Ian, Emily Bindiger, Erin Dickins, Gail Kantor (vocals); Jeff Layton (guitar, banjo, mandolin, trumpet); Ralph Gibson (guitar); Lewis Furey (viola); John Lissauer (woodwinds, keyboards, background vocals); Gerald Chamberlain (trombone); John Miller, Don Payne (bass); Barry Lazarowitz (drums, percussion); Roy Markowitz (drums); Armen Halburian (percussion). Digitally remastered by Vic Anesini (Sony Music Studios, New York). Though it's the least acclaimed of Cohen's early albums, NEW SKIN is one of his best, easily the equal of its three predecessors. It's much more ambitious than Cohen's previous efforts in terms of songwriting, but the production is nevertheless understated and tasteful. The urgent delivery and rhythmic drive of "Lover Lover Lover" and "There is a War" makes it seem like the young David Byrne spent as much time absorbing Cohen as he did Jonathan Richman. Ever the rake, Cohen makes a sly romantic appeal to an objet d'amour on the low-key, dixieland jazz-inflected "Why Don't You Try." NEW SKIN is full of emotionally harrowing moments. On "Is This What You Wanted," Cohen is haunted by the ghost of a relationship that may not even be over yet. "A Singer Must Die" finds him taken to task by the world at large (and himself) for some imagined treason intrinsic to his chosen profession. As effective as they are, these tumultuous scenarios are wisely offset by the black humor of the aforementioned "Why Don't You Try" and the over-the-top "Leaving Greensleeves."
Product Details
- Artist
- Leonard Cohen
- Year of release
- 1996
- Label / Studio
- COLUMBIA
- Media Content Format
- Album
- WOW HD Sales Rank
- #15578
- Media Format
- Audio CD
- Recording Environment
- Studio
- Number of Discs
- 1
- Run Time (minutes)
- 36
- Original year of release
- 1974
- CD 30days Sales Rank
- #11286
- Cast & Crew
- Leonard Cohen (Music Performer)
- John Lissauer (Producer)
- Frank Laico (Sound Engineer)
- Rick Rowe (Sound Engineer)
Press Reviews
4 Stars - Excellent - "...Cohen combines the raw, forlorn, bitter, deadpan and throwaway, moulding an atmosphere of wistful misery... Q (7/96, p.133)
Tracklisting
Disc 1:
-
Is This What You Wanted
-
Chelsea Hotel No 2
-
Lover Lover Lover
-
Field Commander Cohen
-
Why Don't You Try
-
There Is a War
-
Singer Must Die
-
I Tried to Leave You
-
Who By Fire
-
Take This Longing
-
Leaving Green Sleeves
