Peter Mulvey: "Goodbye Bob" (1997) CD Review

Goodbye Bob is a five-song EP released in 1997. It's only seven minutes and sixteen seconds long, but a lot of Peter Mulvey magic is packed into there.

The first song is "Sign 'O'The Times," and it features that great low and loose-sounding guitar that Peter is famous for.

"If Love Is Not Enough" is a great song. But this is the same version released on Peter Mulvey's 1995 release Rapture. It's one of Peter Mulvey's best songs, but it would have been great if there had been a live version on this EP instead of an already-released track.

"Deep Blue"

"Deep Blue" of course is the name of the chess-playing computer that was developed by IBM. The lyrics include, "Do you ever wonder if you'll ever know the taste of skin?/oh, believe me, your loss was no sin/and even if you win someday, even if anything/how does it feel to know, tell me, how do you feel?"

The live version of "On The Way Up" was recorded at Johnny D's, a club in Somerville, Massachusetts, in July 1996. The original studio version can be found on the album Rapture.

"The Dreams" Is A Song About The People In The Boston Subways

The fifth and final song on this EP is a live version of "The Dreams." This recording was from a concert in Vermont in November of 1996. It's a really cool song about the subways. He introduces the song by saying, "This is a song I wrote about the subway. I didn't really play it in the subway, and you'll see why. It's kind of a bit much for people at 9 a.m. on their way to work is what I think it was."

He then launches into the song, which starts, "Inside the tunnels, the stone tunnels, are the trains/And inside the trains, the steel trains, are the bags of skin/And inside the thin skin are the blood and the bones/And inside the blood and the bones are the dreams/It really is that simple." This gets a laugh from the audience, and Peter Mulvey continues, "It really is that fragile/I am one such dream..."

Peter Mulvey is one of the musicians who would perform regularly on subway platforms under the cities of Boston and Cambridge. He even recorded down there.

Eastern Front Records
The CD was put out by Eastern Front Records. And "Sign O' The Times" and "Deep Blue" were recorded at Eastern Front Studios.

The other musicians on this EP are Goody on electric guitar and mandolin, Jackson Cannon on bass and mandocello, and Mike Piehl on drums.

Other Petery Mulvey CD Releases

Peter Mulvey has released several other CDs, including Deep Blue (1997), which of course features "Deep Blue" from this CD, Brother Rabbit Speaks (1992), Rain (1993), Rapture (1995), Glencree (1998), The Touble With Poets (2000), Ten Thousand Mornings (2002), Redbird (2003), Kitchen Radio (2004), The Knuckleball Suite (2006), Notes From Elsewhere (2007) and Letters From A Flying Machine (2009).

CD Track List

1. Sign 'O' The Times
2. If Love Is Not Enough
3. Deep Blue
4. On The Way Up (live)
5. The Dreams (live)
   

Lori McKenna: "Pieces Of Me" (2001) CD Review

Album features excellent songwriting and Lori's strong and always interesting voice.

The album opens with "Mars," which is a beautiful song (apart from the pointless cymbals at the very beginning). Lori's voice is excellent, as she sings, "You might see yourself in me -/but I don't see nobody I know/This isn't the way I figured it would be/when i figured it a long time ago."

Richard Shindell Performs Backing Vocals On "Never Die Young"

"Never Die Young" is a pretty and sad song, featuring Brad Hatfield on keyboard and Richard Shindell on backing vocals. The chorus is, "I am the one who will never die young/I am a martyr and I can not hide/But I'm not a winner, I'm just brilliantly bitter/I'm sealed by my skin, but broken inside."

"God Will Thank You"

"God Will Thank You" is a more upbeat, fun song, featuring a cool fiddle part by Ian Kennedy. The lyrics are playful: "And I heard about Adam and Eve but I still believe she never got a fair trial." And: "Or maybe you believe in God because/The big bang theory don't hold much weight. God will thank you."

"Fireflies" Features Ellis Paul On Backing Vocals
"Fireflies" is a sweet fairytale song. The lyrics are wonderful. Here is a taste: "Before you knew me - I traveled around the world/I slept in castles and fell in love because I was taught to dream."

Ellis Paul performs backing vocals on this song. As a side note, Ellis Paul actually a wrote a song called "Fireflies," and released it on his second cassette (yes, cassette), Am I Home.

"Girl Like Me"

"Girl Like Me" is another playful song with a good keyboard part by Brad Hatfield. The chorus is "Well, someone hurt you and I'm sorry that you're lonely/If you were everything you promised you would be.../You wouldn't be in a place like this - with a girl like me."

"Pink Sweater"
"Pink Sweater" is just a really cool song, and the way she says the word "sweater" is just delightful. Could listen to that over and over. Plus, it has the lines, "You are cold but you boil/You are lower than dirt - and not worth the soil."

"Pieces Of Me" Title Track
The title track, "Pieces Of Me," is wonderful. It starts off, "I have been a poet all my life. With really not too much to say./So you can push me anyway you like. But you can't push me away."

All the songs on this album were written by Lori McKenna.

Musicians On CD
The musicians on this album include: Lori McKenna on vocals and acoustic guitar, David Goodrich on electric guitar and mandolin, Mike Rivard on bass, Billy Beard on drums, Kris Delmhorst on cello and backing vocals, Mike Rinquist on congas and percussion, Brad Hatfield on keyboard, Ian Kennedy on fiddle, Michael Ward-Bergeman on accordion, Seth Connelly on steel guitar, Crit Harmon on tambourine and Joe Donnelly on triangle and tambourine.

Backing vocalists include Concetta Gordon, McCawley Burke, Richard Shindell, Jennifer Kimball, Ellis Paul and Meghan Toohey.

Crit Harmon produced this album.

CD Track List

1. Mars
2. Never Die Young
3. God Will Thank You
4. This Fire
5. Fireflies
6. Girl Like Me
7. Instead
8. Pink Sweater
9. Deserving Song
10. Pieces Of Me
11. You Are Loved
    

Kate Jacobs: "Home Game" (2011 Release) CD Review

Kate Jacobs' first album in seven years contains sweet and often touching songs of home life, as well as a great song about being on the road.

There is something instantly likable about Kate Jacobs' voice. It has an honest sweetness to it. Maybe that's also due to its having something of a young-girl quality. And it's partly because of that quality that these songs come off so well. It's also because of that quality that certain songs come as wonderful surprises, like "$55 Hotel," in which she tells a man that he "can just go to hell."

Home Game is the first CD Kate Jacobs has released in seven years. So what has she been up to these past seven years? These songs will tell you.

The majority of these songs are about raising her children. Actually, they're like love songs to her children, to her family. While not a children's album, the music on this CD was certainly inspired and shaped by her experiences starting a family.

All of these songs are originals, written by Kate Jacobs. ("Home Game" was co-written by Dave Schramm.)

"Rey Ordonez"

The album kicks off with "Rey Ordonez," a song which lovingly lists baseball players. All the players in this song were on The Mets in the 1990s: Jose Vizcaino, Carlos Baerga, Bobby Bonilla, Edgardo Alfonzo, and of course Rey Ordonez. She sings, "They were our friends on the radio."

First off, who doesn't love a woman who loves baseball? Okay, sure, the song is more about her band on the road late at night after a gig. But still, it's a treat for baseball fans. And when the song kicks in, it does so with such a joyous force that it's immediately a favorite. This is a song with the best pop sensibilities. "Rey Ordonez" is one of this CD's highlights.

The song ends with a snippet from a radio broadcast of a game, which mentions Ordonez.

"Home Game"

The title track, "Home Game," is a sweet and mellow tune. A love song to a child, in it Kate sings, "Little one, you are the one I was waiting for/Dreams come true sometimes." Even for those without children, this song can't help but tug at their emotions. And for those with children, this song should have a special significance.

This song feels like the end of a day, when the world becomes just one's immediate surroundings, one's home and family. It has that comforting sort of sound and vibe.

Drummer Paul Moschella's daughter Sophie is audible at the end of the song.

"Home Game" was written by Kate Jacobs and Dave Schramm.

"A Sligo Lad"

"A Sligo Lad" has a cool jazzy feel. And it contains references to William Butler Yeats and James Joyce. By the way, Sligo is a town in Ireland. Kate sings, "He's like this crazy Irish weather/Ever since we've been together/I just never know/How the wind will blow."

Kate's voice is especially adorable on this one.

"Jesus Has Been Drinking"
"Jesus Has Been Drinking" has a country feel, and a fun sense of humor. Plus, it has a Beatles reference, in the line, "He looks just like George Harrison on the cover of Abbey Road."

Here is a taste of the lyrics: "Everyone knows him as Jesus/But nobody knows him at all/His presence among us has pleased us/Til Jesus hit the wall."

"$55 Hotel"
A country-rock tune, "$55 Hotel," is a song about cheating. Well, it's actually about discovering that one's spouse has been cheating. Kate sings, "A lot of nights you've been working late/The kids and I get by/What I want to know is what kind of a hotel costs $55 a night."

This song has a wonderful exuberance, particularly in the chorus. It also has some great play on words, like the double meaning of "cheap" in "It's a pretty cheap way to say goodbye after seventeen years of 'I love you.'" This is one of the best tracks on the CD, and is an example of how this is not a children's record.

"Good Enough"
"Good Enough" is a sort of love song, about a not-so-perfect couple who manage to make it work. It includes both the male and female parts, and they sing, "If it’s good enough for you/it’s good enough for me/I never knew that making do could be just fine/And if it’s good enough for us/then darlin’ what’s the fuss?/Let’s call it love/It’s pretty good/Most of the time."

How is that for honesty in a love song? And listening to Kate's delightful voice, one gets the sense that this relationship has a much better chance of lasting than most.

Gene Turonis provides the male lead vocal part on "Good Enough."

"Time For Bed"

Home Game concludes with "Time For Bed," a short and somewhat goofy song about tucking the kids in and going to sleep. Kate sings, "Were sweeter words ever said/I wait all day just to hear somebody say/Isn't it time for bed."

CD Track List

1. Rey Ordonez
2. On My Monitor
3. Home Game
4. Make Him Smile
5. A Sligo Lad
6. Jesus Has Been Drinking
7. $55 Hotel
8. Love Comes And Goes
9. Good Enough
10. All The Time In The World
11. Time For Bed
    

Musicians on this album are Kate Jacobs on guitar and vocals; James MacMillan on electric and acoustic bass, piano, organ and vocals; Paul Moschella on drums, percussion and vocals; and Dave Schramm on guitars, dobro, vibes, piano, organ and vocals.

Guest musicians include Andy Burton on piano and organ, Claudia Chopek on violin, Tanya Kalmanovich on viola, and Eleanor Norton on cello.

Home Game is scheduled to be released January 25, 2011 on Small Pond Music. This CD was produced by Dave Schramm. (Dave Schramm will be familiar to many as the lead guitarist for Yo La Tengo in the band's early years. He's also played with The Replacements, Freedy Johnston and Richard Buckner.)

Kate Jacobs has released four other albums, including The Calm Comes After (1993), What About Regret? (1995), Hydrangea (1998) and You Call That Dark (2004).

(Note: I originally posted this review on November 29, 2010.)

Jim Infantino: "Strawman" CD (1993) CD Review

Before Jim's Big Ego, there was Jim . Jim Infantino has always been a master of mixing humor with pathos. This early acoustic album is excellent.

The album opens with "Under The Stony Sky." The lyrics that open the album are "I didn't follow your directions but I got there anyway."

Those lyrics perfectly capture what Jim Infantino is about. He's possibly incapable of following directions, and that can only help him. He's getting there anyway.

Crow

"Crow" is just that. Five seconds of the sound of a crow. Okay. Listeners need to forgive these little indulgences when folk artists get into a recording studio with all sorts of gadgets to play with. Fortunately this is the only such indulgence on this album, and it's over in five seconds.

"Strawman," the title track, features Hannah Logan on backing vocals on the chorus.

The overall sound of this album is more serious than earlier releases. Jim Infantino has a great sense of humor, and that does translate well to his music, especially in live performances. But this album really has only two obviously funny songs, those being "Reno" and "Stress."

Stress

Jim has released several versions of "Stress" over the years. The version on this album is one of the best. This song has the refrain, "Everybody's out to get me but I feel alright." The song warns, "It's the little things that get you when you weren't paying attention." Jim Infantino plays harmonica on this song.

The middle section of the song is appropriately manic. Fueled by caffeine and pressure, Jim sings, "But what I think I'd really love is to get out by myself on a little tiny island in the middle of the ocean with just me and a book and a cellular phone and a personal computer in case something came up and I'd eat and I'd drink and I'd run and I'd sleep and I wouldn't do nothing except swim all day 'cept I don't know how to do laps in the ocean, where are the sharks? where are the sharks? and there's this kind of anemone that sticks in your foot and the poison goes up to your brain and you die." Indeed.

A Real Horn Is A Change For Jim

In "Dirty Little Town" there is a cool horn part. In concert, Jim used to perform solo. He would fake the horn parts of songs with his mouth. "This song has a horn solo. I don't have a horn, but I like to think I do," he would say, introducing a song. But the song only gains from having a real horn, played by Garret Savluk.

"What A Shame" is both sad and hilarious - a mixture that works so well for Jim Infantino. The song begins with the lines, "Take a knife and stab it in your foot/now there's a reason to be unhappy/now there's a reason to be blue." So right away one might think this to be a purely silly song. But the very next lines are "Take a pill, take a lot, take the orange ones/they made you sick last time/I know you knew."

"Big Old Dark Green Car" was a concert favorite around this time. It features a funny imitation of a donkey. This version also features an excellent violin part by Karen Casey.

Somewhere Over NYC

"Somewhere Over NYC" is a song that went through a lot of title changes, including "My Brother And Me" and "5:30 In The Morning." It's a really sweet song about an older brother building his sibling a rocket out of Legos in which they can travel to a land "where people believe you/even though you're only three." The last verse brings the listener to the present: "Now it's twenty five years later/and I'm somewhere stuck in traffic/and my radio is busted/and the car is overheating."

When The Folk World Was On Cassette And In Subways

This is an early CD release for Jim Infantino. Most of his albums before this one (such as "Trust This Face") were released only on cassette. Remember those days in the folk world? When everything was on cassette and sold in the subways of Boston and New York for whatever money one might be able to scrape together.

This album came soon after the end of End Construction, a group of Boston folk musicians that included Jim Infantino, Ellis Paul, Jon Svetkey and Brian Doser.

CD Is Not Overproduced

A lot of the folk musicians at this time would overuse the gadgets in the studio. It was like a lot of new toys, and they wanted to play with all of them. Thus, a lot of folk musicians who were amazing in concert were releasing some pretty bad records. Not so with Jim Infantino. This album is not overproduced. It sounds just exactly right. On "Failure" Jim just uses the backing vocals of Hannah Logan to add to the song without taking anything away. Any more would be too much for that song. And on "Reno" there are no accompanying musicians whatsoever.

The abum features Joel Ouellette on drums and Alex Smoller on bass.

Jim's Big Ego

Jim Infantino has moved on somewhat since this release. His current band, Jim's Big Ego, has a larger and louder sound. Of course, they're just as much fun to see perform in concert as Jim Infantino was back in the days of this release.

The track listing for Jim Infantino's "Strawman" is as follows:

1. Under The Stony Sky
2. Crow
3. Strawman
4. Stress
5. Dirty Little Town
6. What A Shame
7. Big Old Dark Green Car
8. Somewhere Over NYC
9. Failure
10. Reno
11. No Way To Believe

(Note: I originally posted this review on February 20, 2010)

Patrolled By Radar: "Be Happy" (2011) CD Review

I loved these guys when they were 50 Cent Haircut. The change in names hasn't diminished their appeal at all. Their new album, Be Happy, is full of cool tunes with excellent lyrics. And what a voice. Lead singer Jay Souza at times reminds me of folks like Steve Owen and David Lowery.

The name was apparently changed because people confused the band with the rapper 50 Cent. Uh, who were these people? The rapper never wrote a song half as good as anything this band has performed under either name.

On this release, the band displays its good sense of humor. I have a weakness for stuff that sounds negative, but really isn't because it's sung with a smirk. There are moments that caused me to actually burst out laughing, like the sarcastic-sounding "la la la" moment in "Haywire."

This album has no nonsense. Nothing is overproduced. There are no hidden tracks. Everything is just exactly right. All the songs were written by Jay Souza.

"Widow Next Door"

Be Happy opens with "Widow Next Door," a song that sounds like country with an edge. It has a sexy vibe to it. (Think Joe Henry, or even Bob Dylan.) I absolutely love the backing vocals by Annette Summersett.

"New Fight Song"

"New Fight Song" starts off as more of a rock tune, like something by Cracker. The line "So let's all fall in love" is sung with a wonderful cynicism. This song boasts great lyrics including the lines, "my skull was cracked/like a cathedral dome." Then a minute and a half, it breaks down to more of a country tune, with a bit of whistling to boot. And then there is some great stuff on electric guitar when it kicks back in - it comes in with energy and anger.

"Dressed For The Drought"

"Dressed For The Drought" is a great folk song for the poor and depressed. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "we're not impressed/when the truth comes out/we don't care anymore/we don't know where to begin/we're perfectly dressed for the drought." I love the harmonica that comes in near the end. It has that sad, try tone, like a lone man in the desert at dusk, perfectly suited for this song.

"Pachyderm"

"Pachyderm" is country rock with a definite pop influence. It features a short drum solo by Mark Bennington, leading into an excellent lead part by August Poehls on tenor sax. Like all of this album's tracks, there are some excellent lyrics, such as "you are waving at catastrophe/well the same goes for me/we are eager to be/gun shy/one day you'll die."

"Coat Of Disappointment"

Though the subject of "Coat Of Disappointment" is actually serious and sad, this song has some funny lyrics, like "i love the drugs/i'm ingesting/how i wish she were here/to disagree." This song has a classic country rhythm, and it reminds me a bit of Steve Owen. The piano section comes as a pleasant surprise. (That's Peter Curry on piano.)

"Coat Of Disappointment" turns out to be kind of a sweet song, with lines like, "i sat and cried last night/before the stone/that bears her name/i planted a flower/in the rain/now i'm waiting/for the sun."

"Fast Life Slow Death"

"Fast Life Slow Death" is a seriously cool song. It starts like a slowly bleeding wound. I love the way the music and lyrics are so closely entwined on so many of these songs. What's also great about these songs is that though there is a sense of humor behind them, they will still end up affecting you emotionally. Jay really grabs you when he sings, for example, "here's to my fast life/and my slow death" just before the song picks up a bit. And when he sings, "i'd like to change some things i guess." This is a wonderful song.

"Be Happy"

"Be Happy," the album's title track, is country folk that kicks in with a bit of country stomp feel. Music that makes you want to drink a cheap beer and then smash the bottle. Should I point out here that Patrolled By Radar shares initials with Pabst Blue Ribbon? (Though does PBR come in bottles, or just cans?)

There is a short (though repeated) section of "Be Happy" with a steady beat that reminds me of "Windy" by The Association. Seriously. Listen to the two songs back to back. You'll hear it.

By the way, I love these lyrics: "i said i love you/for lack of a better word/she said that's the worst lie i've ever heard/then she started to slap me."

"Walking"

The album concludes with "Walking," a groovy bluesy rock number about Hitler and Johnny Cash. I don't think there's anything else I need to say.

CD Track List

1. Widow Next Door
2. New Fight Song
3. Dressed For The Drought
4. Pachyderm
5. Coat Of Disappointment
6. Fast Life Slow Death
7. Haywire
8. Carried Away
9. Be Happy
10. Walking
    

Musicians

Patrolled By Radar is Jay Souza on lead vocals, guitar and harmonica; Bryan "BC" Coulter on guitar and backing vocals; Bryan "Reno" Stone on bass and backing vocals, Mark Bennington on drums, and Bosco Sheff on slide and steel guitar.

Joining them on this release are Peter Curry on drums, bass and piano; Annette Summersett on backing vocals and organ; Krister Axel on organ and accordion, August Poehls on tenor sax, and Austin Hartley-Leonard on cello.

Be Happy is scheduled to be released on June 7, 2011 on Knitting Factory Records. Patrolled By Radar is based in Los Angeles.

Leonard Cohen: "Various Positions" (1984) CD Review

Various Positions is one of the best albums ever recorded. This album was not initially released in the United States, but has proved in the years since to be an incredible recording.

The album opens with "Dance Me To The End Of Love," the song Leonard Cohen chose to open his concerts with on his most recent tour. A beautiful song. (He also opened many of his concerts on his 1988 and 1993 tours with this song.)

The second song on this album, "Coming Back To You," is one of Leonard Cohen's best songs. Leonard Cohen's songwriting proves itself to still be strong, with lyrics like "I looked for you in everyone/And they called me on that too." The song ends with, "And all I said was just instead of coming back to you." He doesn't even go back to her.

"Night Comes On" is another of Leonard Cohen's best songs. "I needed so much to have nothing to touch/I've always been greedy that way."

Hallelujah

And then there is "Hallelujah," certainly his most famous song from this album, and one of the songs most covered by other artists. There are versions of this song by Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Rufus Wainwright, k.d. lang, Bob Dylan, Allison Crowe, Willie Nelson, Bono, and even Justin Timberlake.

The song has gone through some changes since the release of Various Positions. When performed in concert these days, there are some different verses, but that is the way with several of Leonard Cohen's songs (for example, "Bird On The Wire"). Listen to the version on Live In London to hear the current lyrics. There is also an excellent version on Cohen Live (1994), recorded at Austin City Limits, October 31st, 1988.

First Studio Release In Five Years

This album came after a long lull - his last release coming five years earlier, 1979's Recent Songs. This album has a fuller sound, with a band that includes John Crowder on bass, Richard Crooks on drums, Sid McGinnes on guitar, Kenneth Kosek on fiddle, Ron Getman on harmonica and John Lissauer on piano.

Jennifer Warnes And Anjani Thomas

Jennifer Warnes does backing vocals on this album. She released an entire album of Leonard Cohen covers, titled, Famous Blue Raincoat. This album recently was re-released on CD, with bonus tracks. This edition was released in August, 2007. On her album, she covers three songs from "Various Positions": "Coming Back To You," "Night Comes On" and "If It Be Your Will."

Anjani Thomas also does backing vocals on this album. Fans of Leonard Cohen know that she co-wrote some of the songs on Leonard Cohen's 2004 release Dear Heather.

All songs on Various Positions were written by Leonard Cohen. He also took the photo that graces the cover of the album.

Album Not Released In U.S.

Shockingly, when this album came out, it did not get released in the United States. Columbia Records refused to release it. Walter Yetnikoff, the president of Columbia, famously called Leonard Cohen into his office and said, "Look, Leonard, we know you're great, but we don't know if you're any good." Columbia finally released it in 1990 as part of Leonard Cohen's entire work on CD.

Songs Performed On Leonard Cohen's World Tour

Three songs from this album were staples in his recent 2008-2009 tour: "Dance Me To The End Of Love," "Hallelujah" and "If It Be Your Will." In concert, Leonard Cohen would introduce "If It Be Your Will," but then the Webb Sisters would take it from there, performing a beautiful rendition of this song that became a highlight of the show. They truly do sound like angels.

At some of his shows on this tour, he also performed "Heart With No Companion." People have said that this song is depressing, but they misunderstand. He's saying, "I greet you from the other side of sorrow and despair." He's greeting the listener from the other side. He's made it through, and he's telling the listener that he or she can make it through too. It's actually a positive, optimistic song.

This is often the way with Leonard Cohen's music. People at first mistake it for depressing and sad. But there is much optimism and humor in Leonard Cohen's songs. (In "Hallelujah" he rhymes "hallelujah" with "what's it to ya.")

(Note: I originally posted this review on February 10, 2010 on another site.)

Leonard Cohen: "So Long, Marianne" (1992) CD Review

Leonard Cohen's So Long, Marianne is really just another version of the 1975 release, The Best Of. Released in 1992 by Columbia, this album, like The Best Of, contains twelve songs. Most of the songs here are those included on The Best Of, but arranged in a different order.

This album opens with "Who By Fire," from 1974's New Skin For The Old Ceremony. The second song is "So Long, Marianne," which was originally released on Leonard Cohen's first album, Songs Of Leonard Cohen.

Album Features Four Songs Not Included On "The Best Of"

This album has four songs that were not included on The Best Of. Interestingly, though this album was released years later, the extra songs are still songs from Leonard Cohen's first four albums, just as all of the songs from The Best Of were.

The four differences are "Lover Lover Lover," "Winter Lady," Tonight Will Be Fine" and "Diamonds In The Mine." For those who are curious, these songs replaced "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye," "Famous Blue Raincoat," "Last Year's Man" and "Take This Longing."

"Lover Lover Lover"

The first deviation from the 1975 release is the song "Lover Lover Lover," which was originally released on New Skin For The Old Ceremony (1974). This is a song that Leonard Cohen did perform during a brief leg of his 2008-2009 tour, making the fans who made it to those shows very happy.

There is a live version of "Lover Lover Lover" on Field Commander Cohen (2001).

"Winter Lady" And "Tonight Will Be Fine"

"Winter Lady" was originally released on Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1967). "Tonight Will Be Fine" was originally released on Songs From A Room (1969). Live versions of that song can be found on Live Songs (1973) and Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (2009).

"Diamonds In The Mine"

This album ends with the lively "Diamonds In The Mine," which was originally released on Songs Of Love And Hate (1970). A live version of this song is included on Live At The Isle Of Wight 1970 (2009).

This album was released in 1992, the same year that saw the release of Leonard Cohen's "The Future." He was enjoying a new popularity at that time, due in part to his music being used in several films, including Pump Up The Volume (1990).

There is a question of whether this album is considered an official release. Leonard Cohen does not include it in the list of albums on the official web page. Also, it seems that So Long, Marianne was released with a different cover in 1989.

CD Track List

1. Who By Fire
2. So Long, Marianne
3. Chelsea Hotel No. 2
4. Lady Midnight
5. Sisters Of Mercy
6. Bird On The Wire
7. Suzanne
8. Lover Lover Lover
9. Winter Lady
10. Tonight Will Be Fine
11. The Partisan
12. Diamonds In The Mine