Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen

by Tower Of Song: Songs Of Leonard

Overview

Anyone attempting a new tribute album to Canadian poet/author/songwriter icon Leonard Cohen faces several daunting difficulties, not the least of which is that it's already been done well twice. The "adult" music scene was covered off definitively as far back as 1986 with Jennifer Warnes's Famous Blue Raincoat, on which she channeled the spirit of Cohen in uncannily appealing fashion (a bout of divine inspiration she has not equaled for her own work). Cohen personally endorsed these sessions, duetting with Warnes on the epic "Joan of Arc." The "alternative" music scene got its licks in with 1991's I'm Your Fan, where poet/musician peers like John Cale teamed with such younger acolytes as Nick Cave, the Pixies, and R.E.M. to suffer Cohen's pain as if embodying a collective son for a surrogate holy father. Tower of Song strikes one as a venture likely devised by the Marketing Department, rather than those elitist projects with artists who actually share an affinity for Cohen's work. To be blunt, this 13-strong "tribute" is best described as a total train wreck. Most of the renditions are notable only for their astounding lack of subtlety. Big-name engines barrel down the track, horns blaring, with no regard for such warning signals as color, shade, contrast, tone, definition. A complete derailment, because what they've all fatally missed is the poetry of Cohen's lyrics. ~ Roch Parisien

Product Details

Release Date:	09/26/1995
Label:	A&M
UPC:	0731454025928

Tracks

1. Everybody Knows  - Leonard Cohen  - Don Henley  - Sharon Robinson
2. Coming Back to You  - Leonard Cohen  - Trisha Yearwood
3. Sisters of Mercy  -  Chieftains  - Leonard Cohen  -  Sting
4. Hallelujah  -  Bono  - Leonard Cohen
5. Famous Blue Raincoat  - Tori Amos  - Leonard Cohen
6. Ain't No Cure for Love  - Leonard Cohen  - Aaron Neville
7. I'm Your Man  - Leonard Cohen  - Elton John
8. Bird on a Wire  - Leonard Cohen  - Willie Nelson
9. Suzanne  - Leonard Cohen  - Peter Gabriel
10. Light as the Breeze  - Leonard Cohen  - Billy Joel
11. If It Be Your Will  - Jann Arden  - Leonard Cohen
12. Story of Isaac  - Leonard Cohen  - Suzanne Vega
13. Coming Back to You  - Leonard Cohen  - Martin Gore

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Chieftains   Primary Artist
Sting   Primary Artist
Aaron Neville   Primary Artist
Trisha Yearwood   Primary Artist,Vocals (Background)
Suzanne Vega   Primary Artist,Vocals,Guitar (Acoustic)
Bono   Primary Artist
Jann Arden   Primary Artist
Elton John   Primary Artist
Peter Gabriel   Primary Artist,Vocals,Keyboards
Willie Nelson   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals
Billy Joel   Primary Artist,Vocals
Don Henley   Primary Artist
Martin Gore   Primary Artist
Tori Amos   Primary Artist,Piano,Vocals
Scott Plunkett   Keyboards
Jackie Gouche   Vocals (Background)
Louise McCormick   Vocals (Background)
Carmen Twilley   Vocals (Background)
Matt Chamberlain   Drums
Jim Hoke   Horn
Fred Tackett   Guitar (Acoustic)
Maxine Willard Waters   Vocals (Background)
Arno Lucas   Tambourine
Alex Brown   Vocals (Background)
Eddie Bayers   Drums
Neil Stubenhaus   Bass
Matt Rollings   Piano
Mitchell Froom   Keyboards
Dann Huff   Guitar
Donna McElroy   Vocals (Background)
Steuart Smith   Guitar
Bob Bailey   Vocals (Background)
Billy Joe Walker   Guitar (Acoustic)
Jimmy Ripp   Guitar
Lon Price   Horn
Kim Fleming   Vocals (Background)
Benmont Tench   Organ
Grady Martin   Guitar
Lee Thornburg   Horn
Bill Churchville   Horn
Jerry Scheff   Bass
Jim Cox   Organ,Piano,Piano (Electric)
Jim Keltner   Drums
Jim Horn   Horn
Yvonne Hodges   Vocals (Background)
Paul Franklin   Pedal Steel
Steve Lindsey   Keyboards
Willie Weeks   Bass
Jean McClain   Vocals (Background)
Bobbie Nelson   Organ
Paul English   Drums
Mickey Raphael   Harmonica
Chris Rodriguez   Vocals (Background)
Curt Bisquera   Drums
Paul Leim   Drums
Larry Klein   Bass,Keyboards
Jody Payne   Guitar
Dominic Miller   Guitar
Bee Spears   Bass
Charles Rose   Horn
Mac McAnally   Guitar (Acoustic)
Steve Nathan   Organ
Dennis Herring   Guitar (Electric)
Vince Denham   Horn
Waddy Wachtel   Guitar
Dean Parks   Guitar,Mandolin,Guitar (Acoustic)
Lenny Castro   Percussion
Jerry Marotta   Drums,Percussion
Lori Perry   Vocals (Background)
Ron Sexsmith   Guitar (Electric)
Mark O'Connor   Violin
Sally Dworsky   Vocals (Background)
Scott Crago   Drums
Julia Waters   Vocals (Background)

Technical Credits

Jessie Noble   Production Coordination
Tom Robbins   Liner Notes
Robert Charles   Assistant Engineer
Chad Munsey   Assistant Engineer
Ronald K. Fierstein   Executive Producer
Sunja Park   Art Direction
Eric Rosse   Engineer,Mixing
Martin Gore   Performer
Richard Huredia   Assistant Engineer
Michael W. Douglass   Assistant Engineer
Mitchell Froom   Producer
David Anderle   Executive Producer
Aaron Neville   Performer
Trisha Yearwood   Performer
Suzanne Vega   Performer
Bono   Performer
Tori Amos   Performer
Elton John   Performer
Gabe Veltri   Engineer
John Paterno   Assistant Engineer
Howie B   Producer,Remixing
Ron Rigler   Engineer
Justin Neibank   Engineer
Peter Gabriel   Performer
Jim DeMain   Assistant Engineer
Jim Horn   Horn Arrangements
Tchad Blake   Mixing,Engineer
Steve Lindsey   Producer,Horn Arrangements,Supervising Producer
Dennis Keeley   Photography
Billy Joel   Performer
Willie Nelson   Performer
Stan Lynch   Producer
Simon Gogerly   Programming
Simon Osborne   Engineer
Bill-Dog Dooley   Engineer
The Chieftains   Performer
Leonard Cohen   Composer
Bill Schnee   Mixing,Assistant Engineer
Sharon Robinson   Composer
Ed Cherney   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
John Chamberlain   Assistant Engineer
Rik Pekkonen   Engineer
Don Henley   Producer,Performer
Doug Sax   Mastering
Jann Arden   Performer
John Hendrickson   Assistant Engineer
Jim Champagne   Assistant Engineer
Hugh Padgham   Mixing
Richard Chappell   Engineer
Julie Larson   Production Coordination