Leonard Cohen Live At the Isle of Wight 1970 [Digipak]

Performer: Leonard Cohen
Producer: Steve Berkowitz
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Leonard Cohen (acoustic guitar); Ron Cornelius (guitar); Charlie Daniels (fiddle, electric bass); Donna Washburn, Corlynn Hanney (background vocals). Audio Mixer: Chris Shaw . Liner Note Author: Steven Berkowitz. Photographer: Jim Marshall . On August 31, 1970, Leonard Cohen was scheduled to play the third Isle of Wight Festival. Under chaotic conditions, an unkempt Cohen took the stage without hesitation at 2 a.m in a safari jacket and jeans over his pajamas, along with the Army -- producer Bob Johnson on organ, piano, and guitar; Elkin "Bubba" Fowler on bass and banjo; fiddler Charlie Daniels; guitarist Ron Cornelius; and vocalists Corlynn Hanney, Susan Mussmano, and Donna Washburn. It's all here on CD and DVD from Legacy. Cohen played songs from his first two albums, debuted a few, recited poems, and told stories. The CD captures the entire performance in nearly pristine sound. The hits (of the time) are here, the banter is here, and the entire performance by the band is so special it will leave the listener utterly satisfied. Whether it's "So Long Marianne," the poem "They Locked Up a Man," the stellar reading of "The Partisan," or the chilling version of "Famous Blue Raincoat," this is top-notch Cohen. The DVD is imperfect but is still essential viewing artistically and historically.

Montreal's Leonard Cohen was a well-respected poet and novelist before he ever entered the songwriting fray in the 1960s. His dark, poetic vision rivaled that of Dylan, and his songs inspired countless cover versions, by everyone from Judy Collins to Nick Cave. Over the years, he honed his craft to a razor's edge, his passion always expertly undercut by a biting sense of black humor. His early recordings were largely acoustic affairs, but by the end of the 1980s he had reinvented his sound, successfully incorporating synthesizers and contemporary production techniques while still sounding very much like himself (and gaining a new generation of followers in the process).

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