Some matchings are stranger and more surprising than others. Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector, for example. The thoughtful poet, often minimalist musician with the crazy Wall-of-sound-guns-nut producer. A match made in heaven? I think not.
The stories go somewhat apart how these two found each other, but they had in common that both careers had been a little stalled and needed fresh air. So they sat down and wrote a bunch of songs together, Cohen the words, Spector the music. And then into the studio, or rather three different studios, with musicians who apparently were among the best in the industry.
The recording was like the legends say they were with Spector, guns everywhere in the studio, Spector once aimed one at Cohen and cocked the hammer etc. A generally crazy atmosphere. According to Cohen, Spector was quite normal when they were alone, but the more people that came into the studio, the more insane Spector got.
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| Phil Spector |
One day Spector disappeared with everything they had recorded, to complete the final mix. Cohen was not at all prepared for this, the song he'd recorded was just to support the musicians, he had meant to do the final song later. But that didn't matter, Spector had made up his mind, and nothing could be done.
Personally, I'm not too fond of this album. Maybe it's because I have listened to more of Cohen's earlier works, with a more simple sound, and have difficulties fusing Spector's Wall of Sound with Cohen. And the songs are not that great anyway, not at the same level with what Cohen did, both earlier and later. And I don't know, a song like Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On becomes too different when it comes to my idea of Cohen (yes, I know he'd written a song with giving me head on the unmade bed. But that was a beautiful song.). Although that is the song that I, to my horror, sometimes go anround humming. But the chorus sticks in the head. Fingerprints sounds like Cohen joined the Salvation Army and sings Country & Western with the saviors. Sure, kind of fun.
Sometimes it sounds a little Lee Hazlewood, which could be a compliment, but sorry, I don't fall for this album. Probably an important root for my suspicion is that I have a pretty solid idea of how Cohen should sound. If someone else had made this album, I might have been a little more positive.
I would instead recommend Cohen's last work, You Want It Darker. He left us a short time ago, and my new, and his old hometown of Montreal, has been in mourning. He lived in a house near us, and one evening we walked there, lit a candle that contributed to the sea of candles, flowers and other things people had put outside his door. All weekend after his funeral, people made pilgrimage there. A man's death brought known and unknown together, and created a temporary feeling of community.
Tracklist
Side A
1. True Love Leaves No Traces 4:26
2. Iodine 5:03
3. Paperthin 5:42 Hotel
4. Memories 5:59
Side B
1. Left a Woman Waiting 3:28
2. Do not Go Home With Your Hard-On 5:36
3. Fingerprints 2:58
4. Death of a Ladies' Man 9:19
