Customer Reviews
Interesting takes on a collection of superb songs - By: Jen, 14 Aug 2005 
I love this album.The highlights are Don Henley's take on 'everybody knows' which is biting & cold, Martin Gore's 'coming back to you', rich but still imbued with the pain of emptiness (miles better than Tricia Yarwood's version)and Tori Amos's 'famous blue raincoat', she is perfect for the song. The rest is still good but I am not entirely convinced by Billy Joel, I think he lacks the necessary depth & Peter Gabriel's effort is a bit sluggish.
Have to disagree with the others, I think Bono's take on Hallelujah is interesting & I like it. However, the ultimate cover has to be John Cale's which is avaiable on the album 'I'm your fan - the songs of Leonard Cohen by....' If you like Leonard Cohen you should definitely investin this one too.
Successful Interpretations of classic Cohen masterpieces - By: , 20 Feb 2004 
If you are just on the verge of Leonard Cohen, if you appreciate the poetry & the compostions but you aren't so sure about that gravelly voice, the this is the one for you. An impressive set of well-know artists cover well-known works of Leonard Cohen, with an amazingly diverse set of styles (copmpare Elton John & Tori Amos).
A Fitting Homage to the Maestro of Melancholy - By: Bruce Kendall, 21 Feb 2003 This compilation is the bestin the genre of tribute albums that I have come across. The only thing lacking (and it is a black holein terms of negligence) is a cut from Jennifer Warnes, who is the premier interpreter of Cohen's songs. Every artist on the disc shines, most especially Willie Nelson & Suzanne Vega. Nelson's rendition of "Bird on a Wire" is one of the classics of recent memory & how anyone can call Vega's interpretation of "Story of Isaac" "unispired" is not only beyond me, but belongsin another lexicon. It is brilliant & enthralling & any other adjective you wish to substitute for an synonym for great artistry.
Leonard Cohen, as a songwriter, exists on a very small playing field. Some would say that only Dylan & he could occupy the same base,in fact. Whatever one's judgement (and it always boils down to a a case of tastes,in these matters) there is no denying Cohen writes verses that are about as intellectually & poetically satisfying as anyone else around. These are not just songs, but angst-ridden tone-poems that are about real-ationships that most of us who have been through the seventies & subsequent decades can absolutely relate to.
I bought this CD when it was a mere cassette, about six years ago, & it still gets lots of play. "Story of Isaac,"in particular, still strikes a nerve close to the main aorta. Perhaps to truly feel the deep import of this song, one must have a child him/herself. It ranks right up there with McDuff's reaction to the news of his family's demisein in terms of emotional impact.If you are not up on Cohen, give this CD a try. If you are, then definitely add this to your list, & if you aren't familiar with Jennifer Warne's fine cover album, "Famous Blue Raincoat," by all means add that one to your purchase list as well.
BEK
Diamonds and Dust - By: E. D. Barry, 02 Dec 2002 
Whilst clearly superior to the other Cohen covers compilation, 'I'm Your Fan', this contains both heart-stoppers & inexplicable duds.Tori Amos' delectably spaced out & soulful 'Famous Blue Raincoat' coupled with Elton John's successfully rocking version of 'I'm Your Man' are obvious highlights - but what on earth was Peter Gabriel thinking ofin his pared down & just plain emotionless version of 'Suzanne'? However even he has to take second place to Bonoin his prize turkey rendition of 'Hallelujah' - a magnificent song almost parodiedin the form of a woefully failed experiment.
A worthy purchase if you already have all the Cohen studio albums, but one can't help but have the feeling that it is the essentially personal nature of the songs that alienate them from re-interpreting artistes.
Competent, a few gems, but uninspiring overall - By: Pieter, 24 Oct 2002
It is mainly artists from the country, folk & singer-songwriter tradition that contribute to this 1995 tribute album which does not open on an impressive note. I do not like the vocal or instrumental arrangements, the tempo or Den Henley's voice. Coming Back To You by Trisha Yearwood is accomplished but the next one really sparkles: Sisters of Mercy by Sting & The Chieftains. The up-tempo treatment & the Celtic instruments totally transform the song, & it works somehow.
Bono then performs Hallelujah over subdued, atmospheric percussion & what sounds like didgeridooin a spoken voice interspersed with soulful falsetto vocals. It deserves credit for originality but the versions of John Cale on I'm Your Fan & Jeff Buckley on Grace are more to my liking. In arrangement & delivery, Famous Blue Raincoat by Tori Amos sticks close to the original from Songs of Love & Hate but with some instrumental flourishes & a bit more soul & variationin the vocals.
Likewise, Aaron Neville's interpretation of Ain't No Cure For Love basically conforms to the pattern of Cohen's recording, with some added pop appeal. I'm Your Man by Elton John comes across as crass & messy whilst Willie Nelson's Bird On A Wire is beautiful, exquisitely arranged & sung with soul & sensitivity. Suzanne by Peter Gabriel is passable but one expects more from such a great musician with so much magical musicin his portfolio; his version is gentle & slow with understated ambient sounds weavingin & out of the mix.
I'm no fan of Billy Joel's but I do love his cover of Light As The Breeze; it is powerful, rhythmic & appealing. Jann Arden interprets If It Be Your Will, the closing prayer from Various Positions, with elegance & feeling. The same goes for Suzanne Vega's rendition of Story of Isaac with its lovely instrumentation. The album concludes with Martin Gore's Coming Back To You, an acceptable interpretation but also quite close to the original from the Various Positions album.
Overall this is the least inspiring of all the Cohen tribute albums. The 1991 cd I'm Your Fan is strikingly varied, the one by Judy Collins is moving & memorable & the Jennifer Warnes album, especially the 20th anniversary edition with the 4 additional tracks, is graceful & elegant. The soundtrack Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is variedin qualityin style just like the aforementioned I'm Your Fan & it contains some real gems. Very few tracks on Tower of Song really resonate with Cohen's vision, or otherwise there is no real innovation with the exception of Bono & Sting & The Chieftains. Oddly enough, Billy Joel & Willie Nelson are stars of this show.
