Artist Details
A celebrated and much lauded singer/songwriter, Cohen first emerged as a major and influential talent in the early 60s. Albums like Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1967), Songs Of Love And Hate (1970) and I’m Your Man (1990), right up to 1992’s The Future, 2001’s Ten New Songs and 2004’s Dear Heather are rightly considered classics. Uniquely for a revered musician, Cohen’s literary plaudits rival those for his music.
His songs have been famously covered by the great and the good, each version a fascinating attempt to move closer to Cohen’s enigmatic muse. From Judy Collins’ Suzanne to Jeff Buckley’s seminal rendition of Hallelujah, Cohen’s songs have travelled as far and wide as their author. U2, REM, Sting, Nick Cave, Rufus Wainwright and the late Johnny Cash are among other famous devotees. It is estimated that his songbook has been covered over 1,330 times by other recording artists.
With a career spanning six decades and sell out shows around the world, the writer, poet, troubadour and hugely influential artist continues to prove that the hunger to see him is undiminished. Since returning to the stage in 2008 after a 15-year hiatus, Cohen has lost nothing in his years off the road and his shows have quickly been recognised as musical history.
The Guardian – “Seizing his magnificent Hallelujah back from Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright and dozens more, he is possessed by the words, his eyes squeezed tight, his body trembling.” *****
Evening Standard – “On this form, Cohen could still be playing arenas at 80” ••••
Sunday Times – “The revelation of this concert wasn’t so much the music, beautifully performed as it was by a lightly amplified band who never put a foot wrong, but the persona of the man himself. Age hasn’t so much mellowed Cohen, as made him much, much funnier.”
Daily Express – “Leonard Cohen is special and this concert – all two-and-a-half-hours of it – was unforgettable.” *****
Financial Times – “Leonard Cohen’s powers of seduction are undimmed. Once, they gave him the reputation of a ladies’ man. Now, almost 78, he deploys his gallantry for a different purpose – to sweep audiences off their feet”
Cohen is arguably the greatest singer songwriter of modern times. At his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he was recognised by Lou Reed as “without question one of the most important and influential songwriters of our time, a figure whose body of work achieves greater mystery and depth as time goes on.”
