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Binding: Audio CD EAN: 5099746556921 Label: Sony Manufacturer: Sony Number Of Discs: 1 Publisher: Sony Release Date: November 01, 1989 Studio: Sony Sales Rank: 94
Amazon.co.uk Review: Various Positions was Leonard Cohen's first album of the 1980s, yet was in keeping with the rest of his albums in two important respects: one, it sounded absolutely nothing like anything else anyone else was doing; two, it was a compelling reason for anyone else dealing in songs of love and its loss to wonder why they were bothering. As a lyricist, Cohen has few, if any, peers--he has never been the relentless doom-monger of popular myth, but a wise, warm and frequently very funny chronicler of heartbreak. Cohen, like very few others, has always appreciated that love is at least as much comedy as tragedy. Various Positions contains some of Cohen's best--"Dance Me To The End Of Love", "Coming Back To You" and a shortened, accusatory version of "Hallelujah", later covered to such majestic effect by Jeff Buckley. It also contains the bizarre country epic "The Captain", in which Cohen plays the part of a young officer being handed command of his unit by his dying superior. All are sung in Cohen's trademark husky drone and all are the work of a writer who, here as always, uses language like Vincent used paint. --Andrew Mueller
Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - HALLELUJAH LAUGHING LENNYS LAST LAUGH
For those who don't know there are three versions of "Hallelujah"in the uk top forty,an awful soulless version at number one.the brilliant Jeff Buckley at two and Cohens version at Thirty three,and the amazing thing is it is not Cohens best song on this marvelous album,the master of melancholy has stuffed this album with classic songs "The law""Night comes on""The captain""Hunters Lullaby" and "If it be your will" are just as good.
This album was ignored when issued in 1994,and it is only ... Read More
Rating: - leonard cohen the legend!!
this album is fab hallialuah made me buy it but the whole album is fab buy it the story about hallialuah on radio2 thats how i got to hear of him he deserves much more regonition why hasant he? bob dylan does and i think leonard cohen is much better and his voice is better too!! alson get songs of leonard cohen from the 60s and songs of love and hate!! buy them you wont regret it ive also just recieved richard hawleys ladys bridge album fabalous too!!
Rating: - TIMELESS
A great CD and well worth the 4 pounds I spent on it, after seeking high and low in every store here in Germany for it. It was the only CD missing in my Leonard Cohen collection and I regret not having gotten it earlier. Together with Jennifer Warnes and a fairly minimal orchestration Cohen proves once again he doesn't need a WALL OF SOUND to make a great CD.
Rating: - The Other Side Of Sorrow And Despair
Cohen made three classic albums with John Lissaeur at the helm: 1974's New Skin For The Old Ceremony, 1979's Recent Songs, but at the apex of these achievements stands 1984's Various Positions, in that it paved the way for a new audience to discover Leonard Cohen afresh. This wasn't done by just adding the odd synthesised drone here and there, for there is the same continuity of themes and musical genres threaded consistently through the works (compare New Skin's 'Why Don't You Try?' or 'I Tried ... Read More
Rating: - Leonard Cohen at his best
This is one of my favourite Cohen CDs, as it has no tracks I tend to skip past. As usual it is Cohen's strong lyrics (more poetry really) and the quality of his voice that holds the simple backing tunes together. Being exposed to country music as a child by my father I particularly like, well love actually, 'The Captain' (he even gently mocks the format in the lyrics) but there other strong songs in there as well you may prefer, like 'The Law' or 'The night comes in' or 'Hallelujah' [yes, the fantastic ... Read More
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