Leonard Cohen seems to have defied time or maybe he learned something about making the most of the moment from the Zen masters he's studied with and his long-time practice. Whatever the reason, he is a very fit and smart singer/songwriter. In December 2012, we saw him in New York, and at 77 years old, he playfully skips off the stage for the intermission.
This fabulous concert was recorded on July 17, 2008 at the Oz Arena in London, England. The large and enthusiastic audience thrills to his familiar renditions of "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne" and are equally warm to "Bird On a Wire" which Cohen fills with raw emotion in his vocals.
We got a kick out of the Montreal performer's sense of humor in various asides and set-ups for songs. He pokes fun of his age saying, "About fourteen or fifteen years ago, I was 60 years old, just a kid with a crazy dream" and later admits: "I've also studied deeply in the philosophies, but the cheerfulness kept breaking through."
On this top-notch DVD, beauty keeps breaking through in at least three ways. First, it's evident in Cohen's Zen-like courtesy to the talented group of musicians on stage with him. He repeatedly acknowledges them by taking off his hat to them and introducing them by name to the audience. We were especially appreciative of several standout performances by Dino Soldo on sax, harmonica, and wind instruments; Javier Mas on banduria, laud, archilaud, and 12-string guitar; Neil Larsen on organ; and Bob Metzger on guitars.
Second, there is beauty in the melodic and buoyant back-up vocals of Sharon Roberts, Cohen's frequent co-writer, and the Webb Sisters, who do a lovely duet on "If It Be Your Will." And last but not least, we see beauty in this artist's intimacy with the audience and his obvious pleasure in pleasing them and feeding off their energy. He repeatedly thanks the crowd for the "honor" of performing for them.
Other standout songs are "Hallelujah," "Everybody Knows," "First We Take Manhattan," "Tower of Song," and "Dance Me to the End of Love."
