Product Description

The follow-up to Ten New Songs, legendary singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen releases Dear Heather, twelve new songs plus a live rendition of the old country standard "Tennessee Waltz".

Track Listing

1. Go No More A-Roving
2. Because Of
3. The Letters
4. Undertow
5. Morning Glory
6. On That Day
7. Villanelle For Our Time
8. There For You
9. Dear Heather
10. Nightingale
11. To A Teacher
12. The Faith
13. Tennessee Waltz (Live)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5308 in Music
• Released on: 2004-10-25
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Anyone who thinks that rock stars should have a retirement age is obviously not a big Leonard Cohen fan. Aged 70, Cohen has rolled out Dear Heather, which stands, alongside Ten New Songs and I'm Your Man as proof positive that there is life after youth for this part-time monk. But even on his early albums, Cohen sounded positively ancient, wise beyond his years- you get the feeling that he's at the age he was born to be, and Dear Heather feels like the album he's been waiting to make. As soon as it starts, you know it's not going to be anything less than classic Cohen. His deep rich croon, weathered slightly through the ravages of age, has matured like an oak tree, betraying enough expression that even a man of 50 would sound immature with his words. Musically, he's ably supported primarily by soft keyboard textures and female vocals that sooth the rough edges of his voice, but nothing too obtrusive to blunt his vision. Impossible to pick a standout, the album works as a whole piece, and even when Cohen tackles country standard "The Tennessee Waltz", its heartbreaking content make it sound like his own work. Essential. --Thom Allott

CD Description
Released in his 70th year, 'Dear Heather' is another collection of dark and brooding musical poems from the legendary American singer-songwriter, Leonard Cohen. Supported by soft keyboard textures, brass and gentle female backing vocals, Cohen meditates on love and life in his inimitable style on an album which has been described as one of the best he has ever recorded.

Customer Reviews

Unique and varied.
I'm a late-comer to Leonard Cohen and it was the slinky soulfulness of '10 New Songs' that first got me listening. 'Dear Heather' has one or two tracks that would fit easily on that album but generally is far more varied, intriguing, and ultimately more interesting.

The growling voice is deeper than ever, and is once again augmented by female support. On the tracks where he more or less recites poems he forces concentration on the words by repetition and simple musical arrangement, creating a powerful atmosphere on 'Villanelle For our Time' especially. By turns funny, sad, libidinous and political, this is an album of varying mood but consistent quality (although the final live track feels irrelevant).

'Dear Heather' is likely to annoy some, it feels resolutely un-commercial and it is undeniably challengingly varied. But to my ears it sounds like an artist comfortable with producing the songs and moods he wants without corporate blandification. Unique and characterful, not better than '10 New Songs' but richer in many ways.

The Elder of Dark Songs Returns with Love
After 2001's Ten New Songs, Cohen returns with a stunning new album, which clearly show than certain artists in their seventies, thankfully, are far from done with honing in their well-crafted wisdom.
Unlike his last album, Sharon Robinson's production allows Cohen's voice to carry the heft of these poems, whether sung or spoken. Actually, where Ten New Songs was more a collaboration than Leonard's solo album, Dear Heather finds her providing great vocals -specially in the The Letters- and more measured in the use of female back-up singers.
As far as I'm concerned, this is the work of a man who has meditated on mortality and found peace and reasons for gratitude, and yet remains unsentimental although more tender about his life. Here, Cohen's poignant and breathtaking poetry achieves a clarity only matched by its courage.
The first two examples which come to mind are Because Of ("Because of a few songs / Wherein I spoke of their mystery, / Women have been / Exceptionally kind / to my old age."), and The Letters (The wounded forms appear: / The loss, the full extent; / And simple kindness here, / The solitude of strength"), which are gorgeous expressions of a man settling accounts, whether thay may need to be apologies or gratitude.
Ultimately, this album shows more hope than somberness. Although Cohen could be called an elder of the dark and brooding song, he's, beneath it all, struck by beauty and loyal to a richer soul. This is an album about a vibrant life bared for examination, and the lesson is love, love above all else.
As he says in Villanelle For Our Time, a Frank Scott poem he musicalized:

"From bitter searching of the heart,
Quickened with passion and with pain
We rise to play a greater part.

This is the faith from which we start:
Men shall know commonwealth again
From bitter searching of the heart."

Majestic
I only own a few Leonard Cohen albums, ` I`m Your Man - The Future - Cohen Live `, I prefer his later work to most of his earlier albums, although some of his earlier songs are absolute jems. Cohen`s latest album ` Dear Heather ` is quirky, mesmerising and I would even say innovative. On some tracks Cohen is singing ( sort of ) on some he`s talking and in parts almost whispering, but this combined with the superb vocals of Sharon Robinson and Anjani Thomas is just entrancing.Other reviewers have detailed the tracks, so I`ll just say this. The first time you listen to this album you may be tempted to turn it off, but if you don`t, and you play it another 3 or 4 times, you may tune in to one of the most beautiful and majestic albums you will ever hear. The only negative comment I would make is the odd inclusion of an apparently 20 year old live track at the end of the album, a rendition of Tennesse Waltz, which in itself is not bad, but seems totally out of place. Anyway you can always just play the first 12 tracks like I do. If you want an album to unwind to late in the evening, you will not find a better album than ` Dear Heather `.