In Popular Problems, his thrilling new
studio album, Leonard Cohen gets down into the avenues of our dreams and sets a
new tone and speed of hope and despair, grief and joy. Cohen here is an astonished lover rocking to
the human condition as "the soul unfolds in the chambers of its
longing." His legendary basso
resonates as never before with a presence and urgency that arises from the very
depths of the heart. The clarity and
strength of these nine hypnotic songs will have us singing them over and
over.
In
collaboration with co-writer Patrick Leonard, Popular Problems is a masterpiece
from the ever-fresh imagination of a musical legend whose songs continue to
captivate new listeners and devoted fans.
"Yet
again, Leonard Cohen has broken musical boundaries with new creative
inspiration," says Rob Stringer, Chairman/CEO of Columbia Records.
"These nine new songs are simply sublime and innovative with a unique
spirit. We're absolutely thrilled and honored to celebrate this milestone with
him."
Popular
Problems is Cohen's 13th studio album and will be released on September 23rd,
two days after his 80th birthday.
Popular Problems is available for pre-order everywhere today. Those who
pre-order Popular Problems digitally (http://smarturl.it/PopularProblems) will
receive an instant download of his new song, "Almost Like The
Blues." Click here to listen.
To
celebrate his milestone 80th birthday (September 21), Cohen's endless poetic
energy and legacy can be revisited with a new artist page on iTunes (www.itunes.com/leonardcohen),
which features Popular Problems and includes all 12 prior studio albums
Mastered For iTunes.
Popular
Problems was produced by Patrick Leonard, mastered at Marcussen Mastering and
was recorded and mixed by Jesse E. String with additional mixing by Bill
Bottrell.
Popular
Problems Tracklisting:
1.Slow
2.Almost
Like The Blues
3.Samson
In New Orleans
4.A
Street
5.Did I
Ever Love You
6.My Oh
My
7.Nevermind
8.Born
In Chains
9.You
Got Me Singing
Leonard
Cohen is a master songwriter, musician, poet, novelist and visual artist whose
stunning body of original work has touched the lives of millions with a career
spanning six decades.
His
explorations of spiritual, interpersonal, romantic and political themes have
impacted countless contemporary recording artists and writers. He has sold over
23 million albums, worldwide and published 12 books, the most recent of which
was 2006's 'Book of Longing', a collection of poetry, prose and drawings, which
reached #1 on the Top 10 Hardcover Fiction Books in Canada.
Cohen's
influence on musical and theatrical artists the world over is inestimable. In
fact, when Cohen was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in March
2008, the revered Lou Reed singled out Leonard as one of the "highest and
most influential echelon of songwriters." Cohen's songbook has been
covered by hundreds of recording artists including Jeff Buckley, Bob Dylan,
Nina Simone, Johnny Cash, Lou Reed, Tori Amos, Nick Cave, Joan Baez, Harry
Belafonte, Rufus Wainwright and the Civil Wars. Tribute albums have been
released in Cohen's honor in France, Norway, Canada, Spain, Swedish, Czech
Republic, South Africa and the United States. In 2008 Cohen's
"Hallelujah" became the fastest-selling digital single in European
history when three separate versions of the song appeared simultaneously on the
UK singles chart - Cohen's own original recording, a version from Jeff Buckley
and another from X Factor winner Alexandra Burke. Additionally, Leonard's songs
have been frequently selected to illustrate the emotion of motion pictures and
television programs and have been heard in Watchmen, The Passion of The Christ,
Natural Born Killers, The Wonder Boys, Pump Up The Volume, Secretary, The West
Wing, The O.C. and many others.
Leonard
Cohen has been honored as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient (2010),
inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame (2008), the Canadian Music Hall
Of Fame (2006), the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006) and the
Songwriters Hall Of Fame (2010). He has received the prestigious Principe de
Asturias Prize – the highest literary award in Spain (Spain, 2011) as well as
the Glenn Gould Prize, awarded to an individual for a unique lifetime
contribution that has enriched the human condition through the arts (Canada,
2011). The Canadian native has earned his country's highest civilian honors -
Officer of the Order of Canada (1991), Companion to the Order of Canada (2003),
Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2008).
Cohen's
recent return to live performance was met with extraordinary and unanimous
accolades as he performed around the world from 2008 through 2013. Cohen's
mesmerizing recent performances, deemed "a spiritual experience" by
all accounts, totaled 470 shows in 31 countries attended by four million fans.
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