aaamusic | On 03, Aug 2010

LEONARD COHEN’s SONGS FROM THE ROAD
SHOWCASES MOST OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCES
FROM ONGOING WORLD TOUR

FILMED IN 2008/2009 IN HIGH DEFINITION AND 5.1. SURROUND SOUND, AT VENUES IN CANADA, GERMANY, ISRAEL, SCANDINAVIA,
SWEDEN, THE UNITED KINGDOM AND U.S.A.

Released – 13 September 2010

Sony Music has unveiled the release of this very special DVD ‘Songs From The Road’ on 13 September. The DVD will be a compilation of Leonard Cohen’s performances taken from the 2008 and 2009 world tour plus exclusive backstage band interviews and behind the scenes bonus content. Each performance chosen is what Leonard regards as his best and none have been previously released.

Following the hugely successful 2008/2009 World Tour and Live In London releases, Songs From The Road has been compiled by Leonard Cohen and will include performances of ‘Lover, Lover, Lover’, ‘Bird On The Wire’, ‘Suzanne’, ‘Hallelujah’ and many more. The DVD will also include an exclusive 20-minute behind the scenes documentary, featuring interviews with band members that were conducted by Leonard’s daughter, Lorca Cohen.

The 12-song program is filmed in high definition and recorded in 5.1 surround sound and will be issued in two separate packages: The main package and first to be released in September will be the DVD+CD package, this will be an oversized 2-disc softpak, the Blu-ray version will come in a standard amray case and be released later along as well as a stand alone DVD package. The sets also feature two different sets of annotations. One is a rare album liner notes essay written by Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New Republic. The other is a detailed track-by-track insider’s commentary written by Ed Sanders, who served as producer of the sound recording and editing.

Having just announced his summer and autumn International tour dates, Songs From The Road is a reminder of why Leonard Cohen is still wowing crowds and selling out tours all around the world more than 39 years on.

It is ultimately Cohen’s ageless songs that draw faithful audiences – new fans and old – to his sold-out concerts. His 2008 tour dates sold over 700,000 tickets alone, across 84 shows worldwide.

Songs From The Road is not only a tribute to Cohen’s consummate artistry as a concert performer; it is also a tribute to his enduring worldwide popularity at this time in his career.

Tracklisting is identical for DVD, CD, Blu-ray, and vinyl LP:

Lover, Lover, Lover– Ramat Gan Stadium, Tel Aviv, Israel- September 24, 2009
Bird on the Wire– Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, Scotland- November 6, 2008
Chelsea Hotel –Royal Albert Hall, London, England- November 17, 2008
Heart With no Companion– Oberhausen King Pilsener Arena, Oberhausen, Germany- November 2, 2008
That Don’t Make it Junk– O2 Arena, London, England- November 13, 2008
Waiting for the Miracle- HP Pavilion, San Jose, California- November 13, 2009
Avalanche–Gothenburg Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden- October 12, 2008
Suzanne–MENA Arena, Manchester, England –November 30, 2008
The Partisan–Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland- October 10, 2008
Famous Blue Raincoat– O2 Arena, London, England- November 13, 2008
Hallelujah– Coachella Music Festival, Indio, California- April 17, 2009
Closing Time–John Labatt Centre, London, Ontario- May 24, 2009