Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979


Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 is a live album by Leonard Cohen, released in 2001. Songs were recorded live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 4, 5, and December 6, 1979, and at the Dome Theatre, Brighton, on December 15, 1979. Cohen considered it his "best tour ever".
Accompanying Cohen was the jazz band Passenger from Austin, Texas, consisting of members Steve Meador on drums, Roscoe Beck on bass, Mitch Watkins on guitar, Bill Ginn on keyboards and Paul Ostermayer on saxophone and flute. Other tour members included violinist Raffi Hakopian, oudist John Bilezikjian, and backup singers Jennifer Warnes and Sharon Robinson. Beck would become a stalwart of Cohen's studio and live bands for more than a decade afterwards. The album cover portrait was taken by Montreal photographer, Hazel Field.

Reception

James Hunter of Rolling Stone called the LP "elaborately, and yet simply, awesome." Mark Deming of AllMusic writes that Field Commander Cohen "presents an especially strong argument for Cohen's gifts as a musician." The New York Observer also praised the album: "Mr. Cohen's voice is warm and strong throughout, and still has some of the high end that is not so evident on his last two studio albums..."

Track listing

  1. "Field Commander Cohen" – 4:25
  2. "The Window" – 5:51
  3. "The Smokey Life" – 5:34
  4. "The Gypsy's Wife" – 5:20
  5. "Lover Lover Lover" – 6:31
  6. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 4:04
  7. "The Stranger Song" – 4:55
  8. "The Guests" – 6:05
  9. "Memories" – 4:38
  10. "Why Don't You Try" – 3:43
  11. "Bird on the Wire" – 5:10
  12. "So Long, Marianne" – 6:44

Personnel

;Passenger
  • Roscoe Beck – bass
  • Bill Ginn – keyboards
  • Steve Meador – drums
  • Paul Ostermayer – saxophone & flute
  • Mitch Watkins – electric guitar
;Production