Songs From the Road - new live album - Sept 14, 2010

[davidrichards]

LCmusicfan
"Well, I can't wait to hear it, but I'm going to hold on for the real release. I'd probably feel like I was "cheating" on Leonard by helping the pirates out there!"

As a retired music teacher I spent years trying to convince students that copying friends' LP's onto cassettes (that rather shows my age!) was really stealing from the composer and performer, so well said LCmusicfan. It may be difficult to wait but far better that than line the pocket of some thieving pirate.

[danslenoir]

LCmusicfan
"Well, I can't wait to hear it, but I'm going to hold on for the real release. I'd probably feel like I was "cheating" on Leonard by helping the pirates out there!"

As a retired music teacher I spent years trying to convince students that copying friends' LP's onto cassettes (that rather shows my age!) was really stealing from the composer and performer, so well said LCmusicfan. It may be difficult to wait but far better that than line the pocket of some thieving pirate.

Generally file sharing has absolutely nothing to do with money. The person who uploaded "Songs from the Road" to the source I downloaded it from hasn't and won't earn a penny for doing so.

[tomsakic]

I will also wait for the proper release, although the CD leaked out to the torrents.

danslenoir is maybe right - this Lover Lover Lover clip, its mix lacks the direct energy of live performances... I do hope that the proper DVD will have it, mabe it's just the quality and size of the clip and Amazon/YouTube formats. (and you're right about file sharing also, it's not about authors, it's about the greed of the industry)

[danslenoir]

I will also wait for the proper release, although the CD leaked out to the torrents.

danslenoir is maybe right - this Lover Lover Lover clip, its mix lacks the direct energy of live performances... I do hope that the proper DVD will have it, mabe it's just the quality and size of the clip and Amazon/YouTube formats. (and you're right about file sharing also, it's not about authors, it's about the greed of the industry)

I wouldn't expect it to change.

The clip is clearly taken straight from the DVD so it's safe to say it is the finished product. Sure, it might sound a bit grainy on YouTube due to it being a compressed file, but that won't affect the intrinsic mix/production which would be the same whether you are listening to it as a 56 kbs mp3 file or on CD. I've listened to it a few times through and I don't like the audio as much as I do Live in London because, even if it is probably technically better (i.e. no instruments being too low in the mix as is evident in some bits of Live in London), it sounds a bit clinical at times and lacks the chocolatey warmth Live in London has in abundance. I guess a lot of it comes down to personal preference though, and I'm sure there will be plenty of people delighted with the result.

One big positive: The visuals are definitely a big improvement on Live in London, based on the Lover Lover Lover clip anyway.

[davidrichards]

Danslenoir - You stated that "file sharing has absolutely nothing to do with money. The person who uploaded "Songs from the Road" to the source I downloaded it from hasn't and won't earn a penny for doing so."

I am not in disagreement with you about this and I would certainly agree that record companies make more than their fair share out of an artist (the same could be said about promoters of live concerts who charge exorbitant ticket prices whilst withholding many of the best seats for even more exorbitant so called VIP deals). However the fact remains that if anyone "acquires" a copy of a song/album/DVD without purchasing it legitimately, then royalties will not be paid to the artist/composer and therefore technically they are stealing from the artist/composer. It may well be that some people believe record companies deserve to be "hit" financially but in the end it is the artist/composer who will lose out on his/her rightful wages.

Whilst I can understand the desire to see live performances, as evidenced by the almost immediate uploading of performances to YouTube this is also an infringement of copyright and royalties. I would dearly love to get hold of the new DVD/CD before September but if that is at the expense of Leonard Cohen earning his rightful dues then it will not happen. He went back on the road because of someone taking advantage of him, it would be a pity if his fans did the same, albeit in a very different way.

Sorry to sound so moral and high-handed but as a retired music teacher I am all too aware of the scale of the rip-off which started when the first domestic tape machines came on the market and the problem has only got worse with the subsequent advent of the cassette and now of course the digital means of reproduction at very high quality.

[davidrichards]

Has anyone deciphered what will happen in September in the UK? Amazon are still advertising the DVD/CD as an import but not saying whether the DVD is compatible with UK standards and HMV have the following on their site - again it is somewhat confused as it appears to be one disc in one part of the listing but two in others and also again no indication of whether the DVD is UK compatible. Mabeanie mentioned the import problem some time ago - does anyone have any clue as to what is happening?????

HMV LISTING
Leonard Cohen
Songs From The Road Bonus Dvd

£11.99free uk delivery
list price £18.99 - Your saving £7.00

Availability: pre order now

Release date: 13-09-2010
Format: CD
Number of Discs: 1
Catalogue Number: 88697768392
Label: sony

[danslenoir]

Whilst I can understand the desire to see live performances, as evidenced by the almost immediate uploading of performances to YouTube this is also an infringement of copyright and royalties. I would dearly love to get hold of the new DVD/CD before September but if that is at the expense of Leonard Cohen earning his rightful dues then it will not happen. He went back on the road because of someone taking advantage of him, it would be a pity if his fans did the same, albeit in a very different way.

Sorry to sound so moral and high-handed but as a retired music teacher I am all too aware of the scale of the rip-off which started when the first domestic tape machines came on the market and the problem has only got worse with the subsequent advent of the cassette and now of course the digital means of reproduction at very high quality.

You don't need to apologise; everyone is fully entitled to their own opinion

I am going to purchase the CD/DVD when it is released though, so I'm not sure how I'm depriving the artist or label or any royalties. Leonard Cohen will be earning exactly the same "rightful dues" from me whether I download the album in advance or not, and I'd suggest any true fan will be purchasing the album too regardless of whether they download it or not first.

As for the live recording thing, I don't see it as a breach of copyright at all. Some bands (big ones at that) actively encourage the recording and sharing of their live performances because they know that a bootleg is going to have a negligible impact on sales of official releases but will widence their presence and audience. As far as I'm aware, Leonard Cohen has not said he has a problem with people taping his shows so I don't see a problem there.

[davidrichards]

Danslenoir

Thanks for your reply. As you are purchasing the DVD/CD do you have any idea about what is happening in the UK regarding supply. Is there a UK release or is it an import and if so will the DVD work?

[danslenoir]

Danslenoir

Thanks for your reply. As you are purchasing the DVD/CD do you have any idea about what is happening in the UK regarding supply. Is there a UK release or is it an import and if so will the DVD work?

Yes, there is a UK release.

You can preorder it here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Road-Leon ... 530&sr=8-2

or

http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDet ... sku=325019

Amazon UK also lists an import version that comes out a day later and is more expensive, but the only difference I can see is the listing of a "Track 13" on the DVD (Bonus Sketch Backstage Leonard-Filmed ny Lorca Cohen) of the import version. Perhaps that has just been missed out in error on the UK product page or perhaps it is bonus material only available on the imported version, because the HMV page doesn't list it either, but then bonus material sometimes isn't listed.

[jarkko]

As far as I know the UK/US releases are 100% identical, both with all the bonus stuff.

[danslenoir]

As far as I know the UK/US releases are 100% identical, both with all the bonus stuff.

Thanks for clearing that up Jarkko

[davidrichards]

Jarkko - Thanks for the clarification. I was somewhat confused because Amazon are listing an import released by Sony and a UK version released by CMG, about whom I know absolutely nothing, although I cannot imagine that Leonard or his management would allow a "bootleg" to be released, neither of course would a company like Amazon be releasing something not authorised.

Again thanks for your help in clearing this up.

[Clem]

David, the full UK name of the music label is 'Sony CMG'.
'Sony Commercial Music Group is the strategic marketing arm of Sony Music Entertainment UK, responsible for Sony Music catalogue releases and multi artist compilations....
Sony Music Enterainment is 100% owned by Sony Corporation of America.'
So sayeth their website.

[sharon.e]

Guys,
I called one of the big music chains store to ask if Israel's "Songs from the Road" release date is indeed Spetmber 14 and when we can expect it in the stores.
I'm so used that we're getting things way after the release date, I wanted to know whether to turn to Amazon or not.
To my very shock they said the release date will be September 1st with CD/DVD in stores that very day!!
It's a marketing move in order to take advantage of the upcoming High Holidays gift shopping rush (Rosh Hashana, Jewish New Year, is on September 8th.)

The bigger music stores are taking pre-orders, so all Israeli forum members, go ahead and call a sotre close to you and secure a copy.

It's only 1 week away.
I'm excited beyond words and wish to thank anyone who took part in making this decision.

Greetings from very hot Tel Aviv,
--Sharon

[oblivion]

dear sharon,
i´m so glad that your ghent-ticket came to me....
i had a great time
in berlin i was sitting beside a guy from israel, he was so touched by the show
and the experience to be in germany, he was speechless and happy
and i was soo glad that we could talk to each other about all this emotions.
thank you again and i would be very glad to meet you somewhere in the leonard-world
best regards
ute