What Are You Listening To?

[Tiggi]

Jennifer Warnes was one in a long line of quality backing singers who've worked with Leonard Cohen, and this is a 1987 album of LC covers - Jenny Sings Lenny, she proclaims on the inner sleeve. LC sings a duet with her on Joan of Arc to excellent effect. Her version of First we Take Manhattan saw light of day a full year before LC's "original" on I'm Your Man.

JW's voice is very obviously a different animal altogether than LC's, and this gives an interesting slant to the songs, as her singing is beautiful throughout, and I don't think LC himself would ever describe his own vocals as beautiful ?!

The material tends to focus on what would now be Leonard's middle period, and it's all brilliantly put together. I first bought this when it was released, which more or less coincided with my introduction to Leonard himself, so I'm equally familiar with either versions of these songs. Someone like Music Head, who's an ardent LC fan may not quite appreciate these versions the way I do. Don't know...

Excellent music, and FWIW the recording is state of the art.


AllMusic 4+/5 stars.