Leonard Cohen – Can't Forget: A Souvenir Of The Grand Tour

Cohen's second release since last September's platinum Popular Problems is, like its predecessor, a live album from his 2012-13 Old Ideas tour. But unlike the four-disc, full-concert Live In Dublin, this single album was recorded in various countries and times, and not always during the show. Cohen's sound checks, as lengthy as the shows, where he'd experiment with old songs and try out new ones, were celebrated by insiders, and the three examples here are among the highlights: a remarkable Field Commander Cohen, like a four-and-a-half-minute operetta; a cover of George Jones' Choices (gorgeous fiddle); and a new Cohen original, up-tempo blues Got A Little Secret. The performance numbers – all featuring Cohen in excellent voice – include Stages, an anecdote on aging that turns into a bluesy Tower Of Song; Never Gave Nobody Trouble, a previously-unreleased, down-tempo blues, and La Manic, by Quebecois chansonnnier Georges Dor. Listen to a live version of I Can't Forget...