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Most performers record a cover song at some point in their career, but rarely do they get help from the original artist to reinvent their material. But Jennifer Warnes did just that: Leonard Cohen to not only gave his blessing when she decided to record his songs, but even moved to L.A. for four months to rearrange a number of his tunes. The result was the critically acclaimed Famous Blue Raincoat, originally released in 1987.
Cohen’s one-time backup singer has reissued this collection with four previously unreleased tracks. Today the record seems dated – it’s total adult contemporary pop, complete with cheesy horns and eye-rolling piano flourishes – but it does present an interesting twist on a number of Cohen-penned tunes, including Came So Far For Beauty and Song Of Bernadette.
These don’t beat the originals but the disc still plays an integral part in the Montreal poet’s past.
