New Skin for the Old Ceremony
Encyclopedia
New Skin for the Old Ceremony is Leonard Cohen
's fourth studio album. On this album, he begins to evolve away from the rawer sound of his earlier albums, with viola
s, mandolin
s, banjo
s, guitar
s, percussion and other instruments giving the album a more orchestrated (but nevertheless spare) sound. The album is silver in the UK, but never dented the Billboard Top 200
.
A remaster
ed CD was released in 1995 and in 2009 it was included in Hallelujah - The Essential Leonard Cohen Album Collection, an 8-CD box set issued by Sony Music in the Netherlands.
to print one early edition of the album minus the image substituting instead a photo of Cohen.
The image originally came to public attention in C.G.Jung's essay, The Psychology of The Transference
(2nd ed.1966) where it is held by Jung to depict the union of psychic opposites in the consciousness of the enlightened saint. The sexual embrace as a symbol for this condition of psychic unity is also found frequently in Tibetan thangka
s (sacred paintings).
Side one
Side two
, probably New York City
's most famous Bohemian
hostelry. For some years, when performing this song live, Cohen would tell a story that made it clear that the person he was singing about was Janis Joplin
. Cohen would eventually come to regret his choice to make people aware that the song was about Joplin, and the graphic detail in which the song describes their brief relationship. In a 1994 broadcast on the BBC
, Cohen said it was "an indiscretion for which I'm very sorry, and if there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now, for having committed that indiscretion."
In concert, a prolonged "I Tried to Leave You" was sometimes used to introduce the band. The 14-minute rendition from the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival
even featured extra lines given to the backup singers.
"Who by Fire" explicitly relates to Cohen's Jewish roots, echoing the words of the Unetanneh Tokef
prayer and sung as a duet with Janis Ian
(also Jewish; her birth name is Janis Eddy Fink).
"Leaving Green Sleeves" is a reworking of the 15th-century folk song "Greensleeves
". Cohen retains the chord progression and the words of the first two verses, but changes the melody and takes the latter verses in a different direction than the original. The song, and in turn the album, ends with Cohen violently screaming the chorus as the track fades out.
On December 16, 2010, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles showcased a series of eleven commissioned art videos inspired by songs from New Skin for the Old Ceremony. The project was curated by Lorca Cohen and Darin Klein. The artists participating in the project were Brent Green, Alex da Corte, Wenston Currie, Theo Angell, Christian Holstad
, Sylvan and Lily Lanken, "Lucky Dragons
," Kelly Sears, Brent Milspaw, Peter Coffin
, and Tina Tyrell.
in 1977, and the other three on Recent Songs
in 1979.
covered it on the Cohen tribute album
I'm Your Fan
, and Rufus Wainwright
performed the song at the 2006 live tribute, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
. Regina Spektor
has also covered the song in live performances, as has Lambchop
and the song features on their tour only album Rainer on my Parade. Marissa Nadler
covered "Chelsea Hotel #2" on her Australian Tour CD and has been known to cover this song in her live performances. It was covered by Brand New
sung by band leader Jesse Lacey
. Meshell Ndegeocello covered it during a concert in Paris, France, 30 January 2011. It is also referenced in both the title and lyrics of Jeffrey Lewis
's song "The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song."
"A Singer Must Die" was covered by the Irish
art rock
group The Fatima Mansions on I'm Your Fan, by Jennifer Warnes
on her 1986 album Famous Blue Raincoat
, and by the Art of Time Ensemble with Steven Page
on their 2010 album A Singer Must Die
.
"Who by Fire" was covered by The House of Love
on I'm Your Fan, by industrial band Coil
on their 1986 album Horse Rotorvator
, and by Buck 65
and Jenn Grant
on Buck 65's 2011 album 20 Odd Years
.
"Lover Lover Lover" was covered by Ian McCulloch
of Echo and the Bunnymen, scoring him a minor hit in the British charts in 1992.
Leonard Cohen
Leonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
's fourth studio album. On this album, he begins to evolve away from the rawer sound of his earlier albums, with viola
Viola
The viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
s, mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
s, banjo
Banjo
In the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new...
s, guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, percussion and other instruments giving the album a more orchestrated (but nevertheless spare) sound. The album is silver in the UK, but never dented the Billboard Top 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
A remaster
Remaster
Remaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ed CD was released in 1995 and in 2009 it was included in Hallelujah - The Essential Leonard Cohen Album Collection, an 8-CD box set issued by Sony Music in the Netherlands.
Cover
The original cover art for New Skin for the Old Ceremony was an image from the alchemical text Rosarium philosophorum. The two winged and crowned beings in sexual embrace caused his U.S. record label, Columbia RecordsColumbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
to print one early edition of the album minus the image substituting instead a photo of Cohen.
The image originally came to public attention in C.G.Jung's essay, The Psychology of The Transference
Transference
Transference is a phenomenon in psychoanalysis characterized by unconscious redirection of feelings from one person to another. One definition of transference is "the inappropriate repetition in the present of a relationship that was important in a person's childhood." Another definition is "the...
(2nd ed.1966) where it is held by Jung to depict the union of psychic opposites in the consciousness of the enlightened saint. The sexual embrace as a symbol for this condition of psychic unity is also found frequently in Tibetan thangka
Thangka
A "Thangka," also known as "Tangka", "Thanka" or "Tanka" is a Tibetan silk painting with embroidery, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, famous scene, or mandala of some sort. The thankga is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting...
s (sacred paintings).
Track listing
All songs were written by Leonard Cohen, except "Chelsea Hotel #2" by Cohen and Ron Cornelius.Side one
- "Is This What You Wanted" – 4:13
- "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:06
- "Lover Lover Lover" – 3:19
- "Field Commander Cohen" – 3:59
- "Why Don't You Try" – 3:50
Side two
- "There Is a War" – 2:59
- "A Singer Must Die" – 3:17
- "I Tried to Leave You" – 2:40
- "Who by Fire" – 2:33
- "Take This Longing" – 4:06
- "Leaving Green Sleeves" – 2:38
Songs
"Chelsea Hotel", the precursor to "Chelsea Hotel #2", was only performed live. "Chelsea Hotel #2" refers to a sexual encounter in the Chelsea HotelHotel Chelsea
The Hotel Chelsea, also known as the Chelsea Hotel, or simply the Chelsea, is a historic New York City hotel and landmark, known primarily for its history of notable residents...
, probably New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's most famous Bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
hostelry. For some years, when performing this song live, Cohen would tell a story that made it clear that the person he was singing about was Janis Joplin
Janis Joplin
Janis Lyn Joplin was an American singer, songwriter, painter, dancer and music arranger. She rose to prominence in the late 1960s as the lead singer of Big Brother and the Holding Company and later as a solo artist with her backing groups, The Kozmic Blues Band and The Full Tilt Boogie Band...
. Cohen would eventually come to regret his choice to make people aware that the song was about Joplin, and the graphic detail in which the song describes their brief relationship. In a 1994 broadcast on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Cohen said it was "an indiscretion for which I'm very sorry, and if there is some way of apologising to the ghost, I want to apologise now, for having committed that indiscretion."
In concert, a prolonged "I Tried to Leave You" was sometimes used to introduce the band. The 14-minute rendition from the 1985 Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux Jazz Festival
The Montreux Jazz Festival is the best-known music festival in Switzerland and one of the most prestigious in Europe; it is held annually in early July in Montreux on the shores of Lake Geneva...
even featured extra lines given to the backup singers.
"Who by Fire" explicitly relates to Cohen's Jewish roots, echoing the words of the Unetanneh Tokef
Unetanneh Tokef
Unetanneh Tokef, Unethanneh Toqeph, or Unesanneh Tokef is a piyyut that has been a part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy in rabbinical Judaism for centuries. It introduces the Kedusha of Musaf for these days...
prayer and sung as a duet with Janis Ian
Janis Ian
Janis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
(also Jewish; her birth name is Janis Eddy Fink).
"Leaving Green Sleeves" is a reworking of the 15th-century folk song "Greensleeves
Greensleeves
"Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song and tune, a ground of the form called a romanesca.A broadside ballad by this name was registered at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580 as "A New Northern Dittye of the Lady Greene Sleeves". It then appears in the surviving A Handful of...
". Cohen retains the chord progression and the words of the first two verses, but changes the melody and takes the latter verses in a different direction than the original. The song, and in turn the album, ends with Cohen violently screaming the chorus as the track fades out.
On December 16, 2010, the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles showcased a series of eleven commissioned art videos inspired by songs from New Skin for the Old Ceremony. The project was curated by Lorca Cohen and Darin Klein. The artists participating in the project were Brent Green, Alex da Corte, Wenston Currie, Theo Angell, Christian Holstad
Christian Holstad
Christian Holstad is an American artist based in Brooklyn, New York City. He received his BFA at the Kansas City Art Institute in 1994....
, Sylvan and Lily Lanken, "Lucky Dragons
Lucky Dragons
Lucky Dragons is an experimental music group consisting of Luke Fischbeck and Sarah Rara. Based in Los Angeles, California, the band are noted for their unusual sound, described as having the ability to make "'everyday sounds' become alluringly other"....
," Kelly Sears, Brent Milspaw, Peter Coffin
Peter Coffin
Peter Coffin may refer to:* Peter Coffin * Peter Coffin * Peter Coffin...
, and Tina Tyrell.
Personnel
- Leonard Cohen – guitar, vocals, producer
- John Lissauer – woodwinds, keyboards, backup vocals, producer, arranger
- Emily BindigerEmily BindigerEmily Bindiger is an American singer, belonging to the award-winning a cappella group The Accidentals....
– backup vocals - Gerald Chamberlain – trombones
- Erin Dickins – backup vocals
- Lewis FureyLewis FureyLewis Furey, born Lewis Greenblatt is a Canadian composer, singer, violinist, pianist, actor and director.-Career:Born in Montreal, Quebec to French and American parents, Furey trained as a classical violinist, and at age 11 performed as a soloist in the Matinées pour la jeunesse concert series...
– viola - Ralph GibsonRalph GibsonRalph Gibson is an American art photographer best known for his photographic books. His images often incorporate fragments with erotic and mysterious undertones, building narrative meaning through contextualization and surreal juxtaposition.Ralph Gibson studied photography while in the US Navy and...
– guitar - Armen Halburian – percussion
- Janis IanJanis IanJanis Ian is an American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author. Ian first entered the folk music scene while still a teenager in the mid-sixties; most active musically in that decade and the 1970s, she has continued recording into the 21st century...
– vocals - Gail Kantor – backup vocals
- Jeff Layton – banjo, mandolin, guitar, trumpet
- Barry Lazarowitz – percussion
- Roy Markowitz – drums
- John Miller – bass
- Don Payne – bass
Songs for Rebecca
Shortly after this album, co-producers Lissauer and Cohen proceeded to work on its follow-up, Songs For Rebecca, which was abandoned after one side was completed. Five songs are known from their live performances during the North American tour of November 1975; they were reworked and recorded few years later – two of them with Phil Spector for Death of a Ladies' ManDeath of a Ladies' Man
Death of a Ladies' Man is the fifth of Leonard Cohen's albums. Produced and co-written by the storied Phil Spector, it was a surprise to some fans when the voice of typically minimalist Cohen was surrounded, some critics said submerged completely, by Spector's Wall of Sound, which included multiple...
in 1977, and the other three on Recent Songs
Recent Songs
Recent Songs was the sixth studio album by Leonard Cohen, released in 1979. Produced by Henry Lewy and the artist himself, the album was a return to Cohen's acoustic folk music after the Phil Spector experimentation of Death of a Ladies' Man, but now with many jazz and Oriental influences.The album...
in 1979.
Cover versions
"Chelsea Hotel #2" has been performed many times by other musicians. Lloyd ColeLloyd Cole
Lloyd Cole is an English singer and songwriter, known for his role as lead singer of Lloyd Cole and the Commotions from 1984 to 1989, and for his subsequent solo work.-Early life:...
covered it on the Cohen tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan
I'm Your Fan: The Songs of Leonard Cohen is a tribute album to Leonard Cohen, released in 1991, produced by the French music magazine Les Inrockuptibles. The album features Cohen's songs interpreted by some of the most respected rock acts of the time...
, and Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
performed the song at the 2006 live tribute, Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man is a 2005 film by Lian Lunson about the life and career of Leonard Cohen. It is based on a January 2005 tribute show at the Sydney Opera House titled "Came So Far for Beauty", which was produced by Hal Willner...
. Regina Spektor
Regina Spektor
Regina Ilyinichna Spektor is a Russian American singer-songwriter and pianist. Her music is associated with the anti-folk scene centered in New York City's East Village.-Early life:...
has also covered the song in live performances, as has Lambchop
Lambchop (band)
Lambchop, originally Posterchild, is a band from Nashville, Tennessee. Lambchop is loosely associated with the alternative country genre...
and the song features on their tour only album Rainer on my Parade. Marissa Nadler
Marissa Nadler
Marissa Nadler is an American dream-folk singer-songwriter and fine artist based in Boston.-Early life:Marissa Nadler was exposed to art at a young age through her mother Pamela, an abstract painter, and her older brother Stuart, a guitarist and writer...
covered "Chelsea Hotel #2" on her Australian Tour CD and has been known to cover this song in her live performances. It was covered by Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
sung by band leader Jesse Lacey
Jesse Lacey
Jesse Thomas Lacey is an American musician from Levittown, New York. He is the frontman of the band Brand New.-Musical career:...
. Meshell Ndegeocello covered it during a concert in Paris, France, 30 January 2011. It is also referenced in both the title and lyrics of Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis
Jeffrey Lewis is an American singer/songwriter and comic book artist.-Early life:Lewis attended State University of New York at Purchase and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Literature...
's song "The Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song."
"A Singer Must Die" was covered by the Irish
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
art rock
Art rock
Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
group The Fatima Mansions on I'm Your Fan, by Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Warnes
Jennifer Jean Warnes is an American singer, songwriter, arranger and record producer. She is known for her interpretations of compositions written by herself and many others, as well as an extensive playlist as a vocalist on movie soundtracks.Between 1979 and 1987 Warnes surpassed Frank Sinatra as...
on her 1986 album Famous Blue Raincoat
Famous Blue Raincoat (album)
Famous Blue Raincoat is the sixth album by Jennifer Warnes. It debuted on the Billboard 200 on February 14, 1987 and peaked at No. 72. Originally released by Cypress Records, it was reissued by Private Music after Cypress went out of business....
, and by the Art of Time Ensemble with Steven Page
Steven Page
Steven Jay Page , is a Canadian musician. Along with Ed Robertson, he was a founding member, lead singer, guitarist, and a primary songwriter of the music group Barenaked Ladies ; he left the band in 2009 to pursue a solo career....
on their 2010 album A Singer Must Die
A Singer Must Die
A Singer Must Die is Steven Page's first release following his departure from Barenaked Ladies, and his first solo album since 2005's The Vanity Project. It was recorded with the Art of Time Ensemble. It contains ten tracks, which are covers. The album was put on Page's website for preorder about a...
.
"Who by Fire" was covered by The House of Love
The House of Love
The House of Love is an English alternative rock band. Formed in 1986, the band rose to prominence in the UK as a leading indie rock band in 1988 and split up in 1993, eventually reforming a decade later in 2003. The band is best known for its detailed psychedelic guitar sound and for the...
on I'm Your Fan, by industrial band Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
on their 1986 album Horse Rotorvator
Horse Rotorvator
Horse Rotorvator is the second LP released by the British industrial group Coil. It was named one of the Top 100 Albums of the 1980s by Pitchfork Media who ranked it 73rd.-Editions:...
, and by Buck 65
Buck 65
Richard Terfry , who uses the stage name Buck 65, is a Canadian experimental artist, MC and turntablist. Underpinned by an extensive background in abstract hip hop, his more recent music has extensively incorporated blues, country, rock, folk and avant garde influences.Terfry is also a radio host,...
and Jenn Grant
Jenn Grant
Jenn Grant is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.-Background:Born on Prince Edward Island to Ken and Heather Grant, she moved to Halifax with her mother and brother at age ten when their marriage broke up...
on Buck 65's 2011 album 20 Odd Years
20 Odd Years
20 Odd Years is an album by Canadian hip-hop artist Buck 65. It , and is named in honour of Buck 65's 20 years in the music industry.- 20 Odd Years EPs :...
.
"Lover Lover Lover" was covered by Ian McCulloch
Ian McCulloch (singer)
Ian Stephen McCulloch is an English singer, born in Liverpool, and is best known as the frontman for the rock group Echo & the Bunnymen.-Career:...
of Echo and the Bunnymen, scoring him a minor hit in the British charts in 1992.
External links
- Album lyrics, from The Leonard Cohen Files