Musicians’ loss is often fans’ gains. Divorce has given us some of the best music of the twentieth century, touring is a monstrous hardship that gives us live music; sometimes managers run off with an artist’s nest egg, forcing the artists out of retirement to become financially solvent. The latter happened to Leonard Cohen, and it forced the 73-year-old Canadian bard to embark on his first tour in over a decade. In 2008 most of his dates were confined to Europe, and 2009 saw him hit American shores, bringing his unique blend of music and poetry. The Live in London DVD is taken from a show on July 17th at London’s O2 arena.
