Type: Contains explicit content, Avant-garde, Lyrics are included with the album
Genre: Folk
Review
As with most every Leonard Cohen album, a new record means a new means of musical exploration. With The Future, Cohen adds chiming synthesizers and eerie orchestrations to his brooding anthems about life's darker half. One of the last of Cohen's full-length albums, The Future is definitely one of the most direct. More notable tracks include "The Future" and "Anthem," both of which were featured on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. Closer to spoken word poetry set to music than simply songs, the entire album is one long manifesto calling all to challenge the concepts of righteousness and despair in our modern world. Regardless of the music behind the man, Cohen still manages to bring to The Future what he brought to his earlier recordings: one man against the world with nothing but a gruff voice and a cause. ~ Christopher Fielder, All Music Guide
Leonard Cohen (Violin), Leonard Cohen (Arranger), Leonard Cohen (Programming), Leonard Cohen (Saxophone), Leonard Cohen (Producer), Leonard Cohen (Main Performer), Jennifer Warnes (Vocals), Jennifer Warnes (Vocals (Background)), Bruce Dukov (Strings), Mike Finnigan (Organ), Mike Finnigan (?), Peggi Blu (Vocals), Peggi Blu (Vocals (Background)), Tom Winslow (Engineer), Sid Page (Strings), L.A. Mass Choir (Choir, Chorus), Tony Warren (Vocals), Tony Warren (Vocals (Background)), Edna Wright (Vocals), Edna Wright (Vocals (Background)), Airiq Anest (Engineer), John Barnes (Bass), John Barnes (Synthesizer Bass), Cynthia Bass (Choir, Chorus), Ray Blair (Engineer), Bob Blaub (Bass), David Campbell (Strings), David Campbell (Arranger), David Campbell (Conductor), David Campbell (Vocals (Background)), David Campbell (String Arrangements), Lenny Castro (Percussion), Lenny Castro (Tambourine), Julie Christensen (Vocals), Julie Christensen (Vocals (Background)), Julie Christensen (Choir, Chorus), Ronald Clark (Strings), Vinnie Colaiuta (Drums), Larry Corbett (Strings), Richard Cottrell (Engineer), Jim Cox (Piano), Steve Croes (Programming), Steve Croes (Synclavier), LaVan Davis (Choir, Chorus), Rebecca de Mornay (Arranger), Rebecca de Mornay (Producer), Enrico DePaoli (Engineer), Joel Derouin (Strings), Brenda Lee Eager (Choir, Chorus), Aladrain Elmore (Choir, Chorus), Brandon Fields (Sax (Tenor)), James Gadson (Drums), Berj Garabedian (Strings), Bill Ginn (Programming), Bill Ginn (Producer), Bill Ginn (Synclavier), Bill Ginn (Performer), Bob Glaub (Bass), Yoav Goren (Arranger), Yoav Goren (Programming), Yoav Goren (Producer), Yoav Goren (Performer), Ed Greene (Drums), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Mark Guilbeault (Engineer), Dennis Herring (Guitar (Electric)), Paul Jackson, Jr. (Guitar), Jean Johnson (Vocals), Jean Johnson (Vocals (Background)), Raven Kane (Choir, Chorus), Richard Kaplan (Engineer), Suzie Kattayama (Strings), Randy Kerber (Keyboards), Steve Lindsey (Organ), Steve Lindsey (Piano), Steve Lindsey (Arranger), Steve Lindsey (Keyboards), Steve Lindsey (Producer), Steve Lindsey (Mellotron), Steve Lindsey (Wurlitzer), Steve Meador (Drums), Bob Metzger (Guitar (Acoustic)), Bob Metzger (Bass), Bob Metzger (Guitar), Bob Metzger (Pedal Steel), Bob Metzger (Guitar (Electric)), Bob Metzger (Guitar (Steel)), Charles Paakkari (Engineer), Dean Parks (Guitar (Acoustic)), Dean Parks (Guitar), Dean Parks (Mandolin), Dean Parks (Weissenborn), Greg Phillinganes (Piano), Valerie Pinkston-Mayo (Vocals), Valerie Pinkston-Mayo (Vocals (Background)), Lon Price (Sax (Tenor)), Duane Seykora (Engineer), Talley Sherwood (Engineer), David Shoeber (Engineer), Lee Sklar (Bass), Greg Smith (Sax (Baritone)), Greg "Frosty" Smith (Sax (Baritone)), Greg Smith (Sax (Baritone)), Donald Taylor (Director), Donald Taylor (Choir Director), Ian Terry (Engineer), Anjani Thomas (Vocals), Anjani Thomas (Vocals (Background)), Lee Thornburg (Trombone), Lee Thornburg (Trumpet), Lee Thornburg (Horn Arrangements), Raymond Tischer (Strings), Carmen Twillie (Choir, Chorus), Leanne Ungar (Producer), Leanne Ungar (Engineer), Leanne Ungar (Mixing), Jennifer Warner (Arranger), Jennifer Warner (Vocals (Background)), Jennifer Warner (Performer), Maxine Willard Waters (Choir, Chorus), Oren Waters (Choir, Chorus), Perla Batalla (Vocals), Perla Batalla (Vocals (Background)), Perla Batalla (Choir, Chorus), Bob Furgo (Violin), Bob Furgo (Saxophone), Daniel Smith (Strings), Thomas Tally (Strings), Waters, Julia (Choir, Chorus), Lashanna Dendy (Choir, Chorus), Donald Ferrone (Strings), Suzie Katayama (Strings), Jacquelyn Gouche-Farris (Vocals (Background)), Leland Sklar (Bass), Freddie "Ready Freddie" Washington (Bass), Gigi Bailey (Choir, Chorus), Sonya Griffin (Choir, Chorus), Ben Wallach (Engineer), Chad Blinman (Engineer), Patricia Finnie (Choir, Chorus), Nysa Larry (Choir, Chorus), Jeff Fisher (Arranger), Jeff Fisher (Keyboards), Jeff Fisher (Programming), Jeff Fisher (Performer), Rob Hart (Engineer), David Morgan (Vocals), David Morgan (Vocals (Background)), Peggy Blue (Vocals (Background)), Michael Petit (Cover Design)
Representative Albums: "Past, Present and the Futures/Greetings of Peace," "Past, Present and the Futures," "The Greetings of Peace"
Representative Songs: "Party Time Man," "Stay With Me," "Love Is Here"
Biography
One of Philadelphia's finest groups, the Futures made good music, but Lady Luck refused to work her magic on them. Frank Washington, Kenny Crew, James King, John King, and Henry McGilberry emulated the Temptations. Amjo Records released their first single in 1970, "Breaking Up" b/w "Our Thing." Richard Wright (deceased) sang lead on the Amjo side along with other members that, with one or two exceptions, differed from the previously mentioned names. Avalanche Records reissued the Amjo single the following year. The next single, "Love Is Here," appeared on Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff's Gamble label. It was a lovely Gamble and Huff song featuring a searing falsetto, McGilberry's deep bass, and weaving harmonies that only got spot play in a few cities; the Dramatics recorded an inferior version on their 10 1/2 album.
The Futures made a terrible career move when Gamble Records ended by signing with Buddah Records and missing a golden opportunity with Philadelphia International Records. Their first Buddah release, "(That's) The Way of a Woman in Love" b/w "Grade A Woman," dropped in January 1974 to a deafening silence. The second single, "No One Could Compare" b/w "You Better Be Careful," also failed to register. As they wallowed in obscurity, the O'Jays and Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes bloomed on Philadelphia International and the Spinners and the Stylistics reaped the benefits of their productions.
Buddah released the Futures' third single, "Castles," June 1975, which continued the string of flops. They issued the Futures' first album, Castles in the Sky, in 1975, which didn't include the first two singles and its promotion was almost nonexistent. Barbara Mason wrote their final Buddah single, "We Got Love," prompting a poorly promoted tour with Philly's First Lady of Soul.
They reunited with Gamble and Huff in 1978 at Philadelphia International Records, but the company's glory days were over. The first release, "Part Time Party Time Man," an energetic dancer with a terrific vocal, never charted high, yet was their most successful single. Its delightful successor, "Ain't No Time for Nothing," was succeeded by three more singles, including "Mr. Bojangles." Philadelphia International released two albums by the Futures: Past Present & the Futures and the obscure Greetings of Peace.
Warped Records issued the final Futures' recordings in 1982: "Let's Get to It" b/w "Young & Tender" and "Angel in Disguise" b/w "Betcha Come Back." McGilberry joined the Temptations in 1996, replacing Ray Davies, who replaced Melvin Franklin. ~ Andrew Hamilton, All Music Guide
The Future is a record album from 1992 and is one of the most popular albums recorded by Leonard Cohen. It has come to be recognized as his essential "film-score" album as nearly every one of the songs on the album has appeared in some notable form in a Hollywood film.
Widely recognized as one of Cohen's more accessible albums, The Future contains everything from gospel-choir choruses (title track) to synthesizer ballads ("Waiting for the Miracle"), to pop-country ("Closing Time"), to marching band, staccato-like rhythms ("Democracy"). "Democracy" admittedly influenced the opening track of HBO's The Sopranos, "Woke up This Morning", written and performed by A3.
While not his most commercially successful album internationally, The Future is definitely one of his most musically diverse outings. The album was, however, one of Cohen's biggest chart successes in his native Canada, where "Closing Time" and "The Future" were both significant Top 40 hits[citation needed]. Cohen, whose singing voice is famously an acquired taste, won the 1992 Juno Award for Best Male Vocalist. In his acceptance speech, he quipped that "only in Canada could I win a Best Vocalist award".[citation needed]
The Future was the last Cohen album to be recorded and produced entirely in analog and then digitised after mixdown. Its working titles were Busted (after the line from "Closing Time") and Be for Real.[citation needed]
