Leonard Cohen And Harry Nilsson Are Releasing New Albums, Whether They Like It Or Not

The only thing we know for sure about new posthumous studio albums from Leonard Cohen, Harry Nilsson, Prince, Arthur Russell and others: Final approval did not come from the artists themselves. At some point, a producer – or manager, or official from the estate or other individual a step removed from the name on the marquee – acted as the artist's proxy and gave an OK to release the work to the public.

With artists of a certain stature, the assumption is that every scrap is worth sharing. Fans have come to think they're entitled to bonus material for any album worthy of an "anniversary edition" – all the alternate takes, early live versions and, naturally, those rambling 3 a.m. edge-of-consciousness demos documenting the first arrival of a hook.

Often, these unearthed rarities offer more than just a few unfamiliar songs. Alternate versions can enhance understanding