Leonard Cohen

[sulawesigirl4]

Yeah, I know that this guy is not new, but he's new to me. I had been meaning to get around to checking out his music, but I finally did it and....woah.

So far I have spent a lot of time on the album "Ten New Songs" which is just entrancing, imho. And I have heard some "best of" stuff as well. Any recommendations? Anyone want to talk about Cohen? Tell me more about him, etc.?

 

[foray]

He's sexy and Janis Joplin gave him the infamous blowjob at Chelsea Hotel, hence the song.

Before Ten New Songs, he retired somewhere to some remote place to meditate on something. He reminds me of John Cage (the genius composer). Now I have no idea what the chap is up to.

He excels in literature and poetry as well.




foray

 

[browneyedgirl]

I bought the "best of" a couple of months back....but have'nt really listened to anything yet , sounds as tho I need to !!

 

[HelloAngel]

I've been a Leonard fan since about birth, so let's see....

First, he's an amazing storyteller and poet - if you are interested, check out "Stranger Music" (book of poetry) and "Beautiful Losers" (novella).

As for music - both Best Of albums are an excellent crash course into the man. "Tower of Song" a tribute album, is amazing too.

"10 New Songs" I felt was a departure, and not nearly as engrossing as his former work, however, he had just spent years up at Mount Baldy in Pasadena taking care of his mentor, a buddist monk.

Enjoy Leonard! He is nothing less than illuminating.

 

[joyfulgirl]

Funny you should ask...I just bought a greatest hits collection (The Essential...) for a long road trip and it kind of confirmed for me what I always suspected about him...I admire him but I can't bear to listen to him. I already knew most of the songs but I just couldn't listen to the entire 2 CD collection. I think I prefer his music when performed by other people. I just find his singing monotonous and passionless, for lyrics that can be so passionate.

But the songs are incredible.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Hey Sula - how are you?!! I must e-mail you soon. I'm finishing school soon (though I've fallen into heavy procrastination as of late, such as right now for example), but once I do, we'll catch up! Anyway, Leonard is an enigma. A man of the spirit who laments on the physical. A man of the physical who laments on the spirit. You get the idea! My favourite album is his first Best Of (the one from the 60s and 70s) , followed by, possibly, Songs of Love and Hate. Of course, Various Positions is great too. It's funny you posted this, as I'm about to do a school presentation on Leonard for my poetry class. He's a great, great writer and lyricist. Bono has been heavily influenced by him.

 

[cass]

When I was first learning guitar a friend had a Leonard Cohen album I liked. I don't know the name of it anymore, I taught myself to play "the butcher" from it (12 bar, long time ago). I have the album he did with Jennifer Warnes "famous blue raincoat" and I love some of the songs on that. My long gone neighbour used to like him too. About the only song I ever heard her sing was suzanne.
fond memories.

 

[foray]

What is Famous Blue Raincoat about? I've heard this song a million times but only recently began to ponder the lyrics. It's not a true story, is it?

it's four in the morning, the end of december
i'm writing you now just to see if you're better
new york is cold, but i like where i'm living
there's music on clinton street all through the evening.

i hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
you're living for nothing now, i hope you're keeping some kind of record.

yes, and jane came by with a lock of your hair
she said that you gave it to her
that night that you planned to go clear
did you ever go clear?

ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
you'd been to the station to meet every train
and you came home without lili marlene

and you treated my woman to a flake of your life
and when she came back she was nobody's wife.

well i see you there with the rose in your teeth
one more thin gypsy thief
well i see jane's awake --

she sends her regards.

and what can i tell you my brother, my killer
what can i possibly say?
i guess that i miss you,
i guess i forgive you
i'm glad you stood in my way.

if you ever come by here, for jane or for me
your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.

yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
i thought it was there for good so i never tried.

and jane came by with a lock of your hair
she said that you gave it to her
that night that you planned to go clear --


foray

 

[Michael Griffiths]

After finishing university at McGill in Montreal, L. Cohen moved to London, the place where he bought the blue raincoat which later attained its fame in the song of the same name.

 

[HelloAngel]

Foray,

Leonard had many tortored lovers over the years - it could be the muse who inspired Marianne or Suzanne, or it could be Janis Joplin.

It's a beautiful song. Just haunting.

I don't know if this helps you at all, soo....

 

[HeartlandGirl]

I admire him but I can't bear to listen to him. I already knew most of the songs but I just couldn't listen to the entire 2 CD collection. I think I prefer his music when performed by other people. I just find his singing monotonous and passionless, for lyrics that can be so passionate.

But the songs are incredible.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for saying this. I concur completely!

My friend Ben and I have a long-standing argument going about my refusal to listen to Leonard Cohen. But some of the covers I've heard (Time done by Tori Amos, Everybody Knows by Concrete Blonde) are simply amazing! So am I a fan or not? I'm not sure!

 

[joyfulgirl]

You're a Leonard Cohen covers fan like me! His songs are brilliant, but listening to him sing them makes me suicidal.

 

[foray]

Actually, no that doesn't really help... Anyway. I think I figured it out --doh! The "author" was killed by his brother, who took his wife then killed her too. What I don't know is "go clear" -- what's that mean?

foray

 

[joyfulgirl]

I don't know what the song is about exactly, but a friend of mine is Leonard's 2nd cousin (of course, no one counts 2nd cousins unless they're famous ) and he claims to have watched Leonard pen 'the blue raincoat song' at a family wedding. That's my name-dropping story du jour.

 

[sulawesigirl4]

Hmm, first Nick Cave, now Cohen...I think I must be getting into the suicidal music. But I promise, I feel great.

 

[foray]

You girls are no help



I'd like to know why he decided his raincoat was famous. Michael's story confused me.

Ah well

 

[notiti]

I adore Mr. Cohen.

And side note: Bono's cover of Haleluiah - so fuckin good.

 

[DrTeeth]

Just bought the Essesntial Leonard Cohen. I can't stop playing the "First We Take Manhattan/Dance Me To The End Of Love/The Future" combo.

 

[Basstrap]

can I just pipe up here....?

Cohen's music is the opposite of suicidal. Brilliant songs...when I listen to him singing it doesn't seem passionless - it sounds....I don't know...wise. Like, here is a guy who really knows what life is all about...he sounds like a mentor...
Sometimes, if I wanna relax, I'll slap on the oldest best of.

And his voice now!!!....stirs up so many mental images. I hope my voice goes really deep and low when I get old!

 

[joyfulgirl]

can I just pipe up here....?

Cohen's music is the opposite of suicidal. Brilliant songs...when I listen to him singing it doesn't seem passionless - it sounds....I don't know...wise. Like, here is a guy who really knows what life is all about...he sounds like a mentor...
Sometimes, if I wanna relax, I'll slap on the oldest best of.

And his voice now!!!....stirs up so many mental images. I hope my voice goes really deep and low when I get old!

It's the tone of his voice that brings me down, not the songs themselves, which I agree are brilliant. I just don't care for his voice. And he is a tortured guy, from what I understand, and that really comes through to me in the music, so to me the music is very depressing.

 

[foray]

I just had a dream about this song. Turns out that one brother killed the other, then killed himself, and Jane never existed!

foray

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

I need the Essential collection.


And I love Famous Blue Raincoat. Such a haunting song, great stuff.

 

[HelloAngel]

Leonard One of my heroes, without a doubt.

 

[Michael Griffiths]

Is he the greatest Canadian poet ever? I somtimes wonder this. He's certainly the most famous, but it was his music that got him there. His poetry is incredible, too, though. He's written a few novels, as well. There's an anthology of his poetry called Stranger Music. Highly recommended.

Just to touch on the "depressing" issue. I really have never found his voice or his music so much depressing as I've found it honest and enlightening. He digs deep, which may come across as depressing, but depth often forces us to enearth things we'd rather not see, or hear. He's a master at finding the calm in calamity.

 

[foray]

There's an anthology of his poetry called Stranger Music. Highly recommended.

Thanks, Michael, I am definitely going to check this out.

More:
http://plagiarist.com/poetry/?aid=14


foray

 

[HelloAngel]

Stranger Music is fabulous! I've read it at least five times.

His voice haunts me. It comes from a place of "wow, I know this guy is really feeling and living what he's singing about." I always believe Leonard. God, I wish he'd tour again.

 

[U2girl]

Again, one of the artists I've been meaning to listen too. I know "Everybody knows" (woo woo!) and "Dancing" but that's it. Very interesting and great voice...

 

[sulawesigirl4]

So I just went out and bought "Ten New Songs" tonite. My very first Cohen album. I'm sure it won't be the last.