Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Elmore
Date: 30 Jan 12 - 09:34 AM

I had heard just a couple of songs sung by LC, and was unimpressed. A couple of years ago I saw him on PBS and realized either he or my musical taste had altered. After being together for over 20 years my wife and I finally found some music we both enjoyed. We bought and listened to his last 2 cds (and dvds) almost daily. We're waiting for his latest album to show up in the mail this week. We also enjoy his earlier album,"Ten New Songs" I understand that many people don't like his work, but I don't care.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,Don Wise
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 02:10 PM

My attitude to LC was initially coloured by the first two LPs- 'music to cut your wrists by' as somebody here has already remarked. Then,2010, he gave an open-air concert here and just for the hell of it I bought a ticket. It was a GREAT concert (2hours +), his voice has matured since the sixties/seventies and ,considering his age, it's way,way better than Dylan's currently is. It was also interesting to note how old songs such as 'Bird on a Wire' have acquired new lyrics (in part).

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Jan 12 - 11:50 AM

i'm looking for a david porter, formerly of glasgow circaa early 70s who adored LC. Helen, is this your husband?

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 24 Jun 07 - 12:27 AM

Absolutely......

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 07 - 09:59 PM

oh..


..and the melodies & the arrangements

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,punkfolkrocker
Date: 23 Jun 07 - 09:58 PM

.back in the 70's.
whjen i was into speedy punk..


i just judged Len was music for morbid junkie depresed hippies..


about 15 years ago.

i was bright enough to get the joke..


Len has such a dark daft sardonic humour..



them old records are really funny..

..and what an amazing voice and command of words...

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 23 Jun 07 - 09:49 PM

Watching the video for the 900th time......!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 03:47 PM

And Cohen seems far from a boor......

C. Ham -- thanks so much for the answer on Teddy Thompson -- talent evidently runs in the family.........

I guess I am a die hard fan - the dvd was one of my favorite Christmas presents.........ever!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 08:46 AM

Re: Leonard re: Rufus. I was just wondering if LC was in one of those "what-else-are-you-going-to-say?" situations. He's a very gracious, polite person - at least in public; I don't know anything about him in private - and furthermore, he probably is acquainted if not quite friendly with Rufus's parents, so if Rufus is performing at a tribute to LC, and LC is asked what he thinks of Rufus - well, what else is going to say, other than that he likes/approves of/appreciates/is moved by Rufus's singing/performance/interpretation of his song(s)? Only a complete boor would say anything less ...

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: JeremyC
Date: 16 Jun 07 - 01:29 AM

Yeah, don't get me wrong, it's worth watching. It's just that most of the performances weren't very good. And yes, Cohen actually said in one of the interview segments that he liked Rufus Wainwright's versions of some (I don't remember which specifically) of his songs. Scary, considering the actual performances I saw.

But yes, the segment with U2 was excellent, although I've never been a fan of Bono and wasn't too impressed with his interviews. They were so happy to be playing with him, though, and they are in fact a good band, so it worked really well. I had problems with most, but not all, the other performances, though. Worth watching, but I wouldn't say worth BUYING. Maybe if you're a die-hard. But then, to me, Rufus was a dealbreaker. Maybe you'll feel differently. I recommend renting it first.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: C. Ham
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 11:51 PM

I particularly liked the outtake version of Tonight will be fine by ? Thompson. I wondered if he is related to Richard Thompson.......

Teddy Thompson is the son of Richard & Linda Thompson.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 10:34 PM

I haven'twatched the DVD for a while but I think Cohen made a statement that he liked it......but again, the scene with him singing with U2 was wonderful - they were proud and he was proud........


I think the dvd is well worth buying............

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 10:20 PM

" I was surprised that Cohen liked Wainwright's singing" -

Just curious - I didn't see the show - what makes you say that Cohen liked it?

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 10:15 PM

I agree Cohen with U2 was a highlight -not just the music but the looks on their faces -- you could see them almost saying -- we are singing with Leonard Cohen.......can you believe it??
I particularly liked the outtake version of Tonight will be fine by ? Thompson. I wondered if he is related to Richard Thompson.......

(sorry but I didn't mind Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah -- although k d. lang is the best cover of that that i have ever heard........)

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Roughyed
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 05:22 PM

The Radio programme is available on listen again on the BBC site. www.bbc.co.uk follow the Radio 2 link. The interviewer is pathetic but the music's good even if it is the usual suspects. Sorry a blue clicky is beyond me.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: JeremyC
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 02:09 PM

What a coincidence, I just watched it the other day, and now I run across this thread.

I watched it at the recommendation of a friend of mine. In a nutshell: I loved the interviews with The Man himself, and I hated nearly all of the performances, with the stand-outs being Nick Cave faking his way through "Suzanne" (it sounded like he didn't know the words, and he was so far off sometimes, I'm honestly surprised it was included) and Rufus Wainwright's godawful version of "Hallelujah." This one was so bad, I turned on the commentary to see if the director had an excuse for leaving it in, and to my surprise, she said it was better than Jeff Buckley's version.

The songs are great, but while there were one or two good performances, it was largely not worth watching. Hell, I was surprised that Cohen liked Wainwright's singing, because to be honest, Rufus Wainwright didn't have a single good moment on the entire DVD. I really enjoyed the performance of "Tower of Song" with Cohen and U2, though. Without a doubt, it was the best part.

In conclusion, I think the people involved were all on crack. If they'd included some decent singers (Bono was hands down the best singer, which says something), I would have enjoyed it much more. As it stands, I recommend watching it and fast-forwarding though the stuff that doesn't include Cohen himself.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,JohnnyD
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 11:24 AM

Has anyone listened to / seen the recently released DVD "I'm your man"? What comments?

JD

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,meself
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 11:21 AM

Good one, Art!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 10:46 AM

I like the way L.C. always seems to see the world through morose colored glasses! ;-)

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: KeithofChester
Date: 15 Jun 07 - 10:31 AM

There is a 30 minute programme on Leonard Cohen's songwriting on BBC Radio 2 this evening at 7pm.

Programme Link

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 04 Mar 07 - 12:22 AM

Watching/listening to the 'I'm your man' dvd as we speak.......the best.! This man is wonderful........and so self deprecating........he has a fine sense of self.....

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Arkie
Date: 03 Mar 07 - 12:55 PM

If everyone had the same tastes only a handful of singers would have an audience or every singer would try to sound the same.   What I don't understand is the rabid hatred of folk like Cohen who do have a distinctive voice. I have no great interest in Cohen but have lps and CDs and MP3s and introduced his music to my daughter and son and have sought his recordings since I first heard Suzanne. As was said before his music may sound dark to a casual or accidental listener but he displays no arrogance and is quie humorous at times. Consider the lines from Chelsea Hotel:

"I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel
you were famous, your heart was a legend.
You told me again you preferred handsome men
but for me you would make an exception.
And clenching your fist for the ones like us
who are oppressed by the figures of beauty,
you fixed yourself, you said, "Well never mind,
we are ugly but we have the music."

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,ib48
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 07:42 AM

he makes morrissey sound like steps

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: billygoat
Date: 01 Mar 07 - 04:42 AM

Hi Billygoat here from dublin ireland just to let you know im a new member iwas lookong for a song my father sang when he was drunk i loved sitting beside him while he was alive happy and singing brother can you spare a dime and while i was looking the words of this song i came across this site, so hello everybody if you have stories about your mum or dad or family pass them on to a good listener

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,PeteG
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:04 AM

whoops - didn't intend to remain anon

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 05:03 AM

I see there are a couple of LC DVDs due for release on March 19 - "I'm your man" and "Under review" - I look forward to that

http://www.play.com/Search.aspx?searchtype=r2alldvd&searchstring=leonard+cohen&page=search&pa=search

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Metchosin
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 03:42 AM

Amen William Pint, you said it all.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,William Pint
Date: 28 Feb 07 - 12:33 AM

Leonard Cohen can say more in fewer words than anyone I've ever heard.

I saw him 'live' many years ago and it still stands as one of the very best concerts I've ever had the good fortune to attend. He played a set with his band, a solo set and then came back for another set with his band.

His humor was marvelous and most often at his own expense - poking fun at his reputation as "the grocer of despair" and as a poet "these hands ... rising up like lotuses from the mud of my sleeves." All with perfect deadpan delivery and the most marvelous twinkle in his eye. After two or three standing ovations he quietly remarked that "if you have someone waiting for you, go ahead and leave, but, we'll stay here and play for you as long as we can." He did -- and played many more songs until the auditorium staff put up the house lights to end the evening. Later, I heard that he went to a restaurant afterwards and played and sang late into the night with the fans who spotted him there.

As depressing as some might find him - I always found his songs comforting whenever I was feeling down. Here was a person who understood my condition and could look deep to find beauty in those dark places.

As for his vocal style -- give me one Leonard Cohen with a gravel voice who sings from the heart and means what he sings and keep your thousands of pretty voices who sing with nothing at all.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: TRUBRIT
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 10:08 PM

Reading through this thread and coming up against so many wonderful song titles, I truly - as a fan of some 40 years -- can't understand why anyone wouldn't like him. I suppose I can get that his voice can be difficult to appreciate (but I like it) but his lyrics.......

Great line in The Tower of Song - 'I ache in the places where I used to play.......' - such a good line. Whoever referenced the background music in McCabe and Mrs. Miller, if memory serves me right many of the songs on his first album were in that movie -- they made it special.....

He's my hero. One of my Christmas gifts from my husband was a dvd of a tribute concert to Leonard Cohen performed by various Canadian artists -- highly recommended. And surely k. d. lang deserves a mention for her marvellous version of Hallelujah on her Hymns of the North cd?

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: bobad
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 06:36 PM

Leonard is a poet, be not too hard on him.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Bee
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 06:29 PM

I still love ya, Leonard!

But I really want to learn Leonard Cohen Ain't Never Gonna Bring My Groceries In by Nancy White, if I ever find the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,ifor
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 05:23 PM

Yes,but it was still leonard's version of the Partisan that intorduced the song to a mass,young audience.
ifor

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 04:45 PM

"The Partisan" was on Leonard's (Songs From A Room) second album, not his first.

There were a number of other versions that preceded his by about 25 years.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,ifor
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 04:13 PM

I agree with Littlehawk .Leonard's album The Future is quite amazing!! As good as anything he has done in the past..
This was also he man who gave the english speaking world that great anti nazi song The Partisan.Now I know he did not write it but the choice of that song for inclusion on his first album was brilliant!
And he does have a great sense of irony and dark humour!
Come to Wales, Leonard, and you will hve a great welcome in the hillsides!
Ifor

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,PeteG
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 11:53 AM

Guest
Try here for info on the great man
Pete

http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Feb 07 - 11:20 AM

What's Leonard up to these days?

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:55 AM

Thanks, Robo--sounds very promising. Austin Lounge Lizards are great, especially live.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: robomatic
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:50 AM

How about songs 'about' Leonard Cohen:

Check out: Leonard Cohen's Day Job
by Austin Lounge Lizards

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Ron Davies
Date: 01 Apr 05 - 08:34 AM

You're right, Ella--"Suzanne" can indeed take you way, way down--but it's sure a good target for parodies.

Some of his other songs are better. As for his voice--uh, well, no comment.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 08:18 AM

Sometimes he's the perfect thing for a mix tape!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Ella who is Sooze
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 07:19 AM

I was going to do a post called... Why I don't particularly like Leonard Cohen's music...

but I couldn't be bothered...

Anyway - the reason I don't like him is... for quite a few years ,as I grew up, I had to listen to people trying to sing the Suzanne song at me - (my name is Suzanne). In the crappiness of the jokes, and the link! But it nearly drove me bananas.... sooooo droney! Such a rubbishio song

there... that's that off my chest... soapbox removed, personal rant over...

Ella who is sooze

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST
Date: 31 Mar 05 - 06:09 AM

Anyone see the 1/2 hour TV documentary last week on artists who have covered Leonard Cohen's work? I enjoyed it - any footage of the man himself is a rare treat.

I remember seeing and enjoying a film called 'Bird on a Wire' in 1976/7, which covered some LC live concerts. I've struggled in vain to get a copy of it - anyone know a source of this (or any other) LC material on video/DVD?

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Helen
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 06:35 AM

I'm sorry too, Bluesmike.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 02:20 AM

I don't mind his voice (I'm a big Dylan fan and I can take his), I think he's a great songwriter also. It's just that sometimes he's just... so... damn... depressing...

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,Bluesmike
Date: 09 Dec 04 - 02:18 AM

Sorry Helen and Jazzy Jack but I must have missed your last 20 albums- silly oversight

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: number 6
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 06:17 PM

I questioned his sincerety, truthfulness in his earlier works. But as time went on he has matured, he has connected with his craft with pure honesty and delivers his artistry without inhibition or concealment. He is a great Canadian deserving of his accolades.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Helen
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 04:21 PM

Thanks, JTT. I am gradually re-training him, I think - after some full-on battles. In almost every other aspect he does respect me and my preferences but he has this blind spot about music. I do admit that I like some pretty far out stuff, like Tim Buckley & Jeff Buckley, and the whole gamut of musical taste from classical to electronica, but there are few of my CD's that he will sit through unless he liked the music before he met me.

I just bought a Gryphon double album and I put it on because a couple of the tracks reminded me of Frank Zappa but hubby went out into his shed away from the music before we got to those tracks. I'll have to put the specific tracks on and say "does this remind you of Zappa?" and he'll probably listen.

I did turn him around about my favourite electronica album called Leftism, by Leftfield - I mean it is my absolute favourite album and it is electronica. It's percussion rhythms with an amazing polyphonic complexity but very listenable on the surface, i.e. not dry, theoretical music (as the Aussies say, not disappearing up their own a-holes :-)    ) but very passionate and, well, listenable. I bought the album because of the song by Johnny Rotten/John Lydon called Open Up, but then very quickly got drawn into the African-inspired rhythms being produced electronically. The first 20 or so times that I played it he walked out of the room, and then afterwards, when I explained about the percussion stuff he started to stay in the room, and I have actually heard him talk about it - a little bit - to other people.

Strange anomaly.

Anyway, I have tried to listen to Cohen, and I still stick to my previous statement that with Dylan & Cohen, I don't mind them if sung by someone else, but I find both of them grating and annoying - from a musical standpoint.

Helen

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Grab
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 08:59 AM

How well-timed. I've had the mother of all colds the last week. Straight for the throat, phlegm, coughing, the lot. My vocal range dropped nearly a full octave down the scale, and finally I could sing Leonard Cohen songs in the original key, with the full-on LC croak sound! Excellent! :-)

But I'm getting better now, so by next week I'll have to dig out the capo again...

Graham.

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 06:27 AM

I love ending a gig night by singing...

"Yeah we're drinking and we're dancing
but there's nothing really happening
and the place is dead as Heaven on a Saturday night
And my very close companion
gets me stoned and gets me laughing
she's a hundred but she's wearing something tight"

A-hahahahahaha!

Subject: RE: Why I love Leonard Cohen's music!
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 08 Dec 04 - 05:03 AM

I like Leonard Cohen's music a lot (and Jeff Buckley's, and Tim Buckley's). I particularly like the way he puts a Jewish spin on the Christian stories that are so central to 20th-century western society. And I love his bizarre sense of humour:

A bunch of lonesome and very quarrelsome heroes
Were smoking out along the open road

in the 1960s when heroism was so popular, and his hommage to Cavafy in Alexandra Leaving, on Ten New Songs:

Exquisite music, Alexandra laughing
Go softly to the window, drink it in

But Helen, you're going to leave that man if he doesn't learn to treat you with respect. You have to train him. Anyone who walks in and takes off a CD that someone else has put on, but expects that person to listen to the CDs of his taste is not living in balance.