Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)

Subject: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: bobad
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 08:37 PM

From Leonard Cohen's Facebook page:

"It is with profound sorrow we report that legendary poet, songwriter and artist, Leonard Cohen has passed away.
We have lost one of music's most revered and prolific visionaries.

A memorial will take place in Los Angeles at a later date. The family requests privacy during their time of grief."

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 08:40 PM

A shocking loss to music, but he leaves a wonderful collection of songs.

I never really understood the people who thought they were miserable. I felt he had a great sense of humour.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: bobad
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 08:46 PM

I concur henryp, I totally dug his sense of humour.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Andrez
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 08:58 PM

Oh no, what a tragedy! His songs and poems have meant so much to me at various times in my life. So hard to pick one out of the many but this one ticked all the boxes for me through so many challenging times in my life and still brings me to tears reading and thinking about it to this very day.

Anthem

The birds they sang
at the break of day
Start again
I heard them say
Don't dwell on what
has passed away
or what is yet to be.

Ah the wars they will
be fought again
The holy dove
She will be caught again
bought and sold
and bought again
the dove is never free.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

We asked for signs
the signs were sent:
the birth betrayed
the marriage spent
Yeah the widowhood
of every government --
signs for all to see.

I can't run no more
with that lawless crowd
while the killers in high places
say their prayers out loud.
But they've summoned, they've summoned up
a thundercloud
and they're going to hear from me.

Ring the bells that still can ring …

You can add up the parts
but you won't have the sum
You can strike up the march,
there is no drum
Every heart, every heart
to love will come
but like a refugee.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.
That's how the light gets in.


At least Leonard wasn't wrong when he wrote and told Marianne he would be seeing her soon just before she passed away, I wish them both all the best for eternity. RIP


Cheers,

Andrez

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: bobad
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:03 PM

From Rolling Stone magazine:

"Cohen was the dark eminence among a small pantheon of extremely influential singer-songwriters to emerge in the Sixties and early Seventies. Only Bob Dylan exerted a more profound influence upon his generation, and perhaps only Paul Simon and fellow Canadian Joni Mitchell equaled him as a song poet. Cohen's haunting bass voice, nylon-stringed guitar patterns, Greek-chorus backing vocals shaped evocative songs that dealt with love and hate, sex and spirituality, war and peace, ecstasy and depression. He was also the rare artist of his generation to enjoy artistic success into his Eighties, releasing his final album, You Want It Darker, earlier this year."

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:08 PM

I used to spend my lunch time in a bookshop reading his poems. It took a long time to learn one!

Perhaps this is the time to go back and pay for the pleasure of his verse.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: michaelr
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:09 PM

He picked the perfect moment to bow out.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Elmore
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:32 PM

His work will be loved and remembered. RIP Mr. Cohen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Neil D
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:41 PM

Just when you think it can't get worse, it does. I can't say more right now, I'm just too emotional.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Janie
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:45 PM

Ahhhh. So grateful for his poetry and his music.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Jeri
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 09:50 PM

The link to the Rolling Stone obit

He recently said he was ready to go.
We don't want ANYBODY we like to die, but everybody does. He had a great run, and I find I'm not that sad. I need to get more of his recordings, though, for sure.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Rapparee
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 10:12 PM

There's quite a gathering in the hereafter. Sure hope I can sit in on a session sometime. Now, Leonard Cohen....

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 10:58 PM

Wonderful concert at Edinburgh Castle in the Tattoo stand some ? 7 or 8 years ago. WHAT a perfomer, and had loved his songs from at least 30 years before that. Most expensive concert I'd ever been to, but worth every penny, and so glaf I went.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Janie
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 11:28 PM

He never allowed his songs or to grow old. Organic, always changing, adding, growing with his own experiences as he grew older, perhaps wiser - who knows - certainly more insightful, but always exquisite.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,Lin
Date: 10 Nov 16 - 11:53 PM

Very sad to hear this news. I remember reading his poetry when I was only about 17 and amazed at the beautiful imagery of his words.
So many singers have covered his songs or sung with him as a duet.
I know his very close friends, Joni Mitchell and Judy Collins just to name two, who must be really feeling this great loss at this time.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Leadfingers
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 12:05 AM

I am sure that a lot of us will be singing his songs for a long time yet

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,SB
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 12:11 AM

"Leonard Cohen has died. Poet, singer, songwriter, rashi, lover, artist – what can I say? Cohen is/was a towering figure who loomed large in my life. He was my rabbi." Pamela Geller 2016

http://pamelageller.com/2016/11/so-long-leonard.html

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 12:17 AM

Hey, that's no way to say goodbye... you will be missed.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 12:19 AM

WashPo obit

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Thompson
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 01:11 AM

A voice for good gone from this world.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:08 AM

I am saddened. He was a great influence on my formative years and I must re-visit his works. Condolences to all his friends and family.

DtG

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Dave Sutherland
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:15 AM

"I did my best – but it wasn't much" don't you believe it; he has left a fantastic body of work behind and he certainly helped shape my, and countless others, journey through music over the last fifty years. RIP Mr Cohen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,Some bloke
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:33 AM

Occasionally in life, someone with an artistic talent, beautiful mind, musical ability and interesting persona comes along.

Cohen had that combination. Simplicity hiding a deeper overall message. I know I will be cracking out Suzanne, Bird on a wire and Sisters of Mercy in my sets over the next few weeks. Presumably I shan't be alone...

With Annie gone
Whose eyes to compare with the morning sun
Not that I did compare
But I do compare
Now that she's gone.

His poem there reflects the eulogies in the news websites. We all crack jokes about music to slash your wrists to or best listened to with your head stuck in a gas oven.

But now he has joined the list of why 2016 is a shitty year, we seem to remember why we admired him in the first place.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Wolfgang
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:37 AM

thank you for many songs to accompany my days.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,Mike Yates
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:38 AM

A lousy week made even worse by the sad news about Leonard Cohen. I doubt if any other singer/songwriter moved me as much as he did. There were times when I would play his early albums over and over, listening to words which seemed to have been written just for me. He was in a class of his own, and the world is a far poorer place without him.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 03:45 AM

A sad loss....and I'm with Henryp about his sense of humour. Songs like "One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" crack me up every time I hear them, no matter how often I've heard them before.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Georgiansilver
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 05:44 AM

''The room just filled up with mosquitoes,
They heard that his body was free.   R.I.P. Leonard.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: David C. Carter
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 05:48 AM

"I Have Tried In My Way To Be Free".

R.I.P.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: gnu
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 07:50 AM

RIP... and thanks.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: Jason Xion Wang
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 09:29 AM

And I miss you so much; there is no one in sight.

R.I.P. Leonard Cohen

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen
From: GUEST,I Don't Know
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 09:41 AM

R.I.P. may yours words and music be continued by your son Adam.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: bobad
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 05:04 PM

Irish author Roddy Doyle on Facebook:

-See Trump killed Leonard Cohen.
-Saw that.
-He doesn't only hate women. He hates the men tha' women love. 'Specially older women.
-Fuckin' Clooney's gone into hidin'.
-Fuck him an' his nespresso.
-And the Pope.
-Fuck the Pope?
-No. Women – they love him. Mine does, an' anyway.
-Poor oul' Leonard. He was good, but. Wasn't he?
-Ah, he was. You should hear me grandkids singin' Hallelujah.
-Good, yeah?
-Fuckin' hilarious.
-The wife loved him.
-Leonard?
-She even became a Buddhist cos o' Leonard.
-Is tha' righ'?
-For a few weeks, just. Then she saw me eatin' a quarter pounder an' she said, 'Fuck the Eightfold Path.' But she's always on at me to wear a hat like Leonard Cohen's.
-Well, he won't be needin' it any more – in fairness.
-The thing is, but. If Leonard walked in here – if he wasn't dead, like – they'd all go, 'There's an interestin' man with a hat on him.' If I walked in, it'd be, 'Will yeh look at tha' fuckin' eejit with the hat.' An' that's the big difference between us an' Leonard Cohen. We couldn't even start bein' cool an' Leonard never even had to try.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 05:32 PM

Well I don't do Facebook, so can't check, but I'd expect better from Roddy Doyle...

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: Lanfranc
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 06:44 PM

Ever since the first time I heard Suzanne I've been hooked on Leonard Cohen's songs. I wish that the Nobel Prize had been awarded to him instead of Dylan.

On a holiday in Greece I once dragged my family up the hill on Hydra looking for the house he once shared with Marianne.

Suddenly the night has grown colder.

Farewell.

Alan

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST,Larry the Radio Guy
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 09:09 PM

An amazing recent article from The New Yorker, talking about the connection between Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen. I'm especially fascinated by Dylan's analysis of Leonard Cohen's melodies.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 10:04 PM

Great timing.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Nov 16 - 10:39 PM

If you're lucky enough to be able to get BBC iplayer, they've got some great programmes on Leonard Cohen there to see. I've just been watching the restored version of the remarkable documentary by Tony Palmer from 1972, Bird on the Wire.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST,SB
Date: 12 Nov 16 - 03:38 AM

More ... incl. link to Judy Collins interview ...

http://pamelageller.com/2016/11/light-got-open-thread.html

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: bobad
Date: 13 Nov 16 - 09:18 PM

My sister and I just buried my father in Montreal. With only immediate family and a few lifelong friends present, he was lowered into the ground in an unadorned pine box, next to his mother and father. Exactly as he'd asked. As I write this I'm thinking of my father's unique blend of self-deprecation and dignity, his approachable elegance, his charisma without audacity, his old-world gentlemanliness and the hand-forged tower of his work. There's so much I wish I could thank him for, just one last time. I'd thank him for the comfort he always provided, for the wisdom he dispensed, for the marathon conversations, for his dazzling wit and humor. I'd thank him for giving me, and teaching me to love Montreal and Greece. And I'd thank him for music; first for his music which seduced me as a boy, then for his encouragement of my own music, and finally for the privilege of being able to make music with him. Thank you for your kind messages, for the outpouring of sympathy and for your love of my father.

Adam Cohen

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 14 Nov 16 - 01:14 PM

A very affectionate and respectful message from his son, who remarks on his dazzling wit and humor.

I'm sorry to say that Tony Livesey on BBC Five Live could think only of calling him the Godfather of Gloom.

This superficial remark reveals rather more about Tony Livesey than about Leonard Cohen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST
Date: 14 Nov 16 - 01:31 PM

Tony Livesey on BBC Five Live could think only of calling him the Godfather of Gloom.

Tony said that last Friday. Why are you bringing it up now?

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 14 Nov 16 - 02:47 PM

I just thought tonight will be fine.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: Waddon Pete
Date: 15 Nov 16 - 03:29 PM

Very sorry to hear this news. He has been a presence in my life from the first time I heard Suzanne until Hallelujah. I have added his name to the "In Memoriam" thread with great sadness.

RIP

Peter

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST,Mick Tems (lacking cookies)
Date: 27 Nov 16 - 06:50 AM

Leonard Cohen was an icon, a brilliant poet, a bright star shining in the dark skies. His actions also made headline news in the two local weeklies, the Ilford Pictorial (now sadly gone and forgotten - they even demolished the old office to make way for a new road) and the Ilford Recorder.

I was a cub reporter on the Ilford Pictorial from 1968 to 1971. The phone rang, so I answered it - it was the warden at Claybury Mental Hospital, the local institute for the severely troubled. "I have an item of news for you", he said. "Last night, the patients were treated to a little concert at the hospital by a solo guitarist who writes his songs by himself - a Mr Cohen."
I gulped: "Not... not LEONARD Cohen?"
"Yes, that was it… a Mr Leonard Cohen. He had a free night on his tour, but he wanted to play for the patients. He didn't want the money; he did it all for free."
This really was front-page news. At a time when thousands were clamouring for precious tickets, Leonard just turned up to the local hospital and performed for the patients for absolutely zilch...
I said: "How did the patients react? Did they realise that such a famous folk icon was performing to them?"
"Oh, yes – the patients quite enjoyed his songs. They seemed to appreciate his poetry".

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 27 Nov 16 - 10:27 AM

I've said over the years that poems don't necessarily make good lyrics & vice versa. Leonard Cohen's work drives a coach & horses through that opinion! I believe it to be true that Leonard Cohen saw himself in his formative years as a poet. He turned to songwriting to make ends meet. The serendipity of that decision has resulted in the creation of some of the finest songs written in the 20th & 21st centuries. Leonard Cohen's musical legacy will, most likely, outlive us all.
                        With respect & thanks for a life, well lived, RIP Leonard Cohen.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: GUEST
Date: 29 Nov 16 - 06:27 AM

I love you in the morning
Our kisses sweet and warm
Your hair upon the pillow
Like a sleepy golden storm

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: bobad
Date: 29 Nov 16 - 08:15 AM

Leonard played many psychiatric institutions for free. I have a recording of one such concert he gave in his home town of Montreal in 1970, accompanied by his then back up singers the Sisters of Mercy and a guitarist. He announced, at the start of the show, that he had finally found his ideal audience.

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 08 Jul 22 - 08:48 PM

A very interesting Leonard Cohen tribute concert from Kulturhuset Karelia in Finland. I think Cohen's songs were meant to be sung by women with beautiful voices.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70k8YGSS6F8

And there's a new compilation album, Hallelujah & Songs from his albums issued June 3:

https://www.leonardcohen.com/

Subject: RE: Obit: Leonard Cohen (1934-2016)
From: voyager
Date: 11 Jul 22 - 08:36 AM

To you point Joe -
    Suzanne (Judy Collins)

My wife and I saw the Judy Collins/Steven Stills reunion tour a few years back. Steven should have stayed home. Judy singing Suzanne (Leonard Cohen) was the highlight of the show.

Funny this thread shows up today .... we were riffing on the words this week -

And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water
And he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
And when he knew for certain only drowning men could see him
He said all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them
But he himself was broken, long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human, he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone

And you want to travel with him, and you want to travel blind
And then you think maybe you'll trust him
For he's touched your perfect body with his mind

fair winds
voyager