Vale Leonard Cohen

[Pies4shaw]

Leonard has died, aged 82.

I was going to post a link to a list of his best songs but - for reasons that escape me - none that I can find list "Chelsea Hotel", "The Partisan" or "The Sisters of Mercy". Splendid works of art, all of them. I like "Chelsea Hotel" best of all, since it is the one song he wrote that doesn't sound better when sung by basically anyone except him.

Those of you not familiar with his work but might like to hear it at its best are encouraged to listen to "Famous Blue Raincoat", Jennifer Warnes' 1986 (or 7) recording of Cohen's songs.

[Pies4shaw]

Here's the Guardian's obituary:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/11/leonard-cohen-obituary

And here's a piece I read a little while ago that was extremely poignant, even when he was alive:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marianne-leonard-cohen-writes-to-muse-just-before-her-death

[Culprit]

A Fridge full of Leonard Cohen. RiP

[HAL]

[stui magpie]

Here's a few.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/leonard-cohen-20-essential-songs-w449797/is-this-what-you-wanted-1974-w449803

[watt price tully]

Terrible news. Vale Leonard Cohen

[Pies4shaw]

Chelsea Hotel #2:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pekuZglq-Sg

The Partisan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S34cVkL6zCE

Sisters of Mercy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT9k5NHCdvQ

Jennifer Warnes' magnificent album:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8a8cutYP7fpvg4FvxU7kITud1d1nu5sQ

"A singer must die for the lie in his voice."

[watt price tully]

[Mugwump]

Glad i read this, as i did not know the Jennifer Warnes record, and it is worth a listen. It also made me refresh my acquaintance with his work. I listened to it many years ago and felt frustrated then, as I still do, at the fact that he is not really an outstanding poet, nor is he a great songwriter - yet he can still write things that make your head swing round and your eyebrows rise. A lot of his writing is doggerel, yet there are things amidst all of that which are unfailingly true and resonant, and actually do rise to poetry. The famous line about "there is a crack in everything..." is one, as is the line in Sisters of Mercy - "they touched both my eyes, and I touched the dew on their hem". That is moving, and these are only examples. Still, I wish there was as much craft and quality in the writing, as there is in some of the imagery. It's like a fine table top on card table legs.

Taken all together, he was an interesting artist and man, and it was good to reconnect with what was fine in his work.

[roar]

Absolute legend and probably my favourite singer/songwriter.

R.I.P.