RIP Leonard Cohen

[oldreddog]

I saw him in Berlin in the early nineties.

The performance of The Partisan was gut tightening.

 

[mso489]

I went to Montreal for the first time in 2006, and for me, the place was permeated by Leonard. It had both the urban vigor and energy, and the wintry darkness that marked the buildings and trees. You didn't work to imagine that he had grown up there; you worked to imagine the place without the man.

 

[tslex]

My favorite LC lines:
Forget your perfect offering.

There's a crack in everything.

That's how the light gets in.
The first part of my favorite LC song:
Everybody knows that the dice are loaded

Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed

Everybody knows that the war is over

Everybody knows the good guys lost

Everybody knows the fight was fixed

The poor stay poor, the rich get rich

That's how it goes

Everybody knows

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking

Everybody knows that the captain lied

Everybody got this broken feeling

Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets

Everybody wants a box of chocolates

And a long stem rose

Everybody knows

 

[tslex]

Coassack, you might consider a forum name change. I checked, and "Philistine" is available.

 

[pruss]

Like a bird on a wire

like a drunk in a midnight choir

I have tried in my way to be free
-- Pat

 

[wyfbane]

Now now. Cossack is allowed to dissent. Lets be above the vitriol that is seemingly everywhere BUT here.
That said, RIP Leonard. You will be missed.

 

[tslex]

I would defend to the death Cossack's right to have completely deplorable taste in music.

 

[randelli]

To come alongside Cossack for a moment, it is really hard to decide between Cohen and Dylan, who is the worst vocalist. They are on different ends of the vocal range; but neither can be considered crooners. I think that the magic of both is the poetry that is buried underneath the vocal melody. To find an equal in prose, with the added benefit of a pleasant voice, one would have to consider Paul Simon or Joni Mitchell.
Cossack, if that was your first experience, I would encourage you to listen more and see if anything speaks to you. Similar to pipe tobacco, or Monty Python, it sometimes takes lengthy persistance to gain an appreciation for the mystery that is/was Leonard Cohen.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Now now. Cossack is allowed to dissent. Lets be above the vitriol that is seemingly everywhere BUT here.

I was just busting his balls - something that Mr. Cohen surely would have appreciated.
In all seriousness, I love the ragged edges and wear of Leonard Cohen's vocals, which for me only added meaning to his songs. He was a man who saw more than his fair share of hard livin' and you can hear that in his voice in every single note. I do appreciate that Cossack and I may not fly in the same musical circle.

 

[dottiewarden]

Amazing artist. He has already been immortalized even in his own lifetime. His complete lack of interest in commercialism is what kept him a true artist. It is time to celebrate his life! I can't say I'm sad; rather I'm thankful to have been by moved his work and will continue to enjoy it as will many generations to come.

 

[tslex]

Randeli, well said.

 

[johnbarleycorn]

All my life I have been defending my favorite music artists voices. Dylan, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Joe Strummer, etc. it really gets tiresome. Usually the most interesting performers don't have great voices. And most of the singers with a perfect voice have very little originality. Of course there are exceptions like Bowie. But the old "his voice is like fingernails on a chalkboard" argument really is a tired one. Just my 2 cents. So yeah if you get off on listening to Celine Dion be my guests. It's not my cup of tea.

 

[aldecaker]

It's all a matter of taste, I suppose. Ronnie Drew had a voice like an iron hinge lubed with broken glass, and I loved it. Bob Dylan sounds like a cat in a wood chipper, and it makes me want to pour boiling lead in my ears. All subjective.

 

[conlejm]

One for the greatest songwriters of our time, in my opinion. With a voice, as he himself claims: “[It’s the result of] about 500 tons of whiskey and millions of cigarettes.” I have listened to his music for years and loved every song.

 

[ssjones]

Cohens gravelly voice is definitely part of his appeal. A pity I never was able to see him perform live.

Tower of Song is a favorite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiAuXRK3Ogk

 

[peckinpahhombre]

As for voices that are an acquired taste, I also admit to being a fan of Tom Waits, may he have a long life.

 

[johnbarleycorn]

^ +1