Leonard Cohen

[Troubadour]

I'm planning to stay up and watch Leonard Cohen Live in London tonight on the TV, and I realised that I've never discussed him on here. So - are there any other Cohen fans around? I really liked his music for a while, but buying 'The Book Of Longing' completely increased my admiration for him. I adore his poetry. I've also been thinking about him more the past couple of days because obviously Everybody Knows is on Don's new Best Of album. Although it's a real treat to hear Don singing it, it really reminded me of how influential Leonard Cohen is. That voice is one of a kind, and his lyrics never fail to make me think "I wish I could write like that"!

[Prettymaid]

I'll admit that the only things I know about Leonard Cohen is that he wrote Suzanne, which I have on an old Joan Baez album, and Hallelujah, because it was sung last season on American Idol. Those are both his, aren't they?

[Troubadour]

They certainly are. I think the first song that turned me on to him was I'm Your Man (fancy covering that one, Don? Pretty please? ) but I seem to find a new song of his that I love every week or so! Some favourites are Democracy, Tower Of Song, So Long Marianne, The Future, Night Comes On, In My Secret Life, Everybody Knows, A Thousand Kisses Deep, and Bird On A Wire.

I had difficulty choosing what to post from youtube, but here's a great performance of Democracy from London 2008:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHoOTXEfUNo[/ame]

[Prettymaid]

My mistake - it was not Joan Baez (although she does sing it) it was Judy Collins. I liked the album so much I bought the cd. Here is Leonard singing Suzanne with Judy Collins.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGGSo530bdA[/ame]

[Freypower]

I am still a relative newcomer to Cohen's songs. Hallelujah is my favourite - the song is utterly transcendent. My other favourites are a couple you mentioned - Everybody Knows, Democracy, I'm Your Man, Tower Of Song ('I was born with the gift of a golden voice'!), The Future ('I haven't been this happy since the end of World War II'!), Chelsea Hotel #2 ('You told me then you preferred handsome men/but for me you would make an exception'!), So Long Marianne and Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye. The only thing I don't like about his songs is his overuse of sugary female backing vocals. Most of the time the backing singers don't seem to understand what he's singing about. He probably does it to sweeten the sound of his own voice but as someone who worships Bob Dylan, I don't think it's necessary.

[Troubadour]

Thanks for the vid, PM.

Fp, you chose some great lyrics there! I'm in the middle of watching Live In London, and I've already made up my mind to buy it on DVD. It's fantastic. Bird On The Wire and Hallelujah gave me goosebumps. I'm Your Man is on now. A 'golden voice' indeed!

If It Be Your Will is another great song that I didn't mention before. His lyrics just blow me away.