1 Topic by Guenter (edited by Guenter 2009-04-02 09:48:51)

  • From: near Nürnberg Germany
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Topic: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen???In my younger years - L.C. is around singing since about 40 years- you would consider him as a singer for depressed suburban housewives. But anyhow everybody would have somewhere a L.C.album - at least your girl friend would.

In the nineties by chance I found myself sitting next to him at the feet of an achieved Indian master (Ramesh Balsekar in Bombay). Leonard told wonderful stories about his time in a Zen monastery, I found him a most interesting guy, witty and full of (rather black) humour including himself.

After that I started to re-listen my dusty Cohen LPs and Cohen covers, Tower of Song and Jennifer Warnes´"Famous Blue Raincoat" with Stevie Ray Vaughan and Robben Ford on guitar. And I got a special liking for L.C.s - musically more rewarding- live recordings, especially "Field Commander Cody" with a lot of first class musicians, f.e. Roscoe Beck.

In the new live album - "Live in London" - it´s also Roscoe Beck on bass, and he has transformed to be "musical director". What shall I say about the album? Nothing new but most of the old hits played in a fresh and perfect way in front of an enthusiastic audience. Maybe together with "Field Commander" his best album up to now (he´s only 75). And he gives us - in "Tower of Song"- a Zen answer about all these deep mysteries: Doo Dum Dum Dum Doo Dum Dum.
Günter

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Guenter's Website

  • Libby
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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Eva´s Dad wrote:

In the nineties by chance I found myself sitting next to him at the feet of an achieved Indian master (Ramesh Balsekar in Bombay). Leonard told wonderful stories about his time in a Zen monastery, I found him a most interesting guy, witty and full of (rather black) humour including himself.

Small world that it is Günter, the monastery where he spent five years is in Mt. Baldy...... the mountain (and tiny town therein) which sits directly above my hometown of Claremont, California.  I thought you might find this article interesting ...... a display of his artwork from those years..... just recently going on display at one of the Claremont Colleges....... 

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culture … cohen.html

Claremont was a great place to grow up and has a lot of deep and interesting history with musicians and artists alike.  We used to buzz up the road to Mt. Baldy..... just about 20 minutes, straight up the mountain..... when I was a kid, and, very scarily, when I was a teenager too.  Not everyone made it off that mountain safely, I'm afraid.

I've been a big fan of Leonard's for as long as I can remember...... funny you should say that about depressed suburban housewives....... I ran an art gallery for years.  I had a fantastic collection of CDs which set just the right mood for gazing at artwork.  I was asked so many times what was playing that I'm certain I could have made a killing selling CDs too.  Anyway, Leonard's CD was the only one that my employees refused to play...... one of them going so far as to call it a collection of funeral dirges.....  hmmmm..... there's no accounting for taste.

I'm also a big Judy Collins fan and can't really think of her without thinking of him.  Friends who recently saw her at The Coach House said that she told great stories about her first encounters with Leonard...... he said to her, "I have these things...... and I don't think they're songs...... and I don't think they're poems....... what do you think??"  I'm paraphrasing...... but, she, of course, told him that they most certainly WERE songs...... and the rest is history.

Thank you for sharing....... I'll check out the new live album.


wink  Libby

I know that Joe could play one of those kid's guitars with the plastic strings and make it sound good-
Bill S.
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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Didn't know SRV or Robben Ford played on that Jennifer Warnes album.  I may have to investigate since my wife and I love her music.  I'm very familar with Roscoe Beck through his work with Greg Koch on the fantastic Live On the Radio album.  Roscoe's one of the best bass players out there in my humble opinion.
Regarding Leonard Cohen, I'm not real familar with his music, but he seems like an interesting guy.  I think Teddy Thompson has recently covered some of his music to critical acclaim.

  • From: Benicia, Ca.
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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Curby wrote:

Didn't know SRV or Robben Ford played on that Jennifer Warnes album.  I may have to investigate since my wife and I love her music.  I'm very familar with Roscoe Beck through his work with Greg Koch on the fantastic Live On the Radio album.  Roscoe's one of the best bass players out there in my humble opinion.
Regarding Leonard Cohen, I'm not real familar with his music, but he seems like an interesting guy.  I think Teddy Thompson has recently covered some of his music to critical acclaim.

Roscoe played with Robben Ford live and in the studio for a number of years, that's where I first heard his work.

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  • From: near Nürnberg Germany
  • Registered: 2008-04-19
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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Libby wrote:

Small world that it is Günter, the monastery where he spent five years is in Mt. Baldy...... the mountain (and tiny town therein) which sits directly above my hometown of Claremont, California.   
Libby

That´s nice, Libby, maybe we/I should join the coinkydink fraction of the forum. L.C. had a special liking for the abbot of this monastery, for whom he had to cook fish. I think it is the master whom he is talking about on his new album and who is referred to in the page you gave me.

About musical tastes: with L.C. it´s a bit the same as with Bob Dylan. Both have made thousands of good songs which sunk deeply in the cultural heritage. Both made a lot of crap, too. But it doesn´t really matter because both personalities have a radiance far beyond their songs. So they polarize people: you either love them or not.

Concerning the depressed housewives: you will have realized that it´s the somewhat transparent way of a young R´n´R based man to deal with softer feelings.

Günter

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Guenter's Website

  • From: near Nürnberg Germany
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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Curby wrote:

Didn't know SRV or Robben Ford played on that Jennifer Warnes album.

,

Actually they are only on two tracks, both on "First we take Manhattan", Robben Ford alone on "Bird on a Wire"; Roscoe is on several tracks, mostly on bass, but also on guitar.
If you like Jennifer Warnes you find her on some of L.C.´s albums, f.e. on "Field Commander Cohen".
Günter

Rock On and Keep the Faith

Guenter's Website

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Re: Encountering Leonard Cohen

Thanks Gunter!  I checked out the album and had forgotten how great a singer Jennifer is and how much I like the poetry of Leonard Cohen.  I knew about him through my older brother who had some records of his.  That album I mentioned is the soundtrack,  Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man.  Along with Teddy Thompson there's Rufus Wainwright and his sister Martha, Nick Cave, Leonard,  Antony, Jarvis Cocker and others.  It's actually a pretty good album of Leonard's music.  The highlight of the cd is Rufus' Chelsea Hotel No. 2.