It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll But I Like It
On March 10, 2008, Leonard Cohen will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in ceremonies at Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria hotel.1
I’m happy that Leonard Cohen is being honored. I’m sure a lot of Leonard Cohen fans are similarly happy about it. And, I hope Leonard Cohen is happy about being elected to another Hall of Fame (he was previously inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame).
Beyond that – well, as you may have heard, it’s only rock ‘n roll, but I like it.
The Other Guys
The Ampersand entertainment news feed2 of The National Post, which advises us that it is “Canada’s trusted source for national news, financial news, world news, commentary, entertainment and sport,” opens its coverage of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees with this query:
Their answer is “They’re all officially famous.”
The more accurate Heck of a Guy answer is
Oh, and a group called The Ventures, known for surf rock instrumentals, will also enter the 2008 class of the Hall of Fame.
The other nominees, Afrika Bambaataa, Chic, The Beastie Boys, and Donna Summer were not selected for admission and, as far as I can determine, don’t even get the home version of the Hall of Fame game as a consolation prize.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Fun Fact
Leonard Cohen is the third Canadian solo act to be admitted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Neil Young and Joni Mitchell preceded him.
Controversy
Not everyone is as Cohenthusiastic as Heck of a Guy. The opposing point of view is presented at its histrionic best in the Detroit News article, Rock Hall of Fame stirs controversy with some oddball choices. A representative excerpt follows:
The article goes on to profile Leonard Cohen thusly: Leonard Cohen: A dour Canadian both lauded and derided for his “poetry,” he sang of “Suzanne” in a funereal drone.
My goodness, the motor city press has certainly worked itself into a tizzy.
For the record, I think they make a legitimate point. To delineate an art form called “Rock and Roll” that includes among its officially recognized group of best performers Grandmaster Flash, James Taylor, and Miles Davis but rejects Mitch Ryder, the Marvelettes, and Ted Nugent requires gerrymandering expertise of the level practiced in the Chicago City Council.
But, and here I adjust my theme only modestly, “Even though I like it, it’s only rock and roll.”
Most Popular Cohen Cliche
My unofficial, not statistically valid review of the use of Leonard Cohen song phrases in on-line stories about his election to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has “I’m Your Man” as occurring most frequently with “Everybody Knows” in second place.
No one has, until now, used …
The Future
Now that Leonard Cohen is officially a rocker, fans should be alert to any signals that has begun to assimilate, affecting those characteristics rampant in the (gated) communities of rock gods. Possible signs and symptoms follow:
- He insists on calling his next tour “Leonardpalooza” (or the equally worrisome variation, “The Poetpalooza”)
- He takes up the electric guitar, begins wearing some serious bling, refers to Jarkko and Anjani as his posse, and wonders aloud about the cost of giant flames, helicopter entries, and other stage effects.
- He treats one of the paparazzi rudely, refusing to give him more than thee muffins and cutting him off abruptly after two hours
- He does the traditional naked Rolling Stone cover shot (preceded by many others, most famously by John Lennon, most infamously by Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, Christina Aguilera, and Britney Spears, and most auspiciously by David Cassidy)
- Like the others, he begins covering songs; like the others, he covers songs by Leonard Cohen
- This time, instead of spending five years in a Zen monastery on Mount Baldy, he checks into a nicely appointed Rehab-Spa for five weeks
Conclusion
There’s only one thing left for me to say:
Rock On, Leonard
And if you run into Bruce or Prince in New York, tell them DrHGuy says “Hi.”
_____________________- The schedule for the taking of Berlin is being finalized but is not yet available.↩
- The slogan of The Ampersand is “It’s everything between Arts & Life.” Get it? Quite droll. If the slogan had been “It’s everything between Arts and Life,” I suppose they would have called it “The Conjunction.”↩
- From The Peregrine Fund Site↩
We think Leonard’s election is great news Dr. Heck — and enjoyed your take on it.