Leonard Cohen, Whereya Goin’?

In response to the questions I have already received about last night’s post, Roscoe Beck - Leonard Cohen Tour Coming To US And Western Canada In 2009,

1. I have no other evidence of substance that The Leonard Cohen World Tour will come to the US and Western Canada in 2009 other than the referenced Uncut magazine interview with Roscoe Beck, the band leader for Cohen’s current World Tour.
2. Specifically, I do not have a confirmed, tentative, or imaginary schedule of concert dates and locations.
3. Nor do I know when tickets will go on sale, how much they will cost,  or how many tickets can be purchased at once.¹

I do believe that Leonard Cohen, Sharon Robinson, the Webb sisters, Roscoe Beck and the rest of the band will play US and Western Canadian cities in 2009 because

1. Roscoe Beck’s casual reference to the fact of the US/Canadian schedule is, well, believable.
2. Absent some specific, as yet undisclosed legal glitch, tax catch 22, or other weirdness, it would be hard to understand why the Cohen [de facto Farewell] Tour would not ultimately come to the US and Western Canada.
3. I can convince myself that the US and Canada concerts are  being deliberately scheduled as the Big Finish of the Tour.²
4. Alternatively, I can convince myself that the US and Canada concerts will be used to introduce the long-promised new songs for the also long-promised new Leonard Cohen album.³
5. I want to believe that Leonard Cohen will play in a venue accessible to me.⁴ Last time I checked, that would be your Greater Chicagoland area in the U.S. of A.

1. That said, I am happy to help fans with ticket purchases. The best strategy is to send all the money you can raise, in small, unmarked bills, to DrHGuy, care of the Heck Of A Guy Web Site, with the number of seats you wish to purchase. I’ll return any excess money - sometime soon.
2. Note: This is pure speculation of my part.
3. Note: Again, this is pure speculation of my part.
4. Of course, I also want to believe that for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.

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To fulfill my promise made in Uncut Leonard Cohen Tour Troop Interviews to list the links to the last two interviews of that set, I checked the Uncut site tonight and found that the Roscoe Beck interview was indeed available at Roscoe Beck Uncut Interview.

It’s a great interview filled with insightful anecdotes about Leonard Cohen.

I chose as an excerpt, however, something less insightful but nonetheless pretty darn interesting. Read on:

And new songs forthcoming?
Well, he’s [Leonard Cohen is] writing. He’s already got some things written. He’s played me two of the songs. And there are more new songs. I saw him writing on the plane yesterday, in his notebooks. And he’s talked to me about wanting to do a new record. But it will probably be when the touring’s done. Just because we still have dates – we’re in Europe until December 1, we’ll break for Christmas, then I think we’re going to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East, after that will be the US and Western Canada, so there’s at least that much touring before we can start on a record. That will probably take us to at least October 2009 before we can even think about recording.  [Emphasis mine]

And this is why one should always try to keep ones promises and carefully read the fine print.

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Attention Magazine Publishers:
Don’t Forget That December Is Leonard Cohen Month¹

Excerpted from Introduction to December 2008 Uncut magazine:

… how, you have to wonder, does Leonard Cohen feel at 74? As he prepares for a second leg of sold-out UK dates on what has become one of the most triumphant comebacks ever, you would have to say he seems in rude health and wit. … the legendary singer-songwriter talks about going back on the road for the first time in nearly 20 years and why for him, it was ‘now or never’, while key members of his touring entourage tell us how the tour came together and share their memories of some of its highlights so far.

Five of the seven Uncut interviews with Cohen’s Tour Team are now online. Links to those along with a sample excerpt from each are listed below. (Those who have seen the photos of the Dublin Concert along with my comments previously featured at Waltzing To Leonard Cohen At The Dublin Concert, The Leonard Cohen Dublin Concert - Photos and (Gasp) Complaints, and The Leonard Cohen Dublin Photo Session With Michael Foley may find the observations of Leif Bodnarchuk and the Webb Sisters about those performances especially interesting.)

Sharon Robinson

Leonard on tour: what other memories come to mind?
He’s a devoted workhorse. He works harder than any of the rest of us, and has reserves of energy that no one can quite tell where they come from. And he is moved by the response of the audience, and the overall sense of an almost spiritual connection that is going on between him, his work and his audience. The whole thing is a real phenomenon, and Leonard is very moved by that.

How different is he than when you toured with him before?
He’s a little older. He’s been through a number of personal changes. He’s quite a bit happier than when I knew him 30 years ago. His voice is lower, but he’s singing great. He’s doing very well. As he’s said, the unexpected lifting of a certain dark cloud, that depression that has been well-documented, is a big change.

Javier Mas

Has he said why he wants the concerts to be so long?
He really wants to play for the audience. He’s so happy to come back, for the response he finds from the audience. Sometimes, the audience stand up and clap even before we start. He wants to give them everything, so that makes for a long concert. In Athens, people were clapping and screaming for one song, so we had to play it too. When you are up there, you forget about your age!

What have been the best moments of the tour so far?
It was great that we started in Canada. We had four nights in a great big beautiful theatre in Toronto, and the second was maybe the best concert we’ve had. Manchester. Athens was very good, they like Leonard there - “Sisters of Mercy” and “So Long, Marianne” were inspired by there. And in Lisbon [going to re-check, Spanish pronunciation] it was amazing. The people were singing the songs outside the concert, and sometimes they sang better than we played! Those were very emotional nights. I think this music is made to be played in theatres, like our four nights in Manchester, not in festivals. But people want so much to seem him - we don’t even have tickets for family.

Leif Bodnarchuk²

What have the highlights been for you?
The first show, Fredericton was a mind blower - the initial audience reaction to Leonard’s presence on stage was amazing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a genuinely enthusiastic reception. I’ve see kids go wild, but this older audience was incredible. Over on stage left, we were stunned! I don’t think I’ve seen a stage entrance reception that rivals it. The Dublin crowd are my personal running favourite; they sang the loudest and had the most fun of that leg. And the crowd in Glastonbury was overwhelming. It was a surreal experience. Call me crazy, but even I got a little emotional!

Charley and Hattie Webb

CHARLEY: Back then, [at Fredericton], Hattie and I weren’t plugged into what to expect. We’d never seen Leonard live before. A religious experience is an appropriate phrase, for how people see his shows. We would walk on - and it took a while to harden to being affected by grown men and women crying and sobbing and screaming directly in front of you. But Leonard seems to be warmed by that. It’s almost like he could part the Red Sea. He lifts up his microphone, and everything settles.

HATTIE: In Fredericton, it was quite overwhelming. Everybody felt it was going to be quite an electric atmosphere. But it was beyond anything that we’d imagined. And so intimate. That was a very small theatre. I think it was a very smart way of Leonard to start the tour. Instead of being in an enormous arena with less personal connection, you could really see the faces of the first twenty rows. It was so tiny, it was like one of those old London theatres. You could almost picture people in Victorian dress. Leonard immediately connected with people, and his own nerves dissipated within a couple of songs.

CHARLEY: We all knew what a weighty night that was.

And Dublin? The first gig in Europe…
CHARLEY: Dublin was raucous, high-energy. We were freezing to death on-stage. It was the coldest I’ve ever been, all of our kneecaps were going up and down, trying not to completely shudder. It was outdoors at night, and the hardy Irish were swinging and dancing in the rain to “So Long, Marianne”, knowing all the words. The outside atmosphere and the weather added to a completely different energy.

Was that raucous energy consistent through the Dublin shows, though?
HATTIE: It was. There were three nights in Dublin, but the second was the first to be booked and officially sold. The first night was energetic, but the second, with all the die-hards, was absolutely mental.

CHARLEY: The security people got completely squashed and swept out of the way by the tides of people coming towards the front, insisting on polkaing and waltzing. Cameramen even zoomed in and captured some couples on their knees - one person was proposing with a ring during “I’m Your Man”. It was crazy.

How did the songs stand up to that atmosphere?
HATTIE: Something like “Take This Waltz” is very uplifting. Everybody was singing along to that, and “So Long, Marianne” is quite a chanty, beer-swilling song.

Bruce Rodgers³

Is there a theme that you were working with, design-wise?
Not necessarily a theme but I took the approach to design the set as an extension of who Leonard is to me, Leonard is a very elegant gentleman and dresses that way. His music is from the heart and he’s also a great artist. He allows us to see into his heart when he sings and I wanted the feel of the set to be like him, subtle and silvery grey and translucent, mysterious and full of light at times, dark and moody at others. My setting this not only gave me the feelings I was after but also gives Anne the ability to tone the space thru out the evening.

The Final Two Uncut Interviews
I’ll post links to the final two interviews when they are available.

Roscoe Beck⁴

And new songs forthcoming?
Well, he’s writing. He’s already got some things written. He’s played me two of the songs. And there are more new songs. I saw him writing on the plane yesterday, in his notebooks. And he’s talked to me about wanting to do a new record. But it will probably be when the touring’s done. Just because we still have dates – we’re in Europe until December 1, we’ll break for Christmas, then I think we’re going to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia and the Far East, after that will be the US and Western Canada, so there’s at least that much touring before we can start on a record. That will probably take us to at least October 2009 before we can even think about recording.

New songs.?
Well, you know, these things are always subject to change, and I do know a couple of titles but I wouldn’t want to give them away in case somebody took them…

1. See MOJO Is Getting Its Leonard Cohen On and Get Your Leonard Cohen MOJO
2. Guitar technician
3. Set designer
4. Added 19 November 2008

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Leonard Cohen at O2

My initial reaction to Leonard Cohen at the O2: Lenny-mania in London,¹  the Telegraph review of the November 13, 2008 Leonard Cohen concert at London’s 23,000 seat O2 arena was “Oh hum, another ‘Leonard Cohen gave a great concert’ article.”² On consideration, however, I am convinced that at least two elements of the story merit mention.

1. Lenny-Mania?

Lenny-mania has, apparently, run rampant -

… what started with a successful summer tour and a much-lauded appearance at the Glastonbury Festival has turned into Lenny-mania this winter

As far as I can determine from my friend, Google, this is the first designation of Leonard Cohen induced Lenny-mania on the Internet.³

Now, I do not contest a newspaper journalist’s authority to name a mass movement or enthusiasm. Sports writers have long devoted hundreds if not  thousands of column inches to informing readers that a city that is home to a sports team in contention for the championship has succumbed to [insert team name]-mania.

Of course, I would also hold that bloggers are authorized and perhaps obligated to pass judgment on the name given to that movement.

And, as for Lenny-mania - I don’t care for it.

Lenny and Squiggy

It’s a personal preference, I suppose, but I find it almost impossible to use “Lenny” to indicate Leonard Cohen except in an attempt at humor. In good fettle, I might be able to pull off “Len.”

When I think “Lenny,” I think “Lenny and Squiggy.” That’s Lenny on the reader’s left.

Or Lenny from The Simpsons (pictured below).

Would the headline of this post be regarded the same if it were “Why Is Lenny Laughing?”

As it  happens, none of my best friends are “Lenny’s,” but I can imagine having a buddy named “Lenny” and even envision warmly greeting him after a long absence with “Hey, Lenny, you ol’ sumbitch. Long time no see. What’s shakin’?”

Also, I am the first to attest that there are, doubtlessly, batches of talented and wonderful guys known as “Lenny.”

But, on hearing “Lenny,”do I think of, say, the undeniably talented Lenny Kravitz or the legendary comedian, Lenny Bruce?

I do not.

And I certainly do not think of Leonard Cohen.

Also, hasn’t  “mania” been a tad overexposed as a suffix indicating a craze among a population segment?  In addition to the afore-mentioned enthusiasm for sports teams, -mania can also be found in references to Cicada Mania, Mini Mania (a passion for Mini Cooper cars), Sarah [Palin] Mania, Monster Truck Mania, Twirl Mania (admiration for baton twirling), Magnum Mania (wildness for all things Magnum P.I.), Collar Mania (obsession with custom dog collars), and Bacon Mania.

Yep, I’m caught up in  Anything But Mania-Mania. Surely, we can do better by Leonard Cohen and his manic fans.

What About That Smile?

Leonard Cohen at O2

Leonard Cohen is, after all, the man known as⁴ the Grand Master of Melancholia, the Godfather Of Gloom, the Master Of Erotic Despair, the Poet Of Bedsit Angst, the Gloom Merchant, the Poet Laureate Of Pessimism, the Apocalyptic Lounge Lizard, the High Priest Of Pathos, the [Biblically lachrymose]  Jeremiah Of Tin Pan Alley,  … .⁵

Even in the story accompanying the photo atop this post, the only reference to the singer’s mood is “His bass-baritone voice rumbled through a back catalogue of doom-laden reflections.”

So, what’s with the sparkling (face it, it’s sparking), full fledged, non-ironic smile?

As it turns out, Heck Of A Guy has access to a hot shot psychiatrist for a clinical assessment - and I diagnose a severe case of happiness.

Lenny, ya big lug, I’m sorry for outing you as being happy and hope it doesn’t ruin your reputation or put a damper on
Lenny-mania. Are we OK? We’re still pals, right?

Credit Due Department
The photo of Leonard Cohen is from the Telegraph article already referenced, Leonard Cohen at the O2: Lenny-mania in London

1. Leonard Cohen at the O2: Lenny-mania in London by Graham Boynton. The UK Telegraph. Nov 14, 2008
2. I should note that Graham Boynton’s piece is well written, insightful, and, except for the Lenny-mania coinage, on the mark. There just isn’t much in the way of new information.
3. There is a 1999 “Lenny-mania” citation that references Lenny Johnrose, a English professional football player, and there is at least one individual and perhaps more who use “Lennymania” or its variations as a user name.
4. See Leonard Cohen Nicknames
5. Yes, I know he is also called Laughing Len, the Existential Comedian, and the Smiling Dada Of Despair, but those don’t do much to advance my point, do they? Besides, this post is running long already; I haven’t the time or space to explain existentialism, the Dada movement, and recognition of sardonic nicknames.

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The CBC.ca web site describes the program in this manner:

Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows

A musical tribute to one of Canada’s most influential poets, singers-songwriters, Leonard Cohen. Renowned Canadian and international acts are featured, paying homage to Cohen in this rare event, which took place this year at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Artists include: Garou, Zachary Richard, Lhasa de Sela, Serena Ryder, Steven Page and Adam Cohen. Fans will also be treated to an exclusive performance by Cohen, as he performs three of his favourite songs throughout the program.

The Sudbury Star¹ adds some detail:

This summer, Leonard Cohen went home for the first time in 15 years, and his city held a really loud party for him. The occasion was the annual Montreal International Jazz Festival, and the event combined a free outdoor tribute concert for more than 100,000 on the city’s main drag, rue Ste-Catherine, and an indoor concert by Himself at Place des Arts.

Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows, airing Sunday on CBC, is a partial record of that event.

The show consists of black-and-white footage of Cohen performing such hits as “Hallelujah”, “Suzanne” and “Closing Time” from the concert hall, intercut with colour film of the outdoor concert.

The show consists of black-and-white footage of Cohen performing such hits as “Hallelujah,” “Suzanne” and “Closing Time” from the concert hall, intercut with color film of the outdoor concert.

The latter consists of Cohen songs performed by such artists as zydeco and Cajun singer Zachary Richard, Barenaked Lady Steven Page, Quebec crooner Garou, and singer-songwriters Lhasa de Sela, Serena Ryder and Adam Cohen.

The event was a doubly special one for Adam Cohen, who also happens to be Leonard’s son. It marked his first time onstage performing his father’s music.

“I think my first utterance, though I tried to be a trouper, was, ‘Wow,’ ” he says. “Because of the hugeness of the event and because I knew they were there to celebrate my dad’s music, and I think that’s well deserved. It was a beautiful but overwhelming symbiosis.”

Clips From CBC’s Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows

Footnotes

1. For The Love Of Leonard by Brian Gorman

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Brigyn Performs Haleliwia

Brigyn To Record Welsh Version Of Cohen's Hallelujah For Christmas Release

According to BBC News,

Leonard Cohen has agreed that Snowdonian outfit Brigyn can finally put out the Welsh language track [of Hallelujah], which they recorded three years ago.

“… as far as we’re [Brigyn] aware he hasn’t given permission to release the single in any other language apart from English, so, it was quite an honour to be given the thumbs up to release the single.”

Unlike other cover versions of the 1984 song by Cohen, the Welsh lyrics of ‘Haleliwia’ are a complete rewrite of the song, giving it the feel of a festive, if somewhat sombre, carol.

WalesOnLine offers more details about the version of Hallelujah popularized by Ynyr and Eurig Roberts, the brothers who form Brigyn to perform, in their words, “folk music with an edge.”

The Welsh-language translation of the original, released by Cohen in 1984, retains the biblical references but Ynyr says it has also been updated. “This one is based more on the Christmas story and it contains references to the troubles in the Middle East, … but people will recognise it as the tune is so strong.”

And, According To Me

Well, judging from the result, all that is required for a wonderful performance are the following:

• Talented musicians
• A great song
• A rendering of that song in a gorgeous language
• A translated¹ and rewritten version of that song good enough to garner Leonard Cohen’s approval

What do you think the chances are of Leonard going for a Hallelujah produced in Ozarks dialect?

Haleliwia by Brigyn

Credit Due Department
The photo of Brigyn atop this post is from their official web site.


Footnotes

1. Lyrics and English Translation from the Brigyn web site:
   Haleliwia
   Mewn dwrn o ddur mae’r seren wen
   Mae cysgod gwn tros Bethlehem
   Dim angel gwyn yn canu Haleliwia.
   Codi muriau, cau y pyrth
   Troi eu cefn ar werth y wyrth
   Mor ddu yw’r nos ar strydoedd Palesteina.

   Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.

   Mae weiran bigog gylch y crud
   A chraith lle bu creawdwr byd
   Mae gobaith yno’n wylo ar ei glinia’
   A ninnau’n euog bob yr un
   Yn dal ei gôt i wylio’r dyn
   Yn chwalu pob un hoel o Haleliwia.

   Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.

   Mae’r nos yn ddu mae’r nos yn hir
   Ond mae na rai sy’n gweld y gwir
   Yn gwybod fod y neges mwy na geiria’
   Mai o’r tywyllwch ddaw y wawr
   A miwsig ddaeth â’r muriau lawr
   Daw awr i ninnau ganu Haleliwia.

   Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia, Haleliwia.

   English Translation:

   The White Star in a fist of steel,
   There’s a shadow of a gun over Bethlehem,
   No white angel singing “Hallelujah”.
   Raising the walls, closing the doors,
   Turning their backs on the value of the miracle,
   The night’s so dark on the streets of Palestine.

   Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

   There’s a barb-wire circling the cradle,
   And a scar where once was the World’s creator,
   Hope is weeping - on it’s knees.
   Guilty - each and every one of us,
   Holding Mankind’s coat -
   While he destroys every trace of “Hallelujah”.

   Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

   The night is dark, The night is long,
   Yet there are some that see the truth,
   They know the message is more than words;
   That from the darkness comes the dawn,
   and the music brought the walls down.
   There came the hour for us to sing, “Hallelujah.”

   Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah..

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Leonard Cohen in Concert - Dublin, June 14, 2008

Leonard Cohen Performs In Dublin

On June 14, 2008, Leonard Cohen performed for Michael Foley and his 25 year old daughter.¹

Another 12,000 or so folks also showed up in Dublin that evening.  In fact, an audience of 12,000 filled up the stadium each of the three nights Cohen plied his trade in that city.

Happily. Mr. Foley had brought not only his daughter but also his camera. The photos that resulted are striking.

Although it was some four months after the event when I stumbled upon them, I nonetheless felt these pictures conveyed something special about the singer, the setting, and the Dublin audience at that performance.

Consequently, I contacted Michael who graciously granted permission to display his work here.

The Magical Dublin Concert Images

Returning viewers may recall that there was another set of photos posted more contemporaneously with the Dublin concert at Waltzing To Leonard Cohen At The Dublin Concert and The Leonard Cohen Dublin Concert - Photos and (Gasp) Complaints. I was and remain fascinated with those shots as well.

It seems significant that this venue, which has arguably drawn more complaints from those attending than perhaps any of the other stops on Cohen’s tour and which seems, at least to me, unburdened as I am  by a working knowledge of photographic techniques and technology, to be an especially difficult setting for creating decipherable, let alone moving, photos, has resulted in these two galleries of arresting images.

I have, it will surprise no one who knows me, an hypothesis.  I believe the elements of those Dublin concerts, the rough accommodations, the hardiness of the audience, the day to twilight to nighttime scheduling of the presentation, and Leonard Cohen’s undisguised age combined with his undiminished,  gorgeously gravelly voice reverberated with each other, creating a moment that resonates with anyone who shares the sensibilities of Cohen’s beautiful losers.

There is little else to add other than Michael Foley’s own description of the concert:

The concert that sets a benchmark for all other concerts according to my daughter who accompanied me to this fantastic event in Dublin. The charm, the grace, the beauty, the wit - he was magical and the audience (of all ages) were in love with him.

Leonard Cohen Dublin Concert Photos by Michael Foley

• Smaller Images via Flash Viewer
• Large Images shown without Flash Viewer
• Original Photos on Flickr

Credit Due Department
These photos were, again, the work of Michael Foley of Michael Foley Photography. The Dublin Concert photos were found in his Flickr account. Both his web site and his Flickr photostream house a bounty of work that is skillfully and creatively constructed.


Footnotes

1. Michael admits to being - well, older than 25

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Democracy (Live Performance) by Leonard Cohen

Democracy
by Leonard Cohen

It’s coming through a hole in the air,
from those nights in Tiananmen Square.
It’s coming from the feel
that this ain’t exactly real,
or it’s real, but it ain’t exactly there.
From the wars against disorder,
from the sirens night and day,
from the fires of the homeless,
from the ashes of the gay:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.
It’s coming through a crack in the wall;
on a visionary flood of alcohol;
from the staggering account
of the Sermon on the Mount
which I don’t pretend to understand at all.
It’s coming from the silence
on the dock of the bay,
from the brave, the bold, the battered
heart of Chevrolet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

It’s coming from the sorrow in the street,
the holy places where the races meet;
from the homicidal bitchin’
that goes down in every kitchen
to determine who will serve and who will eat.
From the wells of disappointment
where the women kneel to pray
for the grace of God in the desert here
and the desert far away:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A.

Sail on, sail on
O mighty Ship of State!