He will speak no more: RIP, Leonard Cohen
I just heard the news that Leonard Cohen is dead at 82.
I am tremendously saddened. Cohen’s music, his lugubrious voice, and his poetry are the gifts he gave to the world, and they will live on.
The New Neo
A blog about political change, among other things
My sincere condolences. I know you loved him. Peace to you.
Neo, I saw the news and thought of you. May he rest in peace.
On our first date, my husband and I discovered that we both loved Leonard Cohen. That must say something about basic values. I’m very sad.
There is something shocking and tragic when a person dies young, but it’s different when your own generation starts to move on.
He left us so much richer. Suzanne blew me away first and then the ever-fresh Bird on a Wire. We should all pay homage to Jennifer Warnes for widening his audience. Famous Blue Raincoat was one of only two cassettes ever played in my old Miata. Rest in peace poetry man.
Hallelujah!
A hauntingly graceful song.
http://neoneocon.com/2016/11/10/short-takes-on-a-busy-day/#comment-1890552
@expat – it is also noticeable when one no longer has interest in who wins the next set of Grammy awards. And, it becomes truly shocking, when one sees the list of nominees and wonders “who the h*ll are all these people!”, then, suddenly, realizing “that’s exactly what my parents said!”
A little piece of us goes with each passing of the familiar.
I have vivid memories, from 1970, of listening to his second album. I especially liked “Bird on a Wire.” The next year, Cohen put out “Songs of Love and Hate,” and I thought that was a great record. “Diamonds in the Mine” is the song that sticks in my mind.
Not long after that, like young people do, my tastes in music changed, and I didn’t listen to Leonard Cohen for many years. Then, in 1992, he released “The Future,” and it was like hearing from an old friend.
On the day after his death, I’ve put on “Closing Time.” It goes like this: The Gates of Love they budged an inch / I can’t say much has happened since / But CLOSING TIME.
I thought of you when I heard the news.
R.I.P. LC, and thanks for the thoughts and dreams.
Also, special thanks to our veterans who gave everything and those who subsequently suffered greatly in their remaining days on our behalf.
Robert Vaughn died too
(the man from uncle)
I was first introduce to LC when I picked up Spicebox of Earth. Like Uffdaphil Suzanne entied me to listen to his music. So many beyond Warnes have covered LC with beauty and admiration. Beyond Warnes. Jann Arden’s cover of If It Be Your Will and Don Henley’s cover of Everybody Knows are two of my favorites.
RIP Leonard, you touched all who read and/or listened to the beauty of your words. BTW, if you find yourself in Montreal visit his former abode.
Though he was just a year younger than me, I never heard of Cohen until reading about him here at Neo’s. I enjoyed what few songs I listened to, even though my taste in music leans more toward the faves from my days such as Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Crosby, Sarah Vaughn, etc.
Condolences to all who loved him. He will live on in his music as do so many of our favorites of the past.
May he R.I.P.
I listen to his music so much, he’s become a presence in my life — whether or not he has a physical body attached at the other end.
I’m grateful at the larger recognition he received in his final decade or so. He had become a joke to many critics. But Cohen held to his idiosyncratic path with his usual modesty and self-deprecation.
He led a beautiful life and he accomplished most of what he wanted to do. He was a class act and shared it with all of us.
Farewell, dear friend.
Perhaps the great irony of Cohen’s life from a commercial view is that the Leonard Cohen album which Columbia — Cohen’s record company — refused, is the album that contained “Hallelujah,” which launched a thousand covers, appeared in the movie, “Shrek,” and made Leonard Cohen a semi-household name for those who care about contemporary music.
There is a priceless story in which Cohen went to the Columbia guys and they said, “Leonard, we know you are great. We just don’t know if you are good.”
It was a turn-on today to see Leonard Cohen’s name in second-place under Donald Trump in the Google Newsfeed.