LISTEN TO IT #116: YOU WANT IT DARKER, WE KILL THE FLAME
Well, I can’t post something about George Michal and not do the same for Leonard Cohen, who did a Bowie last month by releasing a great new album on his birthday and passing away shortly afterwards.
The title track is very apropos - not just of Cohen’s passing, but 2016 in general.
It’s a high note to go out on - even this late in the game, Cohen still had a way with words and imagery. Helping things out here are the musical arrangements via son Adam Cohen, which are in some ways the kind of minimalist background typical of a Cohen album, but with some striking variations from the formula here and there. It’s made a lot of Best of 2016 lists, and it will likely make mine as well.
Ironically, when Cohen passed, most of the media focus wasn’t on the new album but his back catalog, specifically that song, which everyone knows thanks to Jeff Buckley’s cover version (which I blogged about ages ago - note that the YouTube links are all busted). I can understand that - after all, Cohen was one of the best singer-songwriters of his time, so it’s only right to focus on the classics that earned him that rep.
My own introduction to Cohen was via - of all things - the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, which featured two songs from his album The Future. I liked the songs, but even then I didn’t realize his songwriting reputation until the Tower Of Song tribute album came out. That album is a mixed bag, but it encouraged me to check out the source, and I’ve been an intermittent fan ever since - I say “intermittent” because to be honest, not every Cohen album is a winner, and a little Cohen does go a long way for me.
Still, if you need a song, he had a tower full of ‘em.
Here’s one my favorites that that isn't that one.
I’m sentimental if you know what I mean,
This is dF
This entry was originally posted at http://defrog.dreamwidth.org/1592006.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
The title track is very apropos - not just of Cohen’s passing, but 2016 in general.
Click to viewIt’s a high note to go out on - even this late in the game, Cohen still had a way with words and imagery. Helping things out here are the musical arrangements via son Adam Cohen, which are in some ways the kind of minimalist background typical of a Cohen album, but with some striking variations from the formula here and there. It’s made a lot of Best of 2016 lists, and it will likely make mine as well.
Ironically, when Cohen passed, most of the media focus wasn’t on the new album but his back catalog, specifically that song, which everyone knows thanks to Jeff Buckley’s cover version (which I blogged about ages ago - note that the YouTube links are all busted). I can understand that - after all, Cohen was one of the best singer-songwriters of his time, so it’s only right to focus on the classics that earned him that rep.
My own introduction to Cohen was via - of all things - the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, which featured two songs from his album The Future. I liked the songs, but even then I didn’t realize his songwriting reputation until the Tower Of Song tribute album came out. That album is a mixed bag, but it encouraged me to check out the source, and I’ve been an intermittent fan ever since - I say “intermittent” because to be honest, not every Cohen album is a winner, and a little Cohen does go a long way for me.
Still, if you need a song, he had a tower full of ‘em.
Here’s one my favorites that that isn't that one.
I’m sentimental if you know what I mean,
This is dF
This entry was originally posted at http://defrog.dreamwidth.org/1592006.html. Please comment there using OpenID.