Leonard Cohen was primarily a poet who learned to sing, and he grew into and found his voice which deepened considerably as he aged. He truly came into his own in the decade or so before his death in 2016, whereby his voice had matured to become a true instrument in it’s own right and he surrounded himself and complimented it with a group of truly world class musicians. I think that you would really connect to him if you were to view anything from his 2008 concert in London which is readily available on RUclips or anything live recorded in this millennium. Dip your toe in the water and feel the depths with your soul.
I love your honest reaction. Cohen's low key delivery forces you to listen intently and take in the poetry. Not to everyone's taste because it's not easy. But personally I like it and I think it grows on you
"Suzanne" was inspired by Cohen's platonic relationship with dancer Suzanne Verdal. Its lyrics describe the rituals that they enjoyed when they met: Suzanne would invite Cohen to visit her apartment by the harbour in Montreal, where she would serve him Constant Comment tea, and they would walk around Old Montreal past the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, where sailors were blessed before heading out to sea.
I know you like to concentrate of The Voice... But, sometimes you need to just sit and listen.. To understand the lyrics. Leonard was a poet, writer and performer for more than 60 years. His legacy will live forever in songs that have been covered by hundreds of singers. I still prefer his Hallelujah to most of the others.
One of my all time favorite songs Cohen the Grand Master of feeling emotion expressive songs that move the soul and rock you to the core of your being his delivery for me is as intense and powerful as the lyrics if not easy access. The imagery takes you on a journey like meditation close your eyes breath deep and let the song absorb into your conciousness and transport you. R
One of my favorites. Leonard Cohen was a brilliant song writer. I love Judy Collins remake of Suzanne. To me she has the perfect, soothing vocals for this song.
He started off as a poetry writer. All of his songs reflect a lot of thought that goes into every word. The beauty is found in the lyrics. No one else has ever put words together the way this man does. Listen all of Cohen, lyrics first. He is not trying to get you to tap your toe He is trying to get you to feel the lyrics. They are so human, it is scary. In his songs he describes your feelings, because you have human feeling. No one captures them better. You have to listen with a different mindset then you do for most music.
Most Leonard Cohen fans (like me) aren’t surprised at your verdict. He’s an acquired taste vocally but his lyrics are incredible. Go to. K D Lang’s version of Hallelujah if you’re seeking a great vocal.
Absolutely love Leonard Cohen, he is a different taste but God he's a good songwriter. Hallelujah is a notable mention, but Suzanne, Maryanne, are beautiful songs but just without your typical delivery. Very Paul Kelly
@ThatSingerReactions Cohen suffered severe depression His spirituality tortured him He was brought up in the Jewish and Catholic religions and believed in God but couldn't resolve the conflict of a just and caring God with all the suffering in the world. Cohen was a poet. An amazing song writer. He would spend a year often writing a single song. He wrote the song "Hallelujah". He was one of the last of the "Crooner". I got to send you some John Lennon to check out. As if Taking Bowie and Prince from us 2016 also was the year of Cohen's death.
Cohen was born to Jewish parents, grew up in the Jewish faith, was a practicing Jew his entire life, raised his children in the Hewish faith, and never had any connection to Catholicism at all. He was interested in spirituality broadly, studied under a Buddhist monk, and was fascinated with the simple teachings of Jesus, but not with organized Christianity. And while you contend he couldn’t resolve his sense of God with injustice in the world, I think the opposite is true: He believed both were real and co-existed and that was the basis for on of his final songs, You Want it Darker - Hineni, hineni literally means I’m ready, my Lord.
@@jonsher7682 I read somewhere that he attended Catholic church with his grandmother as a child. But if I am wrong on that then I am wrong. "You Want It Darker" is a beast of a song. "I'm ready my lord" makes me think of religious fundamentalism. It's why people can kill in the name of their God with no regret .
@@deejayturtle "You Want it Darker" is a powerful song and your thoughts of fundamentalism has some grounding in Torah scripture; I believe the first use of the word "hineni" is by Abraham when God asks him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. When an angel of God intervenes and tells Abraham to stop as God provides a lamb for the alter, Abraham says that word again. Moses says that word when he sees the burning bush. So hineni is meant to convey a sense of transformation, both for things dark and bright. In the song, Cohen was bracing himself for his final transformation.
Suzanne is Suzanne Verdal, the muse who followed the great Marianne Ihlen in Cohen's life. The river is the St. Larence River. The Salvation Army is the downtown Montreal SA thrift store. The song is a description of hipster, Bohemian 1960s Montreal.
Try Avalanche, my friend. That's a great one that's still heavily acoustic, but dark and very melodically clear. Great reaction. Leonard on first listen is always interesting.
I appreciate so much your honesty. I will be back ☺️ Leonard is my top favourite. Try to studio version of this, it’s off “Songs of Leonard Cohen”. He does sing is well live, just not this particular version.
It certainly has a melancholic element, but not in a bad way 'cause there's always a certaing reaching to a trascendent thing, as a good jewish he was that part is very present in his work. Like in Nick Cave in a different way. He is kind of languid but powerful, lirically, existencially, if that makes sense. This is the beginning of his career where most songs are acoustic with that picking style, but his catalogue is vast and never disappointing.
He was a Canadian icon. For most his voice is an acquired taste., but it’s not really about his voice ……it’s about his lyrics. His poetry is profound. The deepening of his voice in later years gave a certain rawness to his songs.
I'm gonna get slapped around for this, but I like Leonard Cohen more as a songwriter than a singer. He's got a poets soul, but the number of performances by him that I have saved are fewer than the covers.
Leonard Cohen was primarily a poet who learned to sing, and he grew into and found his voice which deepened considerably as he aged.
He truly came into his own in the decade or so before his death in 2016, whereby his voice had matured to become a true instrument in it’s own right and he surrounded himself and complimented it with a group of truly world class musicians.
I think that you would really connect to him if you were to view anything from his 2008 concert in London which is readily available on RUclips or anything live recorded in this millennium.
Dip your toe in the water and feel the depths with your soul.
I have more LC covers than originals.
That said 'Who By Fire' and 'Thousand Kisses Deep' are some of my favorites.
I love your honest reaction. Cohen's low key delivery forces you to listen intently and take in the poetry. Not to everyone's taste because it's not easy. But personally I like it and I think it grows on you
It certainly does not help to stop the song every few seconds when the delivery is so much about nuance.
"Suzanne" was inspired by Cohen's platonic relationship with dancer Suzanne Verdal. Its lyrics describe the rituals that they enjoyed when they met: Suzanne would invite Cohen to visit her apartment by the harbour in Montreal, where she would serve him Constant Comment tea, and they would walk around Old Montreal past the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours, where sailors were blessed before heading out to sea.
I know you like to concentrate of The Voice... But, sometimes you need to just sit and listen.. To understand the lyrics.
Leonard was a poet, writer and performer for more than 60 years. His legacy will live forever in songs that have been covered by hundreds of singers.
I still prefer his Hallelujah to most of the others.
He wrote Hallelujah which has been covered by a bazillion people. Leonard Cohen is a musician's musician and is definitely for grownups.
Other way round - Paul Kelly and John Lennon are fortunate enough to be in the category of our late Mr Cohen
Quite right...yet another great Canadian singer-songwriter...
Love this song..and so long marianne ever since I was a young girl. love his voice.
One of my all time favorite songs Cohen the Grand Master of feeling emotion expressive songs that move the soul and rock you to the core of your being his delivery for me is as intense and powerful as the lyrics if not easy access. The imagery takes you on a journey like meditation close your eyes breath deep and let the song absorb into your conciousness and transport you.
R
Love Leonard Cohen. Not a classical voice but BOY... the delivery and emotion are unbeatable
One of my favorites. Leonard Cohen was a brilliant song writer. I love Judy Collins remake of Suzanne. To me she has the perfect, soothing vocals for this song.
Nina Simone does two wonderful covers of this song as well
Every body knows.dare to the end of love.tower of song.
He started off as a poetry writer. All of his songs reflect a lot of thought that goes into every word. The beauty is found in the lyrics. No one else has ever put words together the way this man does. Listen all of Cohen, lyrics first. He is not trying to get you to tap your toe He is trying to get you to feel the lyrics. They are so human, it is scary. In his songs he describes your feelings, because you have human feeling. No one captures them better. You have to listen with a different mindset then you do for most music.
Yess
If you’ve heard the song “Hallelujah” you’ve heard Leonard Cohen. Maybe not HIS version (still the best imho) but you’ve heard his words.
This is the man who wrote Hallelujah
Listen to it on Live in London 2008
@ThatSingerReactions What's the small writing on your shirt say?
Most Leonard Cohen fans (like me) aren’t surprised at your verdict. He’s an acquired taste vocally but his lyrics are incredible.
Go to. K D Lang’s version of Hallelujah if you’re seeking a great vocal.
Absolutely love Leonard Cohen, he is a different taste but God he's a good songwriter. Hallelujah is a notable mention, but Suzanne, Maryanne, are beautiful songs but just without your typical delivery. Very Paul Kelly
Early song from an album Songs From a Room.
@ThatSingerReactions Cohen suffered severe depression His spirituality tortured him He was brought up in the Jewish and Catholic religions and believed in God but couldn't resolve the conflict of a just and caring God with all the suffering in the world. Cohen was a poet. An amazing song writer. He would spend a year often writing a single song. He wrote the song "Hallelujah". He was one of the last of the "Crooner". I got to send you some John Lennon to check out. As if Taking Bowie and Prince from us 2016 also was the year of Cohen's death.
Cohen was born to Jewish parents, grew up in the Jewish faith, was a practicing Jew his entire life, raised his children in the Hewish faith, and never had any connection to Catholicism at all. He was interested in spirituality broadly, studied under a Buddhist monk, and was fascinated with the simple teachings of Jesus, but not with organized Christianity. And while you contend he couldn’t resolve his sense of God with injustice in the world, I think the opposite is true: He believed both were real and co-existed and that was the basis for on of his final songs, You Want it Darker - Hineni, hineni literally means I’m ready, my Lord.
@@jonsher7682 I read somewhere that he attended Catholic church with his grandmother as a child. But if I am wrong on that then I am wrong. "You Want It Darker" is a beast of a song. "I'm ready my lord" makes me think of religious fundamentalism. It's why people can kill in the name of their God with no regret .
@@deejayturtle "You Want it Darker" is a powerful song and your thoughts of fundamentalism has some grounding in Torah scripture; I believe the first use of the word "hineni" is by Abraham when God asks him to sacrifice his only son Isaac. When an angel of God intervenes and tells Abraham to stop as God provides a lamb for the alter, Abraham says that word again. Moses says that word when he sees the burning bush. So hineni is meant to convey a sense of transformation, both for things dark and bright. In the song, Cohen was bracing himself for his final transformation.
My favourite of Leonard Cohen's was "Dance Me To The End Of Love", his voice was so much better in his later years...
Suzanne is Suzanne Verdal, the muse who followed the great Marianne Ihlen in Cohen's life. The river is the St. Larence River. The Salvation Army is the downtown Montreal SA thrift store. The song is a description of hipster, Bohemian 1960s Montreal.
This was in one of his tapes.
Try Avalanche, my friend. That's a great one that's still heavily acoustic, but dark and very melodically clear. Great reaction. Leonard on first listen is always interesting.
Songs Of Love And Hate is a force of an album.
He wrote and composed the song hallelujah
You're not going to fill it until you listen to it.
Song goes hard 👍
You are probably more familiar with his song "Hallelujah".
I appreciate so much your honesty. I will be back ☺️ Leonard is my top favourite. Try to studio version of this, it’s off “Songs of Leonard Cohen”. He does sing is well live, just not this particular version.
It certainly has a melancholic element, but not in a bad way 'cause there's always a certaing reaching to a trascendent thing, as a good jewish he was that part is very present in his work. Like in Nick Cave in a different way. He is kind of languid but powerful, lirically, existencially, if that makes sense. This is the beginning of his career where most songs are acoustic with that picking style, but his catalogue is vast and never disappointing.
He was a Canadian icon. For most his voice is an acquired taste., but it’s not really about his voice ……it’s about his lyrics. His poetry is profound. The deepening of his voice in later years gave a certain rawness to his songs.
I'm gonna get slapped around for this, but I like Leonard Cohen more as a songwriter than a singer. He's got a poets soul, but the number of performances by him that I have saved are fewer than the covers.
This was Cohen's first hit, and after this song he only got better.
the album version is a bit better than this one
it wasn't something he chose to do it was stolen from him he just is saying maybe it was for the best
Leonard Cohen Dance with me till the End of Love Leonard wasn't a singer.... he was a POET.... you have to listen to his WORDS, not his voice!
BTW - Cohen > Koh-en/Koh'n
Look for
Cohan . You want it darker
The original studio version was better.
It's CoHEN not Cohan.
Thumps up just to react to Leonard. :)