Not just a lazy bastard living in a suit
The music of Leonard Cohen
has not been a career that has been
discounted by many awards, titles
and honours. He is known for creating
music that intensifies the
dimness of religion, politics, love
and misfortune, yet always manages
to spare the listener from too
much suffering. Cohen is able to
provide a tempting feeling when
listening to his music and is
renowned for his affinity of the
"underdog," very willingly taking
the listener with him on his journey
from one spectrum to the
other.
His collection of albums has spanned from December 1967 (Songs of Leonard Cohen) to the most recent release, Old Ideas, released at the end of January this year. He has also published 14 collections of poems and two novels.
Old Ideas is characteristic of Cohen's sombre outlook on life, sometimes too much so. However, one cannot deny the quality that has been honed and polished year after year. In this album, the listener is greeted with a magnetic pull towards his autobiographic phrase in the first song, "Going Home:"
"I love to speak with Leonard / He's a sportsman and a shepherd / He's a lazy bastard / Living in a suit..."
At first listen, it sounds as though the entirety will be too serious and over-reflective. Nevertheless, by the fourth song, "Darkness," we are reacquainted with fun and frolic: a Cohen who rises from the ashes and provides a light-hearted view on gaining addictive love from a woman, yet swallowing the pain "while drinking from the cup."
"I caught the darkness, / Drinking from your cup / I said: Is it contagious? / You said: Just drink it up"
Cohen's music is generously melodic and sweet: his lyric writing is one in a million and very deserving of claim and praise. He went through Hell and back with backstabbing business practices with his manager back in 2005 and came close to bankruptcy. Although he was awarded with $9 million, it may appear that he will never get it.
With this album, let's hope he gets his happy ending. It's a quiet cup of coffee on a long afternoon and frankly the gypsy-drifter just needs to get his just desserts.
For more information, visit leonardcohen.com.
His collection of albums has spanned from December 1967 (Songs of Leonard Cohen) to the most recent release, Old Ideas, released at the end of January this year. He has also published 14 collections of poems and two novels.
Old Ideas is characteristic of Cohen's sombre outlook on life, sometimes too much so. However, one cannot deny the quality that has been honed and polished year after year. In this album, the listener is greeted with a magnetic pull towards his autobiographic phrase in the first song, "Going Home:"
"I love to speak with Leonard / He's a sportsman and a shepherd / He's a lazy bastard / Living in a suit..."
At first listen, it sounds as though the entirety will be too serious and over-reflective. Nevertheless, by the fourth song, "Darkness," we are reacquainted with fun and frolic: a Cohen who rises from the ashes and provides a light-hearted view on gaining addictive love from a woman, yet swallowing the pain "while drinking from the cup."
"I caught the darkness, / Drinking from your cup / I said: Is it contagious? / You said: Just drink it up"
Cohen's music is generously melodic and sweet: his lyric writing is one in a million and very deserving of claim and praise. He went through Hell and back with backstabbing business practices with his manager back in 2005 and came close to bankruptcy. Although he was awarded with $9 million, it may appear that he will never get it.
With this album, let's hope he gets his happy ending. It's a quiet cup of coffee on a long afternoon and frankly the gypsy-drifter just needs to get his just desserts.
For more information, visit leonardcohen.com.
