Leonard Cohen: Classic or Dud

You Want it Darker is such a perfect opener.

I knew this thread had to exist. To me, he is THE classic, but he is definitely not for everyone--which makes him even more of a classic.

He might not be for everyone, en toto, but everyone likes at least something he's done. Like, who really besides him and Mariah Carey have had a song become a standard in the last few decades?

They do, but most often when it's done by someone else. Everyone loves the Jeff Buckley cover of Hallelujah, even though it's missing an entire stanza.

Dylan's Make You Feel My Love probably goes in there too, some big ass versions of that

I wasn't a big Leonard Cohen fan (of his own recordings that is) until I got the DVD Live in London. IIRC the audio is exactly the same as what was used for the CD of the same name, but I usually prefer live DVD's over CD's. Charmed the hell out of me, it sent me back to his earlier albums, but except for his debut and I'm Your Man, I had mixed feelings about how most of those albums were recorded, so the live DVD is still my favorite Cohen release. I also loved how his music was used in McCabe and Mrs. Miller, probably my favorite Altman film.

I was lucky enough to see him before he died, back in 2013. It was, and remains, the single best show I've ever been to. When he played "Famous Blue Raincoat," which is my favorite song, to start his second encore I felt that my concert going career was complete. Everything after is gravy.

And yes, seeing him live was another level from listening to his albums.

Agreed: Live In London is my favourite Cohen release, his Manchester Opera Show performance in the first week of his comeback tour is my favourite gig of all time, and the DVD is a wonderful record of the same tour.

Everyone loves the Jeff Buckley cover of Hallelujah, even though it's missing an entire stanza.

Never heard it. I've heard about a dozen other versions of it though.

I love cohen to the point that I have two Leonard-related prints in my flat, but speaking of that London gig (which I attended!) the fact that he was packing stadia at the end of his career shows that he was pretty well rated for a not-for-everyone fellow

Everyone has a Phil Spector story.

xp totally! Also Cohen returning to live performance due to his shitbag manager spending all of his money may be the greatest case of turning lemons into lemonade in rock history.

Those comeback shows were too smooth and Vegas-y for my liking. There were too many band introductions and too much scripted patter. I was lucky enough to see him in the 1980s and 1990s, which were much rawer and off-the-cuff affairs.

Love Cohen, but would gladly never hear Hallelujah again

Anyone see "Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song," 2021 movie doc . I have not yet. Just curious about

I have not but they're screening it at Film Forum in NYC and I believe Alan Light and Larry "Ratso" Sloman are doing separate discussion/Q&A's for it.

Had not heard of that, thanks!
"Hallelujah" has been used in too many already-weepy scenes on TV, and is frequently over-sung, seems like. My favorite version is Willie Nelson's, where he seems to be thinking out loud:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58UjoiSP2wM

Think he also does "Tower of Song" on his new alb, which I haven't heard yet---here's my fave cover of that, by Marianne Faithfull:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS_zzwLgTbE

Stone cold "Famous Blue Raincoat"---this live rendition, from Living (1971), has been stuck in my head for most of my life, and will see me out, no doubt

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS_zzwLgTbE

Damn, sorry!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE6e9n1HuuM

classic voice, classic diction
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVp8JlT1oo0

this Blue Note tribute looks promising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaKR_4S5O7U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugh8Xe6hX7U

2009 interview so good