OLD IDEAS - THE PRESS RELEASE

Leonard Cohen's previous album (January 2012)
MaryB
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Location: Columbus, Ohio USA

Re: OLD IDEAS - THE PRESS RELEASE

Post by MaryB »

This is probably the funniest review I have read to date. It comes from an alternative newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. I think LC would get a chuckle out of this one.
http://www.theotherpaper.com/entertainment/music/

NEW ON DISC: Is Cohen slowin' down?
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The lyrics are as evocative as ever
Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas

. Posted: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 7:14 pm | Updated: 7:19 pm, Wed Feb 29, 2012.

NEW ON DISC: Is Cohen slowin' down? 1 comment

Posted on February 29, 2012
by John Petric
Let’s get the Leonard Cohen jokes out of the way.

Is he ever going to die? And if so, will he keep on making records?

Technically, his brand new Old Ideas has the metabolism of a hibernating frog, but then again, he always had that. In fact, it’s his trademark. So I guess the answer is, he’s always been dead.

OK, not funny, I know. But I’m just kidding.

I love the diminutive Canadian Dustin Hoffman look-alike with my heart’s entirety. His show at the Palace two years ago won a place in my all-time top three list.

Old Ideas, however, shows a marked drop in his heart rate, and frankly, I’m worried. I know we all gotta go, but Leonard, please, a few dozen more albums, if you don’t mind.

The musical backing is nothing new. It’s spare, even extremely spare, with a general feeling of gentleness, calling to mind the pads of cats’ paws on a freshly waxed artesian Italian table from Roche Bubois. The songs are haunting and poignant, yet the pain is never too painful, the passion never too hot. And there are plenty of regrets, which has always been one of the best things about Cohen’s music.

Lyrically, Cohen isn’t close to being dead.

“Had to go crazy to love you/you who were never the one/Whom I cashed through the souvenir heartache/Her braids and her blouse all undone.” Awesome.

“I caught the darkness drinking from your cup/I said: Is this contagious?/You said: Just drink it up.”

So, like Shakespeare would have us do, we drink, getting drunk on each other. And on Leonard Cohen. Do Dylan or Waits come close to capturing the poison of intimacy? Yes, but neither nails it the way Lenny C does.

“Show me the place/Where you want your slave to go/I’ve forgotten, I don’t know/Show me the place/For my head is bending low.” Hmmm. You don’t think he’s suggesting oral sex, do you?

You gotta wonder how good he is/was in bed with the ladies. I’ll bet he’s the gold standard of pillow talk and whispers. On with the quotes.

“It’s a shame and it’s a pity”/The way you treat me now/I know you can’t forgive me/But forgive me anyhow.”

Wow, I was saying the exact same thing to someone just the other day. Only I wasn’t as poetically articulate. That I leave to Lenny C.

Here’s a campaign promise: I will vote for the presidential candidate who vows to decree that Leonard Cohen is not allowed to die. Ever.
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Vlastik
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Re: OLD IDEAS - THE PRESS RELEASE

Post by Vlastik »

Thank you, Mary. It is indeed funny and yet affectionate review. And yes, Leonard, make it a dozen :D

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bridger15
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Re: OLD IDEAS - THE PRESS RELEASE

Post by bridger15 »

Great article, Mary. Quite different from all the others.
Most enjoyable with several good chuckles.
Thanks for posting it,

---Arlene
2009-San Diego|Los Ang|Nashville|St Louis|Kansas City|LVegas|San Jose
2010-Gothenburg|Berlin|Ghentx2|Oaklandx2|Portland|LVegasx2
2012-Austinx2|Denver|Los Ang|Seattle|Portland

Arlene's Leonard Cohen Scrapbook http://onboogiestreet.blogspot.com
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