After last night, I thought I'd share some of the disappointment I feel about having to 'let Leonard go' after all these years. From the overt corporate horror of AEG's agenda becoming visible at The 02 Arena in '08, to the ongoing problems of the "silent one" over events at Mount Baldy, ...

Can't say I noticed any tiredness on his part: seemed to have bags of energy to spare. Another great performance: I'd not seen him since 2009 and the changes in the band were noticeable. Can't say I have any preference for the Alexander-featured band over the Dino-featured one, but the current show ...

As I've said before, I fully embraced "Death of a Ladies Man" at the time of its release, and accept it for the weird hybrid that it is. However, I find it strange that Spector could take such a sympathetic approach with regards to his production of the John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band albu...

'One Day In Your Life' is one of the finest vocal performances I've ever heard.

I'm not an MJ fan, though there's no denying his talent.

Macca has said he doesn't expect to equal the songs he wrote in the sixties, though I still maintain that 'Maybe I'm Amazed' is the finest single recording by an ex-Beatle. The 'better with Jane Asher' is an interesting point....I could say something similar about Lennon: when he was married to Cynt...

From what I've heard of Dylan's album, it has strong comedy value, but appears to have been sincerely meant. You can play it, have a laugh, and good causes will benefit. So, everyone wins!

Dress Rehearsal Rag is my favourite Leonard Cohen song: I'd always assumed that the titular 'rag' was a play on the traditional (ie, Scott Joplin sense) in which the word is used. No other meaning had occurred to me until I read that suggestion about student rag week. I'm not sure LC would have pick...

In no particular order: Dress Rehearsal Rag The Smokey Life Master Song Last Year's Man Famous Blue Raincoat Seems So Long Ago, Nancy You Know Who I Am Ballad Of The Absent Mare Dance Me To The End Of Love Night Comes On If It Be Your Will Anthem Avalanche Chelsea Hotel #2 Who By Fire Came So Far Fo...

I wish I'd stuck in and gone for a ticket for one of these, now.... Although I was only 6 in 1973, I was definitely a Mott the Hoople fan: I loved Ian Hunter's look - in fact, all the band members had great looks. And I responded immediately to their hit singles. Got the Mott album as a present for ...

I've yet to hear her version. I count myself a very fortunate man.

Leonard Cohen: I've been a fan since I was 17 - saw him live for the first time this year. He didn't disappoint - but does he ever? He may be a poet and a thinker but when he hits that stage, he's a showman, first and foremost: he's there to entertain an audience and send them out smiling. That's hi...

Many happy returns to you, sir.

You're an inspiration to me.

All good things,


Richard Ely.

Let's be frank. Cohen's voice is not the most immediately appealing to all ears. This aside, however, I think that the most formidable obstacle between many music listeners and the land of Cohenite Nirvana is the complexity, range of reference and - very occasionally - pretentiousness of the lyrics...

Advance apologies if everyone else knows something I don't, but I'm only a (fairly) recent recruit to these boards.... Just been listening to Recent Songs....the sound could really do with an upgrade: as it stands, the current CD just doesn't do justice to one of LC's best-produced albums. So: when ...

I don't think this is a totally new phenomenon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but his early live shows seem to have contained more in the way of impromptus and improvisations. With time, they have become more regimented (some would argue more 'professional') and as long ago as 1988, I believe, the betwee...