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New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Sun Jul 26, 2015 4:44 pm
by jarkko
Image
Colin Irwin (Author) and Mark Beaumont (Foreword)
This new 128 page book is now available (since last week; haven't got it yet)
One of the most fascinating and respected singer/songwriters of all time, Leonard Cohen has built an audience across fifty years of music-making. Second only to Bob Dylan (and perhaps Paul Simon), he commands the attention of critics and younger musicians more firmly than any other musical figure from the '60s still working in the 21st century. This new book guides the reader from his first taste of success in his early thirties, to a position where classic tracks such as Hallelujah are covered by the top stars of every successive generation.
9.98£ at Amazon UK.
Hardcover: 128 pages
Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing; New edition edition (16 July 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1783613777
ISBN-13: 978-1783613779
Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 1.6 x 23.2 cm

Looking forward to comments from someone who has seen the book.

There are now 19 titles in the summary of new books in 2014-2015, at http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/newbook2014.html
and some more are on the way.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:03 am
by Mabeanie1
I have had the book on pre-order at Amazon for months but the publication date has been and gone and there was still no sign of the book (even though the Amazon order status said that I should have received the book last week!!) I therefore cancelled and re-ordered via Amazon Marketplace, at a much cheaper price.

I am honestly not expecting much from the book. We'll see.

Wendy

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 12:46 am
by Geoffrey
Mabeanie1 wrote:I am honestly not expecting much from the book.
that's an intelligent attitude to have, wendy. one that will safeguard against disappointment; and contains the potential for a pleasant surprise. that's why i never look forward to anything either.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 3:29 am
by Cheshire gal
How very wise you are Geoffrey. Always best to ward off disappointment. :lol: :lol:

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 1:40 pm
by Mabeanie1
I once worked with someone who's motto in all things was "expect the worst and you won't be disappointed".

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 2:11 pm
by Vicomte
Good grief, I equate those thoughts to someone who never looks forward to tomorrow, as they believe it won't be up to much. Anything is what you make it. So forgive me but I think I'll stick to my own belief and not buy anything until I am pretty sure it will be OK, rather than buy or do something blindly just for the sake of it.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 8:06 pm
by cohenadmirer
' Expect the worst and you wont be disappointed ' sounds to me like cautious optimism because crucial to it is moving from the expectation to the discovery of something better .

I'm going to a few Bob Dylan concerts this autumn so this could be a useful attitude to adopt during that period .

As for the book at least it's relatively short and cheap - available for about £7.50 as a 'proper hardback'
Could be brilliant too ! On my holiday reading list

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 9:52 pm
by holydove
Second only to Bob Dylan (and perhaps Paul Simon),
I've seen this phrase way too many times & I find it to be really obnoxious, insulting, insensitive, & at this point, having been so overused, extremely trite; I think a critic, journalist, promoter, etc., should be capable of stating the positive qualities of the artist without resorting to such unnecessary, cheap, overused, unoriginal & extremely subjective comparisons. And so I feel compelled to say: let it be known, now & forever more, that Leonard Cohen is not, in any way, shape or form, "second" to Bob Dylan. With all due respect to Dylan, Simon, or any other artists mentioned in the past, present, or future, Leonard Cohen is a True Master of the Art, of the highest caliber ever, & does not need to be propped up through comparison to anyone, & is most definitely "second" to noone.

I don't know if the author of the book has any input regarding how the book is advertised or promoted, but this kind of advertising, alone, greatly decreases, & maybe even completely eradicates, any interest I might have had in buying the book.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:09 pm
by Goldin
I'm unhappy with this phrase as well. But you know, thousands of people start their acquaintance with Leonard Cohen from this phrase, because it's the 5th sentence of (I guess, that's the answer to your question, Rachel) the Wikipedia article.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2015 10:54 pm
by lizzytysh
've seen this phrase way too many times & I find it to be really obnoxious, insulting, insensitive, & at this point, having been so overused, extremely trite; I think a critic, journalist, promoter, etc., should be capable of stating the positive qualities of the artist without resorting to such unnecessary, cheap, overused, unoriginal & extremely subjective comparisons. And so I feel compelled to say: let it be known, now & forever more, that Leonard Cohen is not, in any way, shape or form, "second" to Bob Dylan. With all due respect to Dylan, Simon, or any other artists mentioned in the past, present, or future, Leonard Cohen is a True Master of the Art, of the highest caliber ever, & does not need to be propped up through comparison to anyone, & is most definitely "second" to noone.
Once again, I bristled when I saw that comparison and was SO gratified when word by word by word you laid it out flat, holydove!!! Thanks for your spot on response!!!

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:43 am
by Vicomte
Second to Dylan? Well personally I'd say that is a truly excellent position to be placed in to be honest. That being the case, just stop and think of some of the great wordsmiths behind Leonard, Tom Waits for one.....

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 12:59 am
by mutti
Here here Rachel! I totally feel the same.
Leslie

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:06 am
by Geoffrey
cohen comes before dylan - in my rock music encyclopedia.

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 1:57 am
by Vicomte
ROCK music :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: New book: LC - Still The Man

Posted: Tue Jul 28, 2015 2:03 am
by holydove
Thank you for your responses - Roman, Lizzy, Leslie, & Geoffrey - it's good to know I am not the only one whose blood boils every time I see that inane phrase raise its ugly head before my eyes! :)

Roman - thanks for the link & wow, whoever wrote the promotion for this book totally plageurized (sorry for misspelling that word - I can't remember how to spell it!) a whole paragraph of that article - an article which, by the way, also states that Leonard Cohen received the "Princess" of Asturias Award :lol: !! I guess he/she hasn't heard that he's "not a women yet". . .

Geoffrey, I obviously agree with your sentiment - I don't think I'd put Leonard in a "rock music" encyclopedia, though (at least, I wouldn't limit him to that book) - I think he's in a category all his own, that can only be called Leonard Cohen; but he is first in several of my books, for sure. (I was about to post this when I saw that Vicomte apparently has similar thoughts about that category. . .)

Vicomte, I'm not saying it's a bad place to be; I'm saying that, for me, that's not where Leonard is; & I don't think a critic or promoter should state that as though it's a universally accepted fact, esp. since it's clearly not a fact, but a subjective value judgment. Anyway, given the above-mentioned Wikipedia article, whoever wrote the promotion for the book, doesn't necessarily know much about Leonard, but simply copied something that he saw in Wikipedia! I don't know which (is worse), so nevermind. . .