This is from Antonio in Cedeira!
Relatos: LEONARD COHÉN - DEAR HEATHER - COLUMBIA/SONY
Posted on Viernes, 29 octubre a las 23:35:36 by Tono
Jikan no ha concedido una sola entrevista desde hace un lustro, ni siquiera para promocionar su undécimo trabajo de estudio, Dear Heather.
«El disco -dicen que ha dicho- se explica por sí solo». Y así estamos. Sucesivas escuchas sólo aportan desazón o desconcierto. Definitivamente destrozado por el tabaco, Cohén parece haber perdido su escasa voz, como puede comprobarse comparando los primeros 12 cortes con d decimotercero y ultimo, Tennessee Waitz, grabado en vivo 10 años atrás, cuando aún conservaba cierto timbre.
En septiembre, Leonard Cohén cumplió 70. Hazaña notoria, tratándose del único cantautor mítico de los 6o que ha alcanzado esa edad. Vanidad que poco debe importarle a él, ordenado monje zen en 1999 y rebautizado con el nombre de Jikan, que significa El Silencioso.
Hoy apoya sus interpretaciones en las
gargantas cómplices de Sharon Robinson (con la que escribió, en
1998, Eveiybody Knows y que grabó la totalidad de 10 New Songs} o
Anjani Thomas (que le respaldó, en 1984, en Halklujah y la gira
subsiguiente). Hasta el ingeniero de sonido es una chica, Leanne
Ungar, que trabaja con él desde New Skinfor... (1972). Con su cau-
dal vocal reducido a susurro de ultratumba y tan magníficamente
rodeado de damas, el viejo Leonard recuerda a aquel Gainsbourg
del final que imprimía a cada estrofa la amargura de la (inevitable)
despedida y la concupiscencia del enfant terribk que se resiste a clau-
dicar. Por supuesto, también hay algo de música jazzy, gospel y am-
biental, arreglos de sintetizador barato y un saxo ronco. Nada que
importe demasiado, cuando nos referimos a un poeta que decidió
hacerse cantautor «porque la lírica no da dinero ni te ayuda a cono-
cer tantas chicas». Concentrándonos en las rimas, todo en Dear
Heather se mueve entre lo introspectivo y lo retrospectivo. El arran-
que, Go No More-A Roving, parte de unos versos crepusculares de
Lord Byron, The Faith es una vieja pieza folk de su tierra natal, Que-
bec, que repite cual letanía «Oh amor, ¿no estás ya cansado?» y hay
tres temas dedicados a poetas difuntos que nuestro hombre cono-
dó en los 50 en Montréal. Pero, entre tanta gloriosa mortaja, surge
el canalla envidiable de Because of. «Por unas pocas canciones en las
que hablo de su misterio, las mujeres han sido excepdonalmente
amables para mi edad. Se desnudan de un modo u otro y me dicen:
mírame por última vez, Leonard. Luego, vienen a la cama y me arro-
pan como a un niño». Sí, Cohén sigue bastante vivo. JUAN H. BBLLVER
Spanish review
translation
Here's a rough computer translation. It will give you an idea of what the piece is about until we get someone who knows Spanish. It's more intelligible than some poetry.
lustrum, not even to promote his eleventh work of study, Dear Heather. "the disc - they say that it has said explains by itself". And thus we are. Successive listening only contribute to frustration or disagreement. Definitively destroyed by the tobacco, Cohén seems to have lost its little voice, as it can be verified comparing the first 12 cuts with d thirteenth and I complete, Tennessee Waitz, live engraving 10 years back, when still it conserved certain timbre. In September, Leonard Cohén fulfilled 70. Well-known feat, being the only mythical cantautor of õ that has reached that age. Vanity that little must concern him to him, ordered monk zen in 1999 and red-baptize with the name of Jikan, that means the Quiet one. Today it supports his interpretations in the throats accomplices of Sharon Robinson (with whom it wrote, in 1998, Eveiybody Knows and that recorded the 10 totality of New Songs} or Anjani Thomas (that endorsed to him, in 1984, in Halklujah and the subsequent tour). Until the sound engineer she is a girl, Leanne Ungar, that works with him from New Skinfor... (1972). With his cau- dal vowel reduced to whisper of ultratomb and so magnificently surrounded by ladies, the old Leonard remembers that Gainsbourg of the end that imprimía to each estrofa the bitterness of (inevitable) the goodbye and the concupiscencia of enfant terribk that resists to clau- to dicar. Of course, also there is something of music jazzy, gospel and biental a.m., adjustments of cheap sintetizador and saxo hoarse. Nothing that concerns too much, when we talked about a poet who decided to become "because the lírica does not give money cantautor nor helps cone to cer so many girls". Concentrating to us in rimas, everything in Dear Heather moves between the introspectivo and the retrospective thing. Arran- that, Go Roving nonMoor, part of verses crepusculares of Lord Byron, The Faith is an old piece folk of its native earth, That bec, that repeats as litany "Oh love, already you are not tired" and there are three subjects dedicated to late poets that our man cone dó in the 50 in Montréal. But, between as much glorious shroud, of arises the enviable gangster from Because. "By few songs in which I speak of its mystery, the women have been excepdonalmente amiable for my age. A way or another one undress of and they say to me: mírame for the last time, Leonard. Soon, they come to the bed and me arro- bread like a a boy ". Yes, Cohén follows enough alive. JUAN H. BBLLVER
lustrum, not even to promote his eleventh work of study, Dear Heather. "the disc - they say that it has said explains by itself". And thus we are. Successive listening only contribute to frustration or disagreement. Definitively destroyed by the tobacco, Cohén seems to have lost its little voice, as it can be verified comparing the first 12 cuts with d thirteenth and I complete, Tennessee Waitz, live engraving 10 years back, when still it conserved certain timbre. In September, Leonard Cohén fulfilled 70. Well-known feat, being the only mythical cantautor of õ that has reached that age. Vanity that little must concern him to him, ordered monk zen in 1999 and red-baptize with the name of Jikan, that means the Quiet one. Today it supports his interpretations in the throats accomplices of Sharon Robinson (with whom it wrote, in 1998, Eveiybody Knows and that recorded the 10 totality of New Songs} or Anjani Thomas (that endorsed to him, in 1984, in Halklujah and the subsequent tour). Until the sound engineer she is a girl, Leanne Ungar, that works with him from New Skinfor... (1972). With his cau- dal vowel reduced to whisper of ultratomb and so magnificently surrounded by ladies, the old Leonard remembers that Gainsbourg of the end that imprimía to each estrofa the bitterness of (inevitable) the goodbye and the concupiscencia of enfant terribk that resists to clau- to dicar. Of course, also there is something of music jazzy, gospel and biental a.m., adjustments of cheap sintetizador and saxo hoarse. Nothing that concerns too much, when we talked about a poet who decided to become "because the lírica does not give money cantautor nor helps cone to cer so many girls". Concentrating to us in rimas, everything in Dear Heather moves between the introspectivo and the retrospective thing. Arran- that, Go Roving nonMoor, part of verses crepusculares of Lord Byron, The Faith is an old piece folk of its native earth, That bec, that repeats as litany "Oh love, already you are not tired" and there are three subjects dedicated to late poets that our man cone dó in the 50 in Montréal. But, between as much glorious shroud, of arises the enviable gangster from Because. "By few songs in which I speak of its mystery, the women have been excepdonalmente amiable for my age. A way or another one undress of and they say to me: mírame for the last time, Leonard. Soon, they come to the bed and me arro- bread like a a boy ". Yes, Cohén follows enough alive. JUAN H. BBLLVER
Thanks, Lightning. That's enough for me to be 'satisfied' ~ not in its content, but in its translation. I would not want to introduce Leonard, in any form, to anyone, with the words of this review. So, if someone here chooses to interpret it further, that's fine. I won't bring it to anyone else's attention.
I think we can get the gist of what he meant.