The New York Event in our memories

Tony · Post by **Tony** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 12:41 am

What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.

Tchocolatl · Post by **Tchocolatl** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:12 am

"For the body of Heather, which slept and slept.
For the body of Bertha, which fell with apples and a flute.
For the body of Lisa, early and late, which smelled of speed and forests.
For the body of Tamara, whose thighs made him a fetishist of thighs.
For the body of Norma, goosefleshed, wet.
For the body of Patricia, which he had still to tame.
For the body of Shell, which was altogether sweet in his memory, which he loved as he walked, the little breasts he wrote about, and her hair which was so black it shone blue.
For all the bodies in and out of bathing suits, clothes, water, going between rooms, lying on grass, taking the print of grass, dancing discipline, leaping over horses, growing in mirrors, felt like treasure, slobbered over, cheated for, all of them, the great ballet line, the cream in them, the sun on them, the oil anointed.
A thousand shadows, a single fire, everything that happened, twisted by telling, served the vision, and when he saw it, he was in the very center of things."

Why not "Dear Heather"? There was a "Sincerely L. Cohen" once upon a time and noboby complained about.

"He began his tour through the heart streets of Montreal. The streets were changing. The Victorian gingerbread was going down everywhere, and on every second corner was the half-covered skeleton of a new, flat office building. The city seemed fierce to go modern, as though it had suddenly been converted to some new theory of hygiene and had learned with horror that it was impossible to scarpe the dirt out of gargoyle crevices and carved grapevines, and therefore was determined to cauterize the whole landscape.

But they were beautiful. They were the only beauty, the last magic. Breavman knew what he knew, that their bodies never died. Everything else was fiction. It was the beauty they carried. He remembered them all, there was nothing lost. To serve them. His mind sang praise as he climbed a street to the mountain. "

Midnight · Post by **Midnight** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:21 am

Well, actually there's a lot in a name.

Juliet certainly sounds better than Judy. And who could take Shakespeare seriously if he had named Romeo...umm...Rumpelstein.

Rumpelstein, Rumpelstein, wherefore art thou Rumpelstein?

And a rose may smell as sweet if called a cucumber but....

Emmy · Post by **Emmy** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:09 am

Midnight wrote:Please, please, please rename it.

I really can not go into my favorite record store and ask for "Dear Heather."

Why ask for it? Do like a teenage boy buying condoms....just pick it up off the rack, take it to the salesperson, avoiding eye contact at all cost, pay for it and then leave....knowing that the end result will be worth all the humiliation and embarrassment.

For me, I don't see anything wrong with the title...other than the fact it's not Dear Emmy. *sigh* Maybe his next CD.....

smccallon · Post by **smccallon** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 5:31 am

I love the title. I think it is very untraditional and gives the album a certain concept and feel. I am also happy that we do not know who this Heather is exactly. The title of this album is sparking conversation already and intrigue into who or what Heather is. I say that it makes the album title a success already. The songs on this album are once again top notch. They are very much in the same way as TNS but are stronger because of more guitar. Cohen's voice is much the same as on TNS as well. I say we are quite lucky to have a new Cohen album so quickly!
Here is to DEAR HEATHER and maybe he signed the letter SINCERELY, L. COHEN? hahaha

-Sean

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 6:51 am

From the picture Heather looks like Leonard's granddaughter or a friend of his daughter's, not a contemporary of his. "Heather" seems like a name that might have been trendy in Westchester for a year. There may have been an abundance of Heathers. It makes me think of a song from Brigadoon "The Heather on the Hill."

Midnight · Post by **Midnight** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:02 pm

Well, if he won't change the name, how about changing the spelling. Deer Heather. Now that I could ask for. Especially if he skipped the drawing of the chick and drew a Winchester 94 for the front cover.

Midnight · Post by **Midnight** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:18 pm

I went and took a second look at the cover. I think Heather is oriental.

I think Leonard's picture is a younger version of himself. Come on, Leonard...keep it real!

Midnight · Post by **Midnight** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 3:22 pm

Hey, maybe the girl is Anjani. Thomas..she's of Hawaiian heritage.

Jo · Post by Jo » Mon Jun 21, 2004 8:53 pm

I hate the title - it's so unCohenesque. But it's up to LC to decide on HIS song titles and HIS album titles.
He could always ask for our opinions if he wanted them

Is there anywhere on the net I could hear extracts from the album?

smccallon · Post by **smccallon** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 9:02 pm

I love the backlash the album title is getting... This is great. These kind of things show that Cohen still takes risks with his fanbase even at this point in his career.

-Sean

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:49 pm

We will buy the album out of brand loyalty any way whether we like the title or not, and discuss it endlessly. You can't tell an album by its cover. All who have heard it ( that I talked to) found it interesting and exciting. We wish it were out already to brighten our bleak unpoetic lives.

smccallon · Post by **smccallon** » Mon Jun 21, 2004 11:53 pm

How true your words are, lightning... How true!

Teratogen · Post by **Teratogen** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 2:32 am

it's some very interesting music. it reminded me of ten new songs, mostly, but still had a different feel. i think because of the picture of cohen with the facial hair, the hat, and the mug, it made me feel like i was sitting in a coffee shop listening to a wise old man telling me about love and life. that is something i can't really say has ever happened to me! haha. i must say, from those i spoke to, people really loved the title track, "dear heather," and some disliked "on that day," about 9/11. they said it was 3 years ago and there was no reason to keep writing songs about it, especially for leonard.

i think one of the other differences was that cohen wrote the music this time and not sharon robinson, who wrote the music for ten new songs, so that was probably what caused a different feel. also, the guitar. everyone was so happy to hear a guitar in there again. i think the only guitar on the last album was in "in my secret life," and cohen didn't even play it. i think it was bob metzger.

but all in all it was such a beautiful experience... i have never been around so many people who love leonard cohen as much as i do. it's hard to find cohen fans anywhere where i live! to hear new cohen songs in a room filled with a bunch of cohen fans.... wow, it's the next best thing to seeing him live! the energy was there!

i can't wait until it is complete and is released, as i'm sure most of you are. until then...

jason

heatherly · Post by **heatherly** » Tue Jun 22, 2004 8:32 pm

I am grinning broadly reading all the commentary on the new album title, which I think is the absolutely greatest!!!!

Heather