What do you answer when somebody calls Leonard kitschy?

[Cold Brains]

Leonard Cohen's music grows on you. It's an acquired taste. Its a love or hate relationship i guess. I don't find it surprising at all that ppl look at cohen's music with bitter distrust and utter disdain if they dont sit their arse down and read the lyrics. Cohen is an oracle of wisdom.. he ropes in thoughts, ideas and feelings and gives them a musican notation. His passion for what he does comes out in waves.. there are people who absorb that energy and others who don't. The ppl i hang out with and the social circles i subscribe to do not share my respect and admiration for this outstanding singer - songwriter.

Leonard Cohen's music is an exploration and refinement of what the man who toils under the sun goes through.

but its not for everyone

peace out
s

[echoes]

Hi!

Sometimes my parents ask me when I listen to Mr. Cohen: "Is he sleeping? He sounds like a sleeping pill!"

Unfortunately there is no fan of Leonard Cohen among my friends (but some say "Ten New Songs" is ok and "Susanne" quite good) and the things they say ... ähem...
not very nice.
I don't give an answer, I just think: "You don't know what you're missing."

Manuel

[Teratogen]

well when i actually meet someone who even KNOWS leonard cohen's music they either like it (the majority do) or say he's way too depressing for them, which i guess is understandable. but i've never heard anyone really put down his music! hahaha. it's so unheard of that i can't believe it! and i wouldn't expect anyone else to either.

[jerry]

If Leonard is kitschy then I love kitsch!

[Don G]

I suppose it depends on how they say it sometimes I can get very offended. most of the time I get amused and ask them to explain. I usually get disapointed because they can't explain. they have not heard enough to explain why, they just don't like him. the reson I get disapointed is that I have always liked the creative ways that some have bashed his music,
"depressive old drone peddling suicide notes"
"prince of bummers"
how creative.
I just love these. I am supprised it does not offend me. some times I wonder what Cohen thinks of these titles? I usualy tell people a few of these and start laghing. although I havn't had many say they didn't like him. usually they just wonder why I like his music so much.

[linda_lakeside]

I think that the majority of the people whom I've run into who don't enjoy Leonard are those that haven't taken the time to become really familiar with his lyrics. Within his lyrics there is something, somewhere that speaks to everyone. It's been my experience that people are often turned off by Leonard's voice. Some call it 'a droning monotone' and can't get past his vocal style thereby cheating themselves out of a genius' look at the world. I can't put Leonard in a 'kitsch' category AT ALL.

[Frankie Lee]

Hi, it's me again!

The man I talked to did refer to Leonard's lyrics. It's his poetry he called kitschy! Imagine...
He said that he was glad having lost one book written by Leonard.

bye. Frankie

[catherine]

Why all this talk about depression?
Can it be there are so few people out there appreciating a good depression?
Indulging in melancholy makes me happy. Not sometimes but mostly.

[davideo]

Kitsch is just another lable- in this case designated to deter originality. Just because Leonard makes a sound doesn't mean it has to fit someone's categories, or mood, or 'tastes'. Without Leonard's sounds I'd never have known the exquisite beauty experienced thereupon. Leonard was a writer who ran into a microphone. I'm glad he did, and I'm glad he doesn't feel obliged to make it fit a category. So it comes from the depths- places where "you and I have only been". I'm just glad to know that some others like his stuff. The rest can have Madonna and all that "bubble gum".

[Jack_Cade]

Kitschy??

My main trouble is either with mortified expressions ("He likes Leonard Cohen. He must be a miserable little sod.") or people nodding merrily and commenting, "Good to slit the old wrists to, eh?"

My usual response is a rather lame attempt to prove that he's actually very witty by quoting 'Everybody Knows'.

[jpx]

i think LC would rather not mind being called kitschy...

"is there a part of jesus in every stamped-out crucifix? i think there is ...."

in 40 years there have been references to jukeboxes, to the movies, to sweet old pop tunes floating in over the radio, to orange Crush, to Mae West cakes, to Hank Williams, to Frankie Laine, to the band is playing Stardust, to the Shadow ... i wonder! when i was thinking about how i'd critique Dear Heather if i was asked to... i thought, maybe the anecdote to tell is how i played Dear Heather at my housewarming party (unbeknownst to the guests) and The Party Did Not Collapse! better kitschy than dusty.

[lizzytysh]

After the release of Ten New Songs, the husband of a couple I know, heard it playing in my car, as I pulled up to their house and started talking with him. He asked, "Who IS that!?!" So went my introduction of Leonard to them. I made them a copy, and they later went out and bought the original. After playing several songs of "Dear Heather" to him [whilst at an art opening, recently], when I saw them both a week later, I offered that I'd copy it for them, as well. She said, "Oh no ~ don't do that! It's already on my Christmas list, for my mother-in-law to give me . She always wants to give me something very special and unique, so I asked for 'Dear Heather'."

He sells plans for solar houses over the Internet [they live in a 100% one], and she teaches physics/meteorology at the University. They now have their house for sale and will be moving onto a sailboat to sail the seas, and live from island to port to wherever, at will ~ henceforth. They wanted Leonard's music for anchoring at night and sailing. I have never had this gratifying of an experience introducing Leonard ~ ever .

I'm anxiouis to get their feedback on "Dear Heather" as a whole. With their solar house, their evenings are always spent in subdued lighting. They'll be listening to it from their bed, located in the same room as their electronics. The atmosphere, which I'm familiar with from having housesat for them, is both lovely and perfect for Leonard's voice.

~ Lizzy

[MichaelPlater]

The word kitsch is usually applied to music that borders on "novelty" or "camp." I've certainly never thought of Leonard Cohen albums as being "novelty" albums.

[ania]

Sorry that I have to ask this question.

But what do you answer when somebody calls Leonard kitschy or mawkish?

(Love, Frankie

you say "yeh, and?"

[bruna]

Maybe, he´s just heard some song out of context. And probably hasn´t perceived the text. Nightingale song can sound like a christmas carol, Tenesseee Waltz doesn´t sound as complicated opus, Joan d´Arc with its dialogue is very problematic for first listening,some booklets can look like a pretty trash with all those birds and hearts. But only for the one who doesn´t understand the substantiality.
L Cohen uses all these things like tools to express something deep. I like all those paradoxes and contrasts in his work.
I think, it is good, that some people don´t understand, because it means that poet Cohen is good and deep.