Who really misses the acoustic guitar?

[greenfeld69]

For me, Leonard's first four studio albums are simply the best albums he recorded. I own all of the others and, naturally, enjoy them but I do feel that from Death of a Ladies' Man he's never been quite the same. I'm not saying any of the beauty of Leonard's later fare is missing, I just feel that acoustic guitar and vocals are the most 'honest' way of putting his music across...I hopoe this makes any sense to you!

I just want his next album to be stripped down old-style Cohen!

I've definitely taken a Leonard Cohen approach to my own music, using guitar, bass, mandolin and voice - if only I could write such great lyrics, I could be the next Len

[icecreamtruck]

How much did Lenny play during the last few tours?

[greenfeld69]

No idea, I was too young to have seen him

[Midnight]

I didn't get to see him either, in '93 or '88. I think mostly he just grimly gripped the mic.

[lizzytysh]

Hi Midnight ~

Without going into Leonard's seriousness and intense focus with his music when he sings, the description you've given...

mostly he just grimly gripped the mic

...seems a pretty accurate one, if someone is strictly looking at the video and not taking the things I've mentioned into account. I especially like the "grimly gripped".

[Midnight]

Lizzytysh, have you noticed that Leonard keeps his eyes closed 99% of the time when he sings. His head is tilted and his eyes are closed. That's too much intense focus.

Look at us, Leonard!

[lizzytysh]

Hi Midnight ~

Yes, I have noticed that physical intensity, but I like it . It helps 'to take me where he's at' in the song, without being distracted by 'him.' That may be part of why he does it, in fact. I don't really think so, but it's a possibility. I think he's doing, as he does so well; going deep inside and bringing the song forth from that realm. It's what we hear and love so much.

Diluting delivery of the inside world, with/by attention to the outside world, is too likely what would happen. I notice that when many/most[?]singers deliver their most intense lyrics, they tend to close their eyes and either raise their head to the 'sky,' or bend their head down [both being 'go within'/'go above' postures, i.e. away from 'the world,'] as they go, and take us, to the lyric.

It reminds me of his comments, I believe, in 'How To Read Poetry;" something to the effect of step aside, get out of the way, and let the poetry speak for itself. What he does is a very effective way of 'getting out of the way.' There's something extremely appealing about seeing someone engrossed in what they're doing, seeing that deep level of concentration. Oblivious to the world around them. It's very attractive to me. Sexy, in fact.

The best photos of people are so often where they're unaware of the camera, and fully engaged in something. It's that same kind of thing.

~ Lizzy

[annaedith]

Hi!
I also like the older songs much more. The words and voice are enough to focus on, all this other instruments are just too much. That's like having your mailbox full of advertising: it's colouful, there might be something nice in it, but we'd prefer not to have it. Plus, the songs get too fast, too much pop-song-style-like. But I'm afraid there won't be any more songs like the old ones. just have to listen to them again and again.

[Midnight]

Plus, the songs get too fast,

Then you should love Ten New Songs. They're as slow as molasses in January.

[smccallon]

Leonard Cohen always continues to try new things and that is why I enjoy his later albums as much as his earlier ones. I imagine that only doing acoustic guitar songs for forty-years would be boring. I believe that the great artists are the ones that change even at the potential expense of their fan base.

-Sean
http://www.livejournal.com/users/passthrufire

[lizzytysh]

Even though I 'miss' the acoustic guitar [I love the purity of acoustic guitar paired with voice], I still couldn't possibly agree with you more, Sean! I respect that the true artist's priority is exploration for new/alternative means of expression, despite their fan base. Growth from within, and whatever happens 'from without' is whatever happens.

~ Lizzy

[A'af]

If I am allowed to request from Leonard, the one I loved is to ask him are please do it all the songs with acoustic, esp from Various Position till Dear Heather acoustically. His word is more easy to......"standunder"

[ForYourSmile]

In the summer of 1965 in Newport the acoustic purists lost, or better, the time was changing and Dylan wanted to do other things. Who could stop him?

I planned a line between New Skin and Death Of. With the time it faded away. I understood it as a set in which everything is essential, as a good poem.

But ... it’s true, these first songs are more special...

[JOHN LLWL]

Yes, I really miss the acoustic (classical) guitar.

[Undertow]

I definitely prefer the old songs. Thats not to say that I dont like the new ones, Im Your Man is simply the sexiest song he has ever sung. But the older song have a certain simplicity to them. His playing is incredibly complicated sometimes, the fingerpicking ever so subtle and often layered with more fingerpicking. But theres something about the arrangement of songs like Master Song, Avalanche, Bird On The Wire etc that will last forever even if they are not more technically superior to songs such as The Letters (another song I love) and Dance Me To The End of Love