New Rolling Stone LC Interview

[yopietro]

Interview article on Leonard Cohen from this past week's Rolling Stone issue (Including new lyrics!):

Leonard Cohen, Down From the Mountain
by Neil Strauss

"'I got that song on my little laptop," Leonard Cohen says, sitting diminutively on a couch in his suite at the Warwick Hotel in Manhattan, both hands clutching an unsipped mug of coffee. He is discussing a new, unreleased track he's recorded, an accomplishment worthy of celebration for the notoriously slow-working Canadian singer, songwriter and recluse. "I should go get it. Want me to go get it?" He scampers out of the room and returns later with a black MacBook, opens iTunes and plays a slow dirge. Seemingly oblivious to the anticipation with which fans await a glimpse of new material, he doesn't even request that the rolling tape recorder be stopped.

"Through a net of lies, I'll come to you," his raspy voice intones through a plug-in speaker. "When the dead arise, I will wait there too/If your heart is torn, who can wonder why?/If the night is long, here's my lullaby." As the song ends, he sits enveloped in a stillness that he carries with him like a prayer stick, wearing the same outfit--a black suit, bolo tie and black fedora--he wore onstage the previous night. "I thought that 'Lullabye' was just what everyone needs to get to sleep in these troubled times," he finally says, choosing each word slowly and carefully.

At age 74, Cohen has entered one of the most public and prolific periods of a stubbornly nonconformist life that has swung between high-profile romantic liaisons and off-the-grid spiritual seclusion. But not necessarily by choice. In 2004, his recently fired manager absconded with crates of his memorabilia and most of his retirement fund. The legal battles that ensued decimated what was left of his savings. And although he was awarded $9.5 million, he has yet to collect it from his former manager. All he'll discuss about the status of the legal wrangling is that it's "mostly" over and "it has a very, very interesting and O. Henry-esque ending." Since the lawsuits, he has released a collection of his writing (Book of Longing) and a concert CD and DVD (Live in London, due March 31st on Columbia), and has embarked on his first tour in 15 years, the U.S. leg of which begins in Austin on April 2nd.

Although Cohen has been forced to emerge from his austere Los Angeles apartment, he's taken his solitude with him on the grueling 128-date tour. "The touring and traveling have been monastic," he admits, scrolling through iTunes for another new song. "It's been so great, because I don't see anyone. I go directly from the stage into a car and back to my hotel room."

The night before, Cohen performed in his first concert in America since 1993, receiving six standing ovations during a three-hour show composed mostly of greatest hits. Compared to his last concert in the city, during which he seemed like a grizzled old rabbi who'd accidentally wandered onstage, Cohen was a polished, dapper showman--perhaps because since then he has quit drinking before shows and smoking altogether. Rather than reciting the words of past hits, he seemed to have entered the material again: vaguely pantomiming each song, changing inflections to more directly depict the romantic defeatism of his lyrics, singing in a smoother, less raspy bass than he has in years, and actually skipping off stage. "I like to skip," he says. "I don't get much exercise."

Cohen explains he chose part of his set list--songs like "The Gypsy's Wife," "The Future," and "Democracy"--because their apocalyptic vision seems truer now than when they were recorded. "People really thought I needed help back then," he says, laughing. Asked for his thoughts on the economic crisis, he searches for another new song he's written, saying that he communicates more "authentically" when writing than speaking.

"So much of the work that I hear, there's nothing wrong with it, but much of it has the feel of a slogan or an agenda that has already been written," he says. "But if you're interested in forming yourself through your work, then you have to keep uncovering and discarding those slogans until you get to something." His computer cursor lands on the version of the song he's looking for. "Check this out," he says.

"Tell me again when I'm clean and sober," his voice rings grimly over a bright but mournful klezmer backing. "Tell me again when I've seen through the horror/Tell me again/Tell me over and over/Tell me that you love me then/Amen."

Cohen sits quietly as the song plays on his laptop, more comfortable when the attention is focused on the screen than on him. "I recorded three or four songs and wrote about seven," he says as the music fades. Then, although he's said he "dare not complain" about his unanticipated marathon tour, he smiles and admits, "There's a record there, if I ever get off the road."
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[Womanfromaroom]

Thanks very much for that; without you post, I would almost certainly have missed it! I just can't wait for the new album; and a song with klezmer backing, too...

[basecamp]

"There's a record there, if I ever get off the road." LOL!
Thanks for sharing!

[Womanfromaroom]

Yes, basecamp, you are right - wishing for the record to be available soon might mean also having to wait for the end of the tour, which seems to be the prerequisite for the release of the new album. This somehow tones my enthusiasm down a little ... But then I suppose it is quite true that no one can have a cake and eat it...

[tinderella]

Brilliant!

[Robin]

Thanks for posting this.

The interviewer mentions Kelley Lynch taking "crates of his memorabilia" as well as money. I don't think this has been noted before. I hope these crates didn't include Leonard's personal library of studio and live recording tapes? That would be a crime against his art that is truly unforgivable. How could someone so trusted become so unscrupulous?

[RainDog1980]

Thanks for posting this.

The interviewer mentions Kelley Lynch taking "crates of his memorabilia" as well as money. I don't think this has been noted before. I hope these crates didn't include Leonard's personal library of studio and live recording tapes? That would be a crime against his art that is truly unforgivable. How could someone so trusted become so unscrupulous?

Yes, that's the first time I've heard that, too, but how awful. It's a shame and ironic how such a thing happened to LC. Almost certainly, an irony I'd expect to show up in new recordings. As awful as it is, it may inspire some great material.

I was exciting for the Klezmer backing, also. Could be very cool, I love that style of music.

So, for those of you who saw Cohen on his last US Tour, would you agree with the writer's assessment of his performances? I'd be interested in hearing what fans thought.

[hydriot]

The interviewer mentions Kelley Lynch taking "crates of his memorabilia" as well as money. I don't think this has been noted before. I hope these crates didn't include Leonard's personal library of studio and live recording tapes? That would be a crime against his art that is truly unforgivable. How could someone so trusted become so unscrupulous?

There is an interesting thread here: viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5629&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... 1e2#p63130 which covers this topic.

Tom Sakic reported on 15 March 2006: "Lizzytysh, I think that Leonard received those boxes from Kelley back, with help of sherif office of LA. Maybe I'm misreading your post that you think they're stil with kelley, but there was the news last Fall, and last week, Leronard's laywer mentioned they seized the boxes by force, in that news about the default court decision from LA court. So I think the boxes and archive are safe now, and I presume Leonard will gave most of them to Thomas Fisher Library. I guess there were current and more recent things inside, so he will need some manuscripts for now."

The Thomas Fisher Library in Toronto is Leonard's preferred archivist, because they were the first to actually pay him for his treasures and that has always meant a lot to him.

This post viewtopic.php?f=10&t=5629&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... =15#p72811 describes a deposit of 140 boxes into Leonard's archive, sifted by him and Anjani before despatch. They had been held at Lorca's store.

It seems to me that there will be a huge archive to keep biographers busy for many decades, and that we don't need to have any worries on that account.

[UrPal]

..... he smiles and admits, "There's a record there, if I ever get off the road."
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My immediate response to reading this was, "Get off the road, Jack Kerouac" .

....well, before too long anyway.

I'm looking forward to that new record.

It's good to know it's in theoretical production at least, and also get some tasters of the lyrics.

[DrHGuy]

It's good to know it's in theoretical production at least, and also get some tasters of the lyrics.

For what it's worth, work on the new album has been documented at least as far back as June 24, 2006. On that date, a KCRW interview with Leonard Cohen and Anjani included demo versions of two new Leonard Cohen songs, "Puppets" and "Book of Longing," which were described as part of a “forthcoming” Leonard Cohen album then (i.e., June 2006) being developed (during the same time Cohen was writing Book Of Longing and producing Anjani’s Blue Alert). As Cohen put it in the interview, “… I have dozens of lyrics I’m setting to music now.”

At one point in the interview, Cohen agrees with the suggestion that the album is “forthcoming,” but, no doubt hearkening to previous problems with record companies, wisely declines the host’s request that he estimate when the album would be released, noting only “It’s hard to say.”

If you are interested, a few other details about the interview can be read and the two songs can be heard at my post: http://1heckofaguy.com/2009/01/05/two-v ... f-longing/

[UrPal]

Thanks DrH. Those two songs provide excellent promise of great things to come as far as I'm concerned.

It'll be interesting to see how a "big band" studio treatment affects them - assuming a record company now sees fit to put money into the next album where it has, perhaps, been a little lacking previously. It's extraordinary to now consider that the album which included, amongst others, Hallelujah, Dance Me To The End Of Love and If It Be Your Will wasn't even seen fit for release in the US at the time of its creation. History hasn't judged that executive decision too well, has it?

I'm hoping we get a full orchestra and the works this time around rather than weedy synths and/or Pro Tools.

And thanks for pre-empting in the postscript to your blog the query I was about to raise about the odd "thwokk" noise that recurrs throughout the song "Book of Longing" and whether it serves a particular purpose. It's certainly highly effective. I think I might miss it were a re-recording to witness its passing.

[Robin]

Thanks very much Hydriot. I checked out all those links. It's a relief to know that Leonard's archive was rescued and is safely stored.

[lizzytysh]

My heart seizes when I read these things. I don't know what it reaches around and holds, but it does. I want to hear these songs and listen to him speak of them again.


~ Lizzy

[Jeffs98119]

Two quibbles: isn't it a lazy cliche to refer to LC as a recluse when he's in the midst of a 100 show tour and doing interviews weekly? Granted he was a recluse when he lived on Mt. Baldy, but he is clearly reveling in a dignified exhibitionism now.

And doesn't he have a house in LA, not an apartment?

[sebmelmoth2003]

Neil Strauss has got a new book out - everyone loves you when you're dead

he talks about it on radio 4's loose ends - 16 minutes into programme.

leonard not mentioned in radio interview - don't know if leonard's in the book.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010y1x2