Hello, new here.
I have been listening to LC since the 60s with a big break. Now 80% of my listening is LC.
I have been trying to find out if LC writes all the musical parts for his songs? I know on tour and live albums there are many gifted musicians that play with him. Are they playing his parts or does he have collaborators for the music as well as the lyrics?
Another quick question. In the studio, does LC play various intruments and then mix or does he use studio musicians?
Doesn't really matter to me, I love his music, just curious.
Mark
Does LC write ALL the music?
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Hi Mark,
Welcome! Leonard has used collaborators from time to time and a little more recently. Sharon Robinson, of course, comes first to mind as she composed the music from a couple of his major songs on "I'm Your Man"-Waiting for the Miracle and Everybody Knows. She also composed all of the music for his album Ten New Songs.
Recently on his last two albums, he has had Patrick Leonard as a co-composer on many of the songs. I think that it is important to note that Leonard maintains very tight control over the music and production of all of his albums and is very fastidious and knows exactly what he wants.
When we were in Austin for a concert a few years ago, we were lucky enough to see many of his band members perform at a small event in the University of Texas union. His bass player, Roscoe Beck mentioned during the session that despite Leonard being renowned more for his lyrics than his music, how impressive that music is and played a version of "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" to demonstrate.
We are all fortunate to have either witnessed a long, impressive career in music and get the opportunity to catch up now!
Joe
Welcome! Leonard has used collaborators from time to time and a little more recently. Sharon Robinson, of course, comes first to mind as she composed the music from a couple of his major songs on "I'm Your Man"-Waiting for the Miracle and Everybody Knows. She also composed all of the music for his album Ten New Songs.
Recently on his last two albums, he has had Patrick Leonard as a co-composer on many of the songs. I think that it is important to note that Leonard maintains very tight control over the music and production of all of his albums and is very fastidious and knows exactly what he wants.
When we were in Austin for a concert a few years ago, we were lucky enough to see many of his band members perform at a small event in the University of Texas union. His bass player, Roscoe Beck mentioned during the session that despite Leonard being renowned more for his lyrics than his music, how impressive that music is and played a version of "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" to demonstrate.
We are all fortunate to have either witnessed a long, impressive career in music and get the opportunity to catch up now!
Joe
"Say a prayer for the cowboy..."
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Thanks for this info . That's why this is a great site !!!
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Thank you , Joe, for taking the time to explain.
As far as playing more than one instrument on the studio sessions, do you have any thoughts on that?
Mark
As far as playing more than one instrument on the studio sessions, do you have any thoughts on that?
Mark
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Mark,
Leonard performs on a guitar on a number of songs-he is really quite good-he used to call it his "chops"-almost like a Spanish Flamenco riff. He only plays his Technics keyboard on Tower of Song. However, I understand that he uses his keyboard now on many of his compositions. I don't know if you are a musician, but composing on the guitar and keyboard and very different. Most of his early songs were composed using his guitar, most of his late songs were composed on a keyboard. It has changed the direction of his music.
Joe
Leonard performs on a guitar on a number of songs-he is really quite good-he used to call it his "chops"-almost like a Spanish Flamenco riff. He only plays his Technics keyboard on Tower of Song. However, I understand that he uses his keyboard now on many of his compositions. I don't know if you are a musician, but composing on the guitar and keyboard and very different. Most of his early songs were composed using his guitar, most of his late songs were composed on a keyboard. It has changed the direction of his music.
Joe
"Say a prayer for the cowboy..."
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davidrichards
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:06 am
- Location: far north of Scotland
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Joe. Sorry to disagree but composing is just that and with the exception of any limitations imposed upon the theme/melody by the instrument for which it is written, it is not written in any different way. Using any instrument to assist in "hearing the composition" does not alter the basic process of composition, indeed many composers throughout history would compose using merely manuscript paper and pencil or going further back in time composed using the human memory. Arrangement for different instruments is of course where differences will most certainly occur.
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
I want to second Joe's opinion that 'composing on the guitar and keyboard is very different'. Though I would say 'quite different'.
And I think most people who have tried both ways would agree. - One of them is Leonard himself, by the way.
You can read all about it here:
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/zollo.html
'- Do you work on guitar?
- It usually was guitar but now I have been working with keyboards.
- Does the instrument affect the song you are writing?
- They have certainly affected my songs. [...]'
And I think most people who have tried both ways would agree. - One of them is Leonard himself, by the way.
You can read all about it here:
http://www.leonardcohenfiles.com/zollo.html
'- Do you work on guitar?
- It usually was guitar but now I have been working with keyboards.
- Does the instrument affect the song you are writing?
- They have certainly affected my songs. [...]'
-
davidrichards
- Posts: 124
- Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 2:06 am
- Location: far north of Scotland
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Hartmut
Are you saying that if anyone was writing a melody and was using a piano as a "hearing aid" then that melody would be different to writing it using a guitar or a flute or any other instrument as that "hearing aid"? Somehow I don't read the quotes from Leonard to mean that. Rather I see them meaning that the end product would be different in terms of arrangement/orchestration/overall sound but not that the melody would be intrinsically different. A melody is merely a collection of notes of different pitch and rhythm which are joined together to produce what we call a tune or as one dictionary puts it "an aggreeable succession of single musical sounds"- how can composing that tune be different by working it out on one instrument or another or indeed merely using pencil and paper?
Are you saying that if anyone was writing a melody and was using a piano as a "hearing aid" then that melody would be different to writing it using a guitar or a flute or any other instrument as that "hearing aid"? Somehow I don't read the quotes from Leonard to mean that. Rather I see them meaning that the end product would be different in terms of arrangement/orchestration/overall sound but not that the melody would be intrinsically different. A melody is merely a collection of notes of different pitch and rhythm which are joined together to produce what we call a tune or as one dictionary puts it "an aggreeable succession of single musical sounds"- how can composing that tune be different by working it out on one instrument or another or indeed merely using pencil and paper?
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Hi David,
To put it less abstract: If you noodle around on a piano then you might arrive at different melodies than the ones you might have written if you had used the guitar, your voice, or simply your imagination.
But, of course, this may not true for everyone.
Having said that, I think there is a discernible difference between the melodies that Leonard wrote on a guitar compared to the ones he wrote on a keyboard. ('Sisters of Mery' sounds like a guitar melody, 'I'm Your Man' like a keyboard melody.)
In my experience, the way the available notes are presented by the instrument to the composer - the way they are laid out - influences the musical imagination of the composer.davidrichards wrote:how can composing that tune be different by working it out on one instrument or another or indeed merely using pencil and paper?
To put it less abstract: If you noodle around on a piano then you might arrive at different melodies than the ones you might have written if you had used the guitar, your voice, or simply your imagination.
But, of course, this may not true for everyone.
Having said that, I think there is a discernible difference between the melodies that Leonard wrote on a guitar compared to the ones he wrote on a keyboard. ('Sisters of Mery' sounds like a guitar melody, 'I'm Your Man' like a keyboard melody.)
Re: Does LC write ALL the music?
Good morning, beautiful sunny Oct morning here in Santa Rosa, California.
Thank you all for your contributions so far. The thread has taken a slight detour
, but very enjoyable reading.
Mark
Thank you all for your contributions so far. The thread has taken a slight detour
, but very enjoyable reading.Mark