You're right about the lyrics. When I listen carefully to the lyrics of almost any song by Leonard, I'm mesmerized almost immediately. However, on first listening to some of his songs, the combination of music and words present a "disharmony" that is only (for me) overcome by repeated listenings. But that's just me.Please forgive me as I do appreciate that we all have our own opinions but with lyrics such as these, I just cannot imagine this not touching someones heart straight through
Yeah, the description of a suicide can't be too good for a song, but, my, I love Dress Rehearsal Rag. When my mood is miserable this song describes it so cruelly that my bitterness is soon wiped off. Like an alarm sound screaming "wake up"! Of course that's not what it says, but that's the effect it has on me.Lilifyre wrote: Dress Rehearsal Rag
Why not? What's the holdup?Lilifyre wrote:I haven't come close to listening to ALL of Leonard's songs
No offence (please, I'm just surprised), but I find it remarkable that there are forum members who haven't listened to all of Leonard's songs and albums! I guess I'm just so different: when I first discovered Leonard 20 years ago, I had to hear everything he ever recorded, and as quickly as possible! 
first time I heard Stranger Song and Avalanche I was immediately entranced. I was more so entranced with Stranger Song because it is so mysterious, at least to me. The song never ceases to force me to ask "what exactly is he getting at here?" It's a lovely experience every time I listen to it. It may be challenging intellectually, but emotionally it completely makes senseLilifyre wrote:I haven't come close to listening to ALL of Leonard's songs and of the ones I've heard, there are only a few that I'm not particularly fond of. I guess my list would be:
The Stranger Song
Avalanche
Dress Rehearsal Rag
Jazz Police
Iodine
That's about it. Of course, that list is subject to change. Sometimes a song grows on me and I end up liking it after initially being turned off by it. Such is the case for Boogie Street. I really didn't like it the first dozen or so times I heard it. While it's not one of my favorites, I no longer hate it.
Lili
It's because you don't need to listen everything by Leonard to get the Cohenphilic Personality Disorder and in case you haven't read about it, visiting the LC forum 20 or more times weekly or having 500 or more posted items is one of the symptoms..LisaLCFan wrote: I find it remarkable that there are forum members who haven't listened to all of Leonard's songs and albums!
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=20032 For me, listening to new music is a whole ceremony and I listen to new music when I truly need it. I mean, I got Live Songs about a month ago (I think it's been a month or more) and after I listened to it once, I just left it on the shelf and kept listening to all the other LC music I've got. Last week I started getting bored of the same and the same songs again and then reached for it and fell in love with it. Its time just had to come for me. 
I haven't heard all his songs for a couple of reasons. First of all, even tho I have listened to this type of music since the 60s, I really didn't discover LC until very recently....within the last year or so. I don't know why I never paid attention to his music before. I can remember hearing Suzanne and Marianne when I was younger but I don't remember hearing THE MAN singing them. So I haven't had the time to listen to all his music at this point.Why not? What's the holdup?
Of course my mother's tight budget is preventing me from having them all of them here and now, so I'm just waiting patiently for the next pay day... 
LOL....I DO sit on my computer most of the day listening to LeonardListening music on YouTube requires sitting on the computer and I can't be on the computer everytime I want to listen to Leonard, because there wouldn't be any time left to go to school, sleep, eat, get out of house, see people etc...
Plus, you can't sleep with Leonard's music, can you? I can and I do it pretty often and it rocks, because the songs are part of my dreams..
As for sleeping with his music, that's why I got an iPod. I've noticed lately that even when I don't have his music playing in my ears all night long, I still frequently wake up with one of his songs running thru my head. 
After the concert, I exploded . I had to have everything, I had to know every word, every poem, every book. The drug overtook me uncontrollably. When I saw him again at the Garden in October, I was already a worshipping disciple The time in my life came for me to absorb his work fully.
Yes, I have read this! It's very funny! (And, very true!). I don't have ALL of the symptoms, but I defnitely qualify as someone with CPD, there's no doubt about that!Stamatina wrote: It's because you don't need to listen everything by Leonard to get the Cohenphilic Personality Disorder and in case you haven't read about it, visiting the LC forum 20 or more times weekly or having 500 or more posted items is one of the symptoms..
That is hilarious! And Leonard's singing it with such gusto! Thanks for a good laugh!B4real wrote:I believe the first four were done “tongue in cheek” with a wry sense of humour. A perfect example of this is in this video on you tube with Leonard singing a witty ditty to his friend Irving Layton.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qXI6Yp21fk
