we NEED an album of LC spoken poetry
Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:22 pm
I'm a newbie--I don't normally engage the world in this way, but hey, desperate needs require desperate means...I have been a Leonard Cohen uber-fan for more than three decades now-just saw the awesome concert in Austin! But seriously, here is the thing--I have found that during his concerts lately, at the rare moments when he chooses to simply recite a song/poem, (for example "A Thousand Kisses Deep") that I am stunned by its beauty and complexity all over again, possibly even more so (than when sung). Thus, I feel that it is imperative that Mr. Cohen's fans must rise up together and demand (no, really, we should ask nicely) that he put together an album of spoken poetry, including some from his collection of songs--perhaps the album could recorded live, in a single take, on a 40 year old reel-to-reel tape recorder, in some small, secretly known smokey cafe. Maybe one in Austin, who knows...also I very much liked the print that came with "Old Ideas," and so think that this (double) album of spoken poetry should include a print. I'll fork over the dough, as I know many of you will. Otherwise, as far as I know, the only album of spoken poetry by Mr. Cohen (and several other ancient Canadian poets) is "Six Montreal Poets," which I like very much-but Mr. Cohen must have been about 15 years old at the time--now he has so much deeper wisdom to offer. All in favor, please swamp the Forum with requests of this kind! Also, I must admit that I am using a photo of one of Mr. Cohen's prints as my avatar on my e-mail account--if that is bad behaviour, someone please let me know, and I will remove it. Some artists are more copyright sensitive than others, I have found (or, if Mr. Cohen reads this blurb, perhaps for a small fee, he will give me permission to use the print as my avatar?). Oh well, as long as I'm here, one more thing: It would be nice if you (Mr. Cohen) sing some of your more obscure songs on tour, as they are some of the best in my opinion (please disregard this whine, if in fact you do so, but just not at my concerts..."), for example: "The Traitor," "The Stranger Song," "Un Canadien Errant," "Joan of Arc," "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On," "Ballad of the Absent Mare," etc. I think that when he performed the very rare "Please Don't Pass Me By" In Seattle (2009), it was one of his best live performances ever! And any time I hear "On That Day," I can't help but to cry, it is cathartic still...the event is still unbelievable, and is singed into my brain, in technicolor; my family attended too many funerals at that time...
