Dear Heather One Year Old

jerry · Post by **jerry** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:45 pm

DH was released almost one year ago.Has anyones opinion of the cd grown for better or worse over the last year.It's grown on me quite a bit but it's still near the bottom of the list as far as favoriite LC albums go.

peter danielsen · Post by **peter danielsen** » Mon Sep 26, 2005 4:15 pm

it's grown quite a bit for me also. Even though it was pretty quick clear to me that this album is among his most interesting.

Peter

Shane · Post by **Shane** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 2:06 pm

I didn't like it on the first listen. I grew on many songs, but there are still a few I tend to skip. The first half of the album is better, i think. a good album. Not among the best. But good.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 3:47 pm

I liked it on first listening, but now I really like it! Plus that old story how I hated Nightingale, and now I find it quite uplifting song...

I think Dear Hetaher and Ten New Songs are still the most listened to records in my home... Sometimes I skip to The Essential or Various Positions, but these two are on a daily shift.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Sep 27, 2005 6:47 pm

Tom ~

Plus that old story how I hated Nightingale, and now I find it quite uplifting song...

Tee-Hee ~ that's all I'm going to say

.

Well, except that nothing's changed in 'my part of the world' regarding both of these albums.

~ Lizzy

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:25 am

I was kind of 'lukewarm' to DH when it first came out. It didn't take many listenings to start getting a positive feel for it, and now, it's one of the most frequently played Cohen albums in my collection.

Still, not so crazy about TNS, but it's closer to my heart than it was when it came out. Don't have "The Essential".

Linda.
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tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 10:12 am

Well, Ten New Songs still is the highlight of Leonard's career for me... Only Various Positions or Songs of Leonard Cohen can come close to it, sometimes... Everything is excellent, of course, any other artist could only dream about the "worst" Cohen-song; all albums are magnificent (I am always surprised when I listen to Songs From a Room, i.e., how I little listen to it). Maybe there are some albums that are ruined because all songs are available on best of's or live albums, so I actually never listen the originals (I'm Your Man definitely, New Skin For The Old Ceremony). I usually come back to some of the albums because there are some hidden masterpieces not included on compilations (The Future: i.e. Be For Real, Light As The Breeze). But Ten New Songs has something above all that excellence, at least for me. Maybe it's Zen, maybe it's ultimate piece and calmness which spread from its sound (and exactly that Ten New Song-ish peacefulness is the thing which makes Dear Heather also great); maybe it's the picture of an old poet recitating on hip-trop synth'ed basses in his garage at 4 a.m. (and that continues on Dear Heather also

); maybe it's the feeling that you witness to ultimate poetry (Leonard's best since Recent Songs... I'm Your Man and The Future were great, but - compared to Ten New Songs - it's obviously pop. And I sometimes wonder, who else would have the guts to sing so obvious poetry on recent Songs and Ten New Songs?). But Dear Heather has at least one thing more than Ten New Songs; while TNS was total coming-to-terms with the world, DH has new quality upgraded on that basis - it is happy. How much it can seems strange to non-Cohen fans, this album actually is his first album without depression in it. Plus that the old poet continues to rap in his garage, and does - as much he's not mainstream as it comes to media or MTV or US market - first actual pop-mainstream album of spoken-poetry or beat-record. And nobody noticed that... Except us

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 2:16 pm

Dear Tom ~

I really enjoyed reading your thoughts here, comparing several of Leonard's albums, particularly his last two. You've made very good points, especially as to how "Dear Heather" stands out from the rest. I'm anxious to see how you react to his upcoming album, whatever it might be in its style and content. Well, how I and others do, too

.

Thanks for putting all these thoughts here as you have.

~ Lizzy

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 3:54 pm

Hi Tom,

You're right in that DH has a more 'happy' feel to it, although it does express the grief of losing friends, getting older, etc. Again, it may be the Zen, as he might be viewing 'death' from a different perspective. Anjani is positively ethereal on DH.

Linda.

tomsakic · Post by **tomsakic** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:41 pm

I like her very much, but my highpeak remains Sharon wherever she shows up, particularly The Letters... That's quite a song!

linda_lakeside · Post by **linda_lakeside** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 4:48 pm

Yes, despite its TNS 'feel', The Letters is one of my favourites. I don't mind Sharon as a singer, but not so much in the 'production' area. Still, you're right, The Letters is worth the price of admission.

Joe Way · Post by **Joe Way** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 5:57 pm

I've enjoyed reading all of your thoughts on DH, also.

Seeing the Dylan movie made me think about the artistic direction that Leonard has taken. After "I'm Your Man" and "The Future" (both critically acclaimed tour de force albums-and also more mainstream I would argue), TNS and DH have Leonard moving away from the mainstream. We could argue all day about artistic merit and we have with some people, but it is my contention that many people don't like those albums simply because they wanted more music like IYM and TF. I contend that it is much like the people who booed Dylan when he didn't play what they had come to expect from him.

Familiarity with DH has not only increased my respect for the album, but continues to improve my enjoyment of it. I don't know where Leonard mentions it, but somewhere he said that from "Various Positions" on, there seemed to be a discernable overall pattern to his albums. They are not simply collections of songs but, taken together, the progression of songs tells another story. I'm interested in hearing what others think of this notion.

Joe

Anne-Marie · Post by **Anne-Marie** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 6:13 pm

Listened to it on the way to the gym this morning. It makes me happy.

SWITZ · Post by **SWITZ** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:18 pm

Skied Sun valley last year and had Ten New songs playing on mp3. Time just slowed down ...very surreal...very dream like. One of the most pleasant times I've ever had.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Sep 28, 2005 11:31 pm

Mmmmmmm. Nice image ~ skiing to "Ten New Songs."