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In creating a mix to introduce someone to Leonard Cohen, would you or would you not include "Don't Go Home With Your Hard-On"? My judgement on whether or not to include it is skewed by how much I adore the song. I wish I'd heard it several years ago. When I first read about it (here) I could not believe Cohen would have written it, but I love how campy the thing is.

Any suggestions as to songs that absolutely have to be in the mix? The entire disc has to be eighty minutes or less.

Never.

Sorry, still dislike it.




I did dozens of such 80-mins introductory mixes. Every time different. It's kind of art:-)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mix_tape

Thanks for the article, Tom. I never realized there were so many 'rules'. It's so much easier to make a mix of music when you know a person already likes the music...first impressions being lasting ones, I have to make this a good one.

I suggest you the novel Hi-Fi by Nick Hornby. It's about worker in LP shop who makes mix tape for every girl with whom he falls in love. Quite lovely, and so true.
(There was also another Hornby's novel, Fever Pitch. It's about footbal fan, actually about the fan of Manchester United. I myself dislike footbal completely, but I liked the novel as his fanaticism seemed so familiar. There was a moment in the novel when he thinks about the, I don't know, who won the cup in 1970-something, in his bed, and he lies to his girlfriend when she asks about what is he thinking. Well, then I realised that was somehow similar when I found myself thinking about the particular Leonard Cohen show from 1976 tour, comparing it in my head to 1972 Frankfurt show. )

The Nick Hornby book is called High Fidelity. When he goes through all of his relationships and tracks them down to learn why they all went wrong, it really is lovely. It is also a very funny book.

Arsenal (not that I've read it, or that it affects the merits of that book).

'Long Way Down' is also a good read (if you don't mind reading about four characters who plan to commit suicide) but I don't know if its title deliberately echoes those words in 'Dress Rehearsal Rag'.

Tim

Hi Beccka ~

I, too, have attempted to do 'representative' tapes for people. Or, carrying albums to their house [or them to mine], tried to select songs for playing, trying to figure out the best order. It's tremendously difficult. You want them to be grabbed in the same way that you first were. So, I've usually begun with Suzanne. However, because people are so different, it remains difficult... and the songs keep 'pushing each other out of the way' ~ "I want to be first... " ~ "No! Let me... " ~ etc. on and on, as I peruse the albums. It's tough!

I had no idea there were 'rules,' either. Thank you, Tom. I'll read that when I've got more time... will print it, in fact, from work.

For me, Beccka... as much as you love Leonard and the campy song [good word for it], I'd save it for after someone has really taken to Leonard for other reasons. "Now, listen to his bawdy humour in this one," or something to that effect. You can mention to them that there are other songs that might amaze them that show other sides of Leonard, and that you'll play for them another time. If that type of song is what is going to draw them to Leonard, they'll have to become more 'literary' or 'spiritual' to glean those elements from his other ones, and may end up disappointed [difficult for me to imagine, but I know some feel that way] because it requires more of them.

That's a blatant song... it's very 'accessible,' with an entirely different, teenage-type energy. Very few of Leonard's songs are blatant. They require much more of the listener's attention than the engaging, boisterous refrain of that song. Committed fans, however, had a stupendous time singing along with Zack when he performed it in New York; however, that's not the song that brought them their level of commitment.

That's my take on it . Let us know how your mission goes .


~ Lizzy

Becka

I always preferred Iodine - While I am in a minority (I feel) in liking DGHWYHO I would not rule it out, it is, however, atypical of Leonards work.

"Iodine" is my absolute favourite song from DOALM. And one of my top ten Cohen songs. I'm glad to hear I'm not alone out there.

I never really liked DGHWYHO until I saw the finale at the Brighton show the energy that went into that song was amazing and I saw it in a different light.

You'd have loved Zack's performance of it at the New York Event, too, Paula. It was such a rousing join-along that you couldn't but imagine steins lifted and swinging in the air with the singing . I have a feeling it was the same spirit that took hold at the studio recording. I mean, c'mon, what a 'man's' song, right? Their alma mater, so to speak. Still, it's hugely fun for everyone to sing along with... yet, I feel it's one of those that translates in person much better than on the record.


~ Lizzie

DOALM, NSFTOC, IYM, VP, TNS, DH, BoL, LC ... and now:

DGHWYHO


OK, what's WFTMTC?

IDK




< *this sound byte world we live in* >

After listening to Ladies' Man (sorry DOALM) for a dozen years or so (not continuously!), the song that I like the best now is Iodine. Although True Love and Death of a Ladies' Man and Memories are great too. Who knows, maybe in 10 more years the only song on there that I'll like will be Fingerprints! But I agree about the accessibility issue. My favorite at first was Paper Thin Hotel, but that does not impress me as much now as then. Overall though, yeah, that is a very accessible album.

Casey

My list is Iodine, Deat of a Ladies' Man, True Love Leaves No Traces, Memories, and Paper Thin Hotel. I can live with I Left a Woman Waiting, but the other two songs ruined the curiously great album. Fingerprints, I don't know. Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On is OK when done by that band on I'm Your Fan tribute album or by Nick Cave and otehrs on tributes. Otherwise I prefer earlier version, composed by John Lissauer, instead of Phil Spector's.

Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On, 1975 version (Cohen-Lissauer), again, on ~greg's great Rare Live Songs site (http://www.twoshakesofalambstail.com/st ... index.html)

And maybe we shouldn't forhet the early version of Iodine (also co-written by John Lissauer, instead of Spector) - Guerrero mp3. Both are from unreleased 1975 album Songs for Rebecca, unfinished follow-up to New Skin for the Old Ceremony.