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. Vocals. guitar. keyboard Years active 1956–2016 Labels Website Leonard Norman Cohen (September 21, 1934 – November 7, 2016) was a Canadian poet, songwriter, singer, musician, and novelist. His work explored religion, politics, isolation, sexuality, and personal relationships. Cohen was inducted into the, the, and the. He was a Companion of the, the nation's highest civilian honour.
In 2011, Cohen received one of the for literature and the ninth. Cohen pursued a career as a poet and novelist during the 1950s and early 1960s; he did not launch a music career until 1967, at the age of 33. His first album, (1967), was followed by three more albums of: (1969), (1971) and (1974). His 1977 record was co-written and produced by, which was a move away from Cohen's previous minimalist sound. In 1979, Cohen returned with the more traditional, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences.
Perhaps Cohen's most famous song, ' was first released on his studio album in 1984. In 1988 marked Cohen's turn to synthesized productions and remains his most popular album. In 1992, Cohen released its follow-up, which had dark lyrics and references to political and social unrest. Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of, which was a major hit in Canada and Europe. His eleventh album, followed in 2004.
After a successful string of tours between 2008 and 2010, Cohen released three albums in the final four years of his life: (2012), (2014) and (2016), the last of which was released three weeks before his death. Contents. Early life Cohen was born on September 21, 1934, into a middle-class family residing in, an. His mother, Marsha (Masha) Klonitsky (1905–1978), was the daughter of a writer, Rabbi Solomon Klonitsky-Kline, and emigrated to Montreal in 1927 from. His paternal grandfather, whose family had moved from Poland to Canada, was, the founding president of the.
His father, Nathan Bernard Cohen (1891–1943), owned a substantial clothing store and died when Cohen was nine years old. The family observed, and belonged to, to which Cohen retained connections all his life. On the topic of being a, Cohen told Richard Goldstein in 1967, 'I had a very childhood. I was told I was a descendant of, the high priest.' Cohen attended, completed grades seven through nine at, where his literary mentor taught, then transferred in 1948 to, where he studied music and poetry.
He became especially interested in the poetry of. Cohen involved himself actively beyond Westmount's curriculum, in photography, on the yearbook staff, as a cheerleader, in campus clubs (Art, Current Events), and even when 'heavily involved in the school's theater program', he served in the position of president of the Students' Council. During that time, Cohen taught himself to play the, and formed a –folk group that he called the Buckskin Boys.
After a young Spanish guitar player taught him 'a few chords and some ', Cohen switched to a. He has attributed his love of music to his mother, who, he said, had such a lovely voice: “ She was Russian and sang songs around the house. And I know that those changes, those melodies, touched me very much. She would sing with us when I took my guitar to a restaurant with some friends; my mother would come, and we'd often sing all night. ” Cohen frequented for fun, and ate at such places as the. According to journalist, Cohen and one of his cousins would go to the Main Deli to 'watch the gangsters, pimps, and wrestlers dance around the night.' Cohen enjoyed the formerly raucous bars of as well as, which had the restaurant nearest to Westmount for him and his friend Mort Rosengarten to share a coffee and a smoke.
When Cohen left Westmount, he purchased a place on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, in the previously working-class neighbourhood of. He would read his poetry at assorted nearby clubs.
In that period and that place, Cohen wrote the lyrics to some of his most famous songs. Poetry and novels. For six decades, Leonard Cohen revealed his soul to the world through poetry and song—his deep and timeless humanity touching our very core. Simply brilliant.
His music and words will resonate forever. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, 2008 In 1951 Cohen enrolled at, where he became president of the and won the Chester MacNaghten Literary Competition for the poems 'Sparrows' and 'Thoughts of a Landsman'.
Cohen published his first poems in March 1954 in the magazine CIV/n. The issue also included poems by Cohen's poet–professors (who were also on the editorial board), and. Cohen graduated from McGill the following year with a B.A. His literary influences during this time included, (who taught political science at McGill and became both Cohen's mentor and friend), and.
His first published book of poetry, (1956), was published by Dudek as the first book in the McGill Poetry Series the year after Cohen's graduation. The book contained poems written largely when Cohen was between the ages of 15 and 20, and Cohen dedicated the book to his late father. The well-known Canadian literary critic wrote a review of the book in which he gave Cohen 'restrained praise'. After completing his undergraduate degree, Cohen spent a term in the and then a year (1956–57) at the.
Cohen described his graduate school experience as 'passion without flesh, love without climax'. Consequently, Cohen left New York and returned to Montreal in 1957, working various odd jobs and focusing on the writing of fiction and poetry, including the poems for his next book, (1961), which was the first book that Cohen published through the Canadian publishing company. His father's will provided him with a modest income, sufficient to allow him to pursue his literary ambitions for the time, and The Spice-Box of Earth was successful in helping to expand the audience for Cohen's poetry, helping him reach out to the poetry scene in Canada, outside the confines of McGill University. The book also helped Cohen gain critical recognition as an important new voice in Canadian poetry. One of Cohen's biographers, stated that 'reaction to the finished book was enthusiastic and admiring.
The critic found it powerful and declared that Cohen was 'probably the best young poet in English Canada right now.' ' Cohen continued to write poetry and fiction throughout much of the 1960s and preferred to live in quasi-reclusive circumstances after he bought a house on, a Greek island in the. While living and writing on Hydra, Cohen published the poetry collection (1964), and the novels (1963) and (1966). His novel The Favourite Game was an autobiographical about a young man who discovers his identity through writing.
Beautiful Losers received a good deal of attention from the Canadian press and stirred up controversy because of a number of sexually graphic passages. In 1966 Cohen also published Parasites of Heaven, a book of poems. Both Beautiful Losers and Parasites of Heaven received mixed reviews and sold few copies.
In 1966 CBC TV producer Andrew Simon produced a local Montreal current affairs program, Seven on Six, and offered Cohen a position as host. 'I decided I'm going to be a songwriter. I want to write songs,' Simon recalled Cohen telling him. Subsequently, Cohen published less, with major gaps, concentrating more on recording songs.
In 1978 he published his first book of poetry in many years, Death of a Lady's Man (not to be confused with the album he released the previous year with the similar title, Death of a Ladies' Man). It was not until 1984 that Cohen published his next book of poems, Book of Mercy, which won him the Canadian Authors Association Literary Award for Poetry. The book contains 50 prose-poems, influenced by the Hebrew Bible and Zen writings.
Cohen himself referred to the pieces as 'prayers'. In 1993 Cohen published Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs, and in 2006, after 10 years of delays, additions, and rewritings,. The Book of Longing is dedicated to the poet.
Also, during the late 1990s and 2000s, many of Cohen's new poems and lyrics were first published on the fan website The Leonard Cohen Files, including the original version of the poem 'A Thousand Kisses Deep' (which Cohen later adapted for a song). Cohen's writing process, as he told an interviewer in 1998, was 'like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it.'
In 2011 Cohen was awarded the for literature. Recording career 1960s and 1970s In 1967, disappointed with his lack of financial success as a writer, Cohen moved to the United States to pursue a career as a folk music singer–songwriter. During the 1960s, he was a fringe figure in 's 'Factory' crowd. Warhol speculated that Cohen had spent time listening to in clubs and that this had influenced his musical style. His song ' became a hit for (who subsequently covered a number of Cohen's other songs, as well), and was for many years his most covered song. Collins recalls that when she first met him, he said he couldn't sing or play the guitar, nor did he think 'Suzanne' was even a song: And then he played me 'Suzanne. I said, 'Leonard, you must come with me to this big fundraiser I'm doing'.Jimi Hendrix was on it.
He'd never sung in front of a large audience before then. He got out on stage and started singing.
Everybody was going crazy—they loved it. And he stopped about halfway through and walked off the stage.
Everybody went nuts. They demanded that he come back. And I demanded; I said, 'I'll go out with you.'
So we went out, and we sang it. And of course, that was the beginning.
People think Leonard is dark, but actually his sense of humor and his edge on the world is extremely light. Judy Collins She first introduced him to television audiences during one of her shows in 1966, where they performed duets of his songs. Still new to bringing his poetry to music, he once forgot the words to 'Suzanne' while singing to a different audience. Collins told, during a television interview, that she felt Cohen's Jewish background was an important influence on his words and music. In recent years, other singers such as have sung it during their tours. Cohen stated that he was duped into giving up the rights for the song, but was glad it happened, as it would be wrong to write a song that was so well-loved and to get rich for it also.
After performing at a few folk festivals, he came to the attention of representative, who signed Cohen to a record deal. Cohen's first album was (1967). He appeared on BBC TV in 1968 where he sang a duet from the album with. The album became a cult favorite in the U.S., as well as in the UK, where it spent over a year on the album charts.
Several of the songs on that first album were covered by other popular folk artists, including and Judy Collins. Cohen followed up that first album with (1969, featuring the often-recorded ') and (1971). In 1971, film director featured the songs 'The Stranger Song', 'Winter Lady', and 'Sisters of Mercy', originally recorded for, in. The film is now considered a masterpiece by some critics who also note that the songs are integral to the film. Scott Tobias wrote in 2014 that 'The film is unimaginable to me without the Cohen songs, which function as these mournful interstitials that unify the entire movie.' Tim Grierson wrote in 2016, shortly after Cohen's death, that 'Altman's and Cohen's legacies would forever be linked by McCabe. The movie is inextricably connected to Cohen's songs.
It's impossible to imagine Altman's masterpiece without them.' In 1970 Cohen toured for the first time, in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, and appeared at the.
In 1972 he toured again in Europe and Israel. When his performance in Israel didn't seem to be going well, however, he walked off the stage, went to his dressing room, and took some LSD. He then heard the audience clamoring for his reappearance by singing to him in Hebrew, and under the influence of the psychedelic, he returned to finish the show. Additionally, in 1973 he played a special performance for a group of IDF soldiers in the outposts of Sinai during the Yom Kippur War. In 1973 Columbia Records released 'Leonard Cohen: Live Songs'. Then beginning around 1974, Cohen's collaboration with pianist and arranger created a live sound praised by the critics.
They toured together in 1974 in Europe and in U.S. And Canada in late 1974 and early 1975, in support of Cohen's record. In late 1975 Cohen and Lissauer performed a short series of shows in the U.S. And Canada with a new band, in support of Cohen's release. The tour included new songs from an album in progress, co-written by Cohen and Lissauer and entitled Songs for Rebecca.
None of the recordings from these live tours with Lissauer were ever officially released, and the album was abandoned in 1976. In 1976 Cohen embarked on a new major European tour with a new band and changes in his sound and arrangements, again, in support of his release (in Europe retitled as Greatest Hits). Was one of his backup singers during the tour. From April to July, Cohen gave 55 shows, including his first appearance at the famous. After the European tour of 1976, Cohen again attempted a new change in his style and arrangements; his new 1977 record, (one year later, in 1978, Cohen also released a volume of poetry with the coyly revised title, Death of a Lady's Man), was co-written and produced. Leonard acknowledges that the whole act of living contains immense amounts of sorrow and hopelessness and despair; and also passion, high hopes, deep love, and eternal love. Jennifer Warnes, describing Cohen's lyrics In 1979 Cohen returned with the more traditional, which blended his acoustic style with jazz and Oriental and Mediterranean influences.
Beginning with this record, Cohen began to co-produce his albums. Produced by Cohen and Henry Lewy ('s sound engineer), Recent Songs included performances by Passenger, an Austin-based jazz–fusion band that met Cohen through Mitchell. The band helped Cohen create a new sound by featuring instruments like the, the Gypsy violin, and the.
The album was supported by Cohen's major tour with the new band, and and on the backing vocals, in Europe in late 1979, and again in Australia, Israel, and Europe in 1980. In 2000, Columbia released an album of live recordings of songs from the 1979 tour, entitled.
Karastan Oriental Classics
During the 1970s, Cohen toured twice with as a backup singer (1972 and 1979). Warnes would become a fixture on Cohen's future albums, receiving full co-vocals credit on Cohen's 1985 album (although the record was released under Cohen's name, the inside credits say 'Vocals by Leonard Cohen and Jennifer Warnes'). In 1987 she recorded an album of Cohen songs,. Cohen said that she sang backup for his 1980 tour, even though her career at the time was in much better shape than his. 'So this is a real friend', he said. 'Someone who in the face of great derision, has always supported me.' Cohen in 1988 In the early 1980s, Cohen co-wrote the rock musical film Night Magic with, starring and; the LP was released in 1984.
Cohen supported the release of the album with his biggest tour to date, in Europe and Australia, and with his first tour in Canada and the United States since 1975. The band performed at the, and the. They also gave a series of highly emotional and politically controversial concerts in Poland, which had been under just two years before, and performed the song ', regarded as the hymn of the movement. In 1987 's tribute album helped restore Cohen's career in the U.S. The following year he released. Cohen supported the record with a series of television interviews and an extensive tour of Europe, Canada, and the U.S.
Many shows were broadcast on European and U.S. Television and radio stations, while Cohen performed for the first time in his career on PBS's show. 'Hallelujah'. Main article: 'Hallelujah' was first released on Cohen's studio album in 1984, and he sang it during his Europe tour in 1985. The song had limited initial success but found greater popularity through a 1991 cover by, which formed the basis for a later cover. 'Hallelujah' has been performed by almost 200 artists in various languages.
The song is the subject of the book The Holy or the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of 'Hallelujah' (2012). In a New York Times review praised the book and the song, noting that 'Cohen spent years struggling with his song 'Hallelujah', which eventually became one of the most 'oft-performed songs in American musical history.'
1990s The use of the album track ' from I'm Your Man and 'If It Be Your Will' in the 1990 film helped expose Cohen's music to a younger audience. He first introduced the song during his world tour in 1988.
The song 'Everybody Knows' also featured prominently in fellow Canadian 's 1994 film,. In 1992, Cohen released, which urges (often in terms of prophecy) perseverance, reformation, and hope in the face of grim prospects. Three tracks from the album – ', 'The Future' and 'Anthem' – were featured in the movie, which also promoted Cohen's work to a new generation of US listeners. As with I'm Your Man, the lyrics on The Future were dark, and made references to political and social unrest.
The title track is reportedly a response to the. Cohen promoted the album with two music videos, for 'Closing Time' and 'The Future', and supported the release with the major tour through Europe, United States and Canada, with the same band as in his 1988 tour, including a second appearance on 's. Some of the Scandinavian shows were broadcast live on the radio.
The selection of performances, mostly recorded on the Canadian leg of the tour, was released on 1994 album. In 1993, Cohen also published his book of selected poems and songs, Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs, on which he had worked since 1989. It includes a number of new poems from the late 1980s and early 1990s and major revision of his 1978 book Death of a Lady's Man.
In 1994, Cohen retreated to the near Los Angeles, beginning what became five years of seclusion at the center. In 1996, Cohen was ordained as a Zen monk and took the name Jikan, meaning 'silence'. He served as personal assistant to Roshi. In 1997, Cohen oversaw the selection and release of album, which included a previously unreleased track, 'Never Any Good', and an experimental piece 'The Great Event'. The first was left over from Cohen's unfinished mid-1990s album, which was announced to include songs like 'In My Secret Life' (already recited as song-in-progress in 1988) and 'A Thousand Kisses Deep', both later re-worked with for the 2001 album.
Although there was a public impression that Cohen would not resume recording or publishing, he returned to Los Angeles in May 1999. He began to contribute regularly to The Leonard Cohen Files fan website, emailing new poems and drawings from Book of Longing and early versions of new songs, like 'A Thousand Kisses Deep' in September 1998 and Thomas's story sent on May 6, 1999, the day they were recording 'Villanelle for our Time' (released on 2004's album). The section of The Leonard Cohen Files with Cohen's online writings has been titled 'The Blackening Pages'. 2000s Post-monastery records After two years of production, Cohen returned to music in 2001 with the release of, featuring a heavy influence from producer and co-composer.
The album, recorded at Cohen's and Robinson's home studios – Still Life Studios, includes the song 'Alexandra Leaving', a transformation of the poem ', by the Greek poet. The album was a major hit for Cohen in Canada and Europe, and he supported it with the hit single 'In My Secret Life' and accompanying video shot. The album won him four Canadian Juno Awards in 2002: Best Artist, Best Songwriter, Best Pop Album, and Best Video ('In My Secret Life'). And the following year he was given Canada's highest civilian honor, the. In October 2004, Cohen released, largely a musical collaboration with jazz chanteuse (and romantic partner) Thomas, although Sharon Robinson returned to collaborate on three tracks (including a duet). As light as the previous album was dark, Dear Heather reflects Cohen's own change of mood – he said in a number of interviews that his depression had lifted in recent years, which he attributed to Zen Buddhism. In an interview following his induction into the Canadian Songwriters' Hall of Fame, Cohen explained that the album was intended to be a kind of notebook or scrapbook of themes, and that a more formal record had been planned for release shortly afterwards, but that this was put on ice by his legal battles with his ex-manager., an album of songs co-written by Anjani and Cohen, was released in 2006 to positive reviews.
Sung by Anjani, who according to one reviewer '.sounds like Cohen reincarnated as woman. Though Cohen doesn't sing a note on the album, his voice permeates it like smoke.' Before embarking on his 2008–2010 world tour, and without finishing the new album which had been in work since 2006, Cohen contributed a few tracks to other artists' albums – a new version of his own 'Tower of Song' was performed by him, Anjani Thomas and in the 2006 tribute film Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man (the video and track were included on the film's soundtrack and released as the B-side of U2's single ', reaching No 1 in the ). In 2007 he recited ' on album Tribute to: Take Me to the Mardi Gras and 'The Jungle Line' by, accompanied by on piano, on Hancock's Grammy-winning album, while in 2008, he recited the poem 'Since You've Asked' on the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to.
Lawsuits and financial troubles Sylvie Simmons explains in her 2012 biography of Cohen that Kelley Lynch, Cohen's longtime manager, 'took care of Leonard's business affairs and was not simply his manager but a close friend, almost part of the family.' Simmons notes that in late 2004, Cohen's daughter Lorca began to suspect Lynch of financial impropriety, and when Cohen checked his bank accounts, he noticed that he had unknowingly paid a credit card bill of Lynch's for $75,000 and also found that most of the money in his accounts was gone (including money from his retirement accounts and charitable trust funds). Cohen discovered that this had begun as early as 1996 when Lynch started selling Cohen's music publishing rights despite the fact that Cohen had no financial incentive to do so at the time. In October 2005, Cohen sued Lynch, alleging that she had misappropriated over US $5 million from Cohen's retirement fund leaving only $150,000. Cohen was sued in turn by other former business associates. These events placed him in the public spotlight, including a cover feature on him with the headline 'Devastated!' In Canada's magazine.
In March 2006, Cohen won a and was awarded US$9 million by a Los Angeles County superior court. Lynch ignored the suit and did not respond to a issued for her financial records. As a result, it was widely reported that Cohen might never be able to collect the awarded amount. Book of Longing Cohen's book of poetry and drawings, was published in May 2006.
In March a Toronto-based retailer offered signed copies to the first 1,500 orders placed online: all 1,500 sold within hours. The book quickly topped bestseller lists in Canada. On May 13, 2006, Cohen made his first public appearance in thirteen years, at an in-store event at a bookstore in Toronto. Approximately 3,000 people turned up, causing the streets surrounding the bookstore to be closed. He sang two of his earliest and best-known songs: 'So Long, Marianne' and 'Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye', accompanied by the and. Also appearing with him was Anjani, the two promoting her new CD along with his book. That same year, composed music for Book of Longing.
Following a series of live performances which included Glass on keyboards, Cohen's recorded spoken text, four additional voices (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass-baritone), and other instruments, and as well as screenings of Cohen's artworks and drawings, Glass' label Orange Mountain Music released a double CD of the work, entitled Book of Longing. A Song Cycle based on the Poetry and Artwork of Leonard Cohen.
2008–10 World Tour 2008 tour. Cohen in McLaren Vale, South Australia, January 2009 The third leg of Cohen's World Tour 2008–2009 encompassed New Zealand and Australia from January 20 to February 10, 2009. In January 2009, The Pacific Tour first came to New Zealand, where the audience of 12,000 responded with five standing ovations. On February 19, 2009, Cohen played his first American concert in fifteen years at the in New York City.
The show, showcased as the special performance for fans, Leonard Cohen Forum members and press, was the only show in the whole three-year tour which was broadcast on the radio (NPR) and available as the free podcast. The North American Tour of 2009 opened on April 1, and included the performance at the on Friday, April 17, 2009, in front of one of the largest outdoor theatre crowds in the history of the festival. His performance of Hallelujah was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the festival, thus repeating the major success of the 2008 Glastonbury appearance. In July 2009, Cohen started his marathon European tour, his third in two years.
The itinerary mostly included sport arenas and open air Summer festivals in Germany, UK, France, Spain, Ireland (the show at in Dublin won him the second in a row), but also performances in Serbia in the, in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Turkey, and again in Romania. On September 18, 2009, on the stage at a concert in, Spain, Cohen suddenly fainted halfway through performing his song 'Bird on the Wire', the fourth in the two-act set list; Cohen was brought down backstage by his band members and then admitted to local hospital, while the concert was suspended. It was reported that Cohen had stomach problems, and possibly food poisoning. Three days later, on September 21, his 75th birthday, he performed in Barcelona. The show, last in Europe in 2009 and rumoured to be the last European concert ever, attracted many international fans, who lighted the green candles honouring Cohen's birthday, leading Cohen to give a special speech of thanks for the fans and the Leonard Cohen Forum. The last concert of this leg was held in, on September 24,.
The event was surrounded by public discussion due to a cultural boycott of Israel proposed by a number of musicians. Nevertheless, tickets for the Tel Aviv concert, Cohen's first performance in Israel since 1980, sold out in less than 24 hours. It was announced that the proceeds from the sale of the 47,000 tickets would go into a charitable fund in partnership with and would be used by Israeli and Palestinian peace groups. The sixth leg of the 2008–2009 world tour went again to U.S., with fifteen shows. The 2009 world tour earned a reported $9.5 million, putting Cohen at number 39 on Billboard magazine's list of the year's top musical 'money makers'. Live releases On September 14, 2010, Sony Music released a live CD/DVD album, Songs from the Road, showcasing Cohen's 2008 and 2009 live performances.
The previous year, Cohen's performance at the 1970 Isle of Wight Music Festival. 2010 tour Cohen's 2008–2009 world tour was prolonged into 2010. Originally scheduled to start in March, it began in September due to his back injury. Officially billed as the 'World Tour 2010', the tour started on July 25, 2010 in, Croatia. The third leg of the 2010 tour started on October 28 in New Zealand and continued in Australia. Cohen at King's Garden, Odense, Denmark, August 17, 2013 In 2011, Cohen's poetical output was represented in Everyman's Library Pocket Poets, in a selection Poems and Songs edited by Robert Faggen.
The collection included a selection from all Cohen's books, based on his 1993 books of selected works, Stranger Music, and as well from Book of Longing, with addition of six new song lyrics. Nevertheless, three of those songs, 'A Street', recited in 2006, 'Feels So Good', performed live in 2009 and 2010, and 'Born in Chains', performed live in 2010, were not released on Cohen's 2012 album, with him being unhappy with the versions of the songs in the last moment; the song 'Lullaby', as presented in the book and performed live in 2009, was completely re-recorded for the album, presenting new lyrics on the same melody.
A new biography, I'm Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen, written by Sylvie Simmons, was published in October 2012. The book is the second major biography of Cohen (Ira Nadel's 1997 biography Various Positions was the first). Old Ideas Leonard Cohen's twelfth studio album, was released worldwide on January 31, 2012, and it soon became the highest charting album of his entire career, reaching No. 1 positions in Canada, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Croatia, New Zealand, and top ten positions in United States, Australia, France, Portugal, UK, Scotland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland, competing for number one position with 's debut album, released the same day. The lyrics for the song 'Going Home' were published as a poem in magazine in January 2012, prior to the record's release. The entire album was streamed online by on January 22 and on January 23. The album received uniformly positive reviews from, the, and.
At a record release party for the album in January 2012, Cohen spoke with reporter who states that 'mortality was very much on his mind and in his songs on this album.' Pareles goes to characterize the album as 'an autumnal album, musing on memories and final reckonings, but it also has a gleam in its eye. It grapples once again with topics Mr. Cohen has pondered throughout his career: love, desire, faith, betrayal, redemption.
Some of the diction is biblical; some is drily sardonic.' 2012–2013 World Tour On August 12, 2012, Cohen embarked on a new European tour in support of Old Ideas, adding a violinist to his 2008–2010 tour band, now nicknamed Unified Heart Touring Band, and following the same three-hour set list structure as in 2008–2012 tour, with addition of number of songs from Old Ideas. The European leg ended on October 7, after concerts in Belgium, Ireland (Royal Hospital), France (Olympia in Paris), England (Wembley Arena in London), Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy (Arena in Verona), Croatia (Arena in Pula), Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Romania and Turkey. The second leg of the Old Ideas World Tour took place in the US and Canada in November and December, with 56 shows altogether on both legs. Cohen returned to North America in the spring of 2013 with concerts in the United States and Canada.
A summer tour of Europe happened shortly afterwards. Cohen then toured Australia and New Zealand in November and December 2013. His final concert was performed at the in Auckland. Popular Problems and You Want It Darker Cohen released his thirteenth album, on September 24, 2014. The album includes 'A Street', which he had previously recited in 2006, during promotion of his book of poetry, and later printed twice, as 'A Street' in March 2, 2009 issue of magazine, and appeared as 'Party's Over' in Everyman's Library edition of Poems and Songs in 2011. Cohen's fourteenth and final album, was released on October 21, 2016.
Cohen's son has a production credit on the album. On February 23, 2017, Cohen's son and his final album collaborator Sammy Slabbinck released a special, posthumous tribute video set to the album track 'Traveling Light', featuring never before seen archival footage of Cohen from his career. Cultural impact and themes Writing for, critic Bruce Eder assessed Cohen's overall career in popular music by asserting that 'he is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic.
Singer-songwriters of the late '60s. Second only to (and perhaps ), he commands the attention of critics and younger musicians more firmly than any other musical figure from the 1960s who continued to work in the 21st century.' The commented more broadly, stating that 'Cohen's successful blending of poetry, fiction, and music is made most clear in: Selected Poems and Songs, published in 1993.
While it may seem to some that Leonard Cohen departed from the literary in pursuit of the musical, his fans continue to embrace him as a who straddles the elusive artistic borderlines.' Themes of political and social justice also recur in Cohen's work, especially in later albums. In 'Democracy', he both acknowledges political problems and celebrates the hopes of reformers: 'from the wars against disorder/ from the sirens night and day/ from the fires of the homeless/ from the ashes of the gay/ Democracy is coming to the USA.' He made the observation in 'Tower of Song' that 'the rich have got their channels in the bedrooms of the poor/ And there's a mighty judgment coming.' In the title track of The Future he recasts this prophecy on a pacifist note: 'I've seen the nations rise and fall/./ But love's the only engine of survival.' In 'Anthem', he promises that 'the killers in high places who say their prayers out loud/ are gonna hear from me.' War is an enduring theme of Cohen's work that—in his earlier songs and early life—he approached ambivalently.
Challenged in 1974 over his serious demeanor in concerts and the military salutes he ended them with, Cohen remarked, 'I sing serious songs, and I'm serious onstage because I couldn't do it any other way.I don't consider myself a civilian. I consider myself a soldier, and that's the way soldiers salute.' This list is; you can help.
Poetry Collections. Cohen, Leonard (1956). McGill Poetry Series. Drawings by Freda Guttman. Montreal: Contact Press. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1961. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1964.
Drawings by Freda Guttman. Montreal: McClelland and Stewart.
Parasites of Heaven. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1966. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1968.
The Energy of Slaves. Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1972. New York: Viking, 1973.
Death of a Lady's Man. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1978. London, New York: Viking, Penguin, 1979. – reissued 2010. Book of Mercy. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1984.
– reissued 2010.: Selected Poems and Songs. London, New York, Toronto: Cape, Pantheon, McClelland & Stewart, 1993. London, New York, Toronto: Penguin, Ecco, McClelland & Stewart, 2006. (poetry, prose, drawings). — (2006). Drawings by Freda Guttman.
Montreal: McClelland and Stewart. Ed. Drawings by Freda Guttman. New York: Ecco Press.
The Lyrics of Leonard Cohen. London: Omnibus Press, 2009. Poems and Songs.
New York: Random House (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets), 2011. Fifteen Poems.
New York: Everyman's Library/Random House, 2012. (eBook). The Flame. London, New York, Toronto: Penguin, McClelland & Stewart, 2018. (poetry, prose, drawings, journal entries) List of poems Title Year First published Reprinted/collected Steer your way 2016 Cohen, Leonard (June 20, 2016). The New Yorker. 92 (18): 64–65.
Novels. London, New York, Toronto: Secker & Warburg, Viking P, McClelland & Stewart, 1963. Reissued as The Favourite Game. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart New Canadian Library, 1994. New York, Toronto: Viking Press, McClelland & Stewart, 1966. Toronto: McClelland & Stewart New Canadian Library, 1991. McClelland & Stewart Emblem, 2003.
Filmography. (1965) – documentary co-directed by and. (1966), man – experimental directed by and produced for the. Poen (1967), narrator – short film featuring four readings of a prose poem from his novel. (1967), singer – feature film directed by Don Owen.
(1983), resident – 28 minutes, written by Cohen and directed by. Song of Leonard Cohen (1980) – documentary directed by for CBC filmed on. After a phone call from Cohen in 2000, he and Rasky renewed their friendship and Rasky wrote based on his diary notes a book about the film:. Souvenir Press. April 1, 2010.
S2E17 'French Twist' (1986), Francois Zolan. The Tibetan Book of the Dead Part I: A Way of Life and The Tibetan Book of the Dead Part II: The Great Liberation (both 1994), narrator – documentary on directed by and produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with NHK Japan. Released on DVD in 2004. Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man (2005) – documentary and concert film directed by. – documentary directed by during Cohen's 20-city European tour which started on March 18, 1972 in and ended on April 21, 1972 in. The original film premiered in 1974 at the and was for decades thought lost.
A restored version from footage rediscovered in 2009 was released on DVD in 2010 and the film was re-released theatrically in 2017. Awards and nominations. Although Hammond was originally supposed to produce the record, he was ill and was replaced by the producer.
Simon and Cohen clashed over instrumentation and mixing; Cohen wanted the album to have a sparse sound, while Simon felt the songs could benefit from arrangements that included strings and horns. According to biographer Ira Nadel, although Cohen was able to make changes to the mix, some of Simon's additions 'couldn't be removed from the four-track master tape.' . The tour was filmed under the title Bird on a Wire, released in 2010. Both tours were represented on the Live Songs LP.
Leonard Cohen, released in 2009. The recording of the album was fraught with difficulty—Spector reportedly mixed the album in secret studio sessions, and Cohen said Spector once threatened him with a crossbow. Cohen thought the end result 'grotesque', but also 'semi-virtuous.' . Lissauer produced Cohen's next record, which was released in December 1984 (and in January and February 1985 in various European countries). The LP included ', which was promoted by Cohen's first video clip, directed by French photographer Dominique Issermann, and the frequently covered '.' .
Although Columbia declined to release the album in the United States, where it was pressed in small number of copies by the independent Passport Records. Anjani Thomas, who would become Cohen's partner, and a regular member of Cohen's recording team, joined his touring band.
During the 1980s, almost all of Cohen's songs were performed in the Polish language. The album, self-produced by Cohen, was promoted by black-and-white video shot by Dominique Issermann at the beach of Normandy.
The tour gave the basic structure to typical Cohen's three-hour, two-act concert, which he used in his tours in 1993, 2008–10, and 2012. The selection of performances from the late 1980s was released in 1994 on.
Statistics from the (RIAA); the; the; and the show more than five million copies of the song sold prior to late 2008 on. It has been the subject of a and been featured in the soundtracks of numerous films and television programs. The album includes a recent musical setting of Cohen's 'As the mist leaves no scar', a poem originally published in in 1961 and adapted by as 'True Love Leaves No Traces' on album. Blue Alert also included Anjani's own version of 'Nightingale', performed by her and Cohen on his Dear Heather, as well the country song 'Never Got to Love You', apparently made after an early demo version of Cohen's own 1992 song 'Closing Time'.
During the 2010 tour, Cohen was closing his live shows with the performance of 'Closing Time' which included the recitation of verses from 'Never Got to Love You'. The title song, 'Blue Alert', and 'Half the Perfect World' were covered by on her 2006 album.
In 2007, US. District Judge Lewis T. Babcock dismissed a claim by Cohen for more than US$4.5 million against Colorado investment firm Agile Group, and in 2008 he dismissed a defamation suit that Agile Group filed against Cohen.
Cohen was under new management from April 2005. In March 2012, Sylvie Simmons notes that Lynch was arrested in Los Angeles for 'violating a permanent protective order that forbade her from contacting Leonard, which she had ignored repeatedly. On April 13, the jury found her guilty on all charges. On April 18 she was sentenced to eighteen months in prison and five years probation.'
Cohen told that court, 'It gives me no pleasure to see my onetime friend shackled to a chair in a court of law, her considerable gifts bent to the services of darkness, deceit, and revenge. It is my prayer that Ms. Lynch will take refuge in the wisdom of her religion, that a spirit of understanding will convert her heart from hatred to remorse, from anger to kindness, from the deadly intoxication of revenge to the lowly practices of self-reform.' In May 2016, United States District Judge ordered the dismissal of Lynch's ' suit against Leonard Cohen and his lawyers Robert Kory and Michelle Rice of Kory & Rice, LLP as 'legally and/or factually patently frivolous.'
This usually refers to grass that is not cut at all, as opposed to grass cut longer than the mower's height of cut setting should leave. This term can also refer to an area of grass that has not been cut or passed over by a mower.
On December 6, 2016, a 16-count misdemeanor complaint against Lynch, alleging violations of the protective orders entered on behalf of Leonard Cohen and his attorneys Kory and Rice, was filed. At a preliminary hearing, further counts of alleged violations were added. Lynch entered a plea of not guilty to 31 counts of violating the protective orders. Lynch's pretrial hearing is scheduled for September 8, 2017. Simon Sweetman in The (Wellington) of January 21 wrote 'It is hard work having to put this concert in to words so I'll just say something I have never said in a review before and will never say again: this was the best show I have ever seen.' The show on January 28 sold out rapidly, which motivated promoters to announce a second show at the venue.
The first performance was well-received, and the audience of 12,000 responded with five standing ovations. In response to hearing about the devastation to the Yarra Valley region of Victoria in Australia, Cohen donated $200,000 to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal in support of those affected by the extensive that razed the area just weeks after his performance at the Rochford Winery in the A Day on the Green concert. Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper reported: 'Tour promoter Frontier Touring said $200,000 would be donated on behalf of Cohen, fellow performer and Frontier to aid victims of the bushfires.' . Amnesty International withdrew from any involvement with the concert and its proceeds. Amnesty International later stated that its withdrawal was not due to the boycott but 'the lack of support from Israeli and Palestinian NGOs.'
The (PACBI) led the call for the boycott, claiming that Cohen was 'intent on whitewashing Israel's colonial apartheid regime by performing in Israel.' . Cohen's work was presented by the translation of Book of Mercy, two of Cohen's biographies, and with selection of poems in major literary magazine Quorum, while there was also the translation of 's work on Cohen's literary output. In December 2010, the national daily newspaper Vjesnik ranked Cohen's show among the five most important cultural event in Croatia in 2010, in the poll among dozen of intellectuals and writers; it was the only event ranked which was not actually Croatian.
The tour continued through August, with stops in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavia, and Ireland, where on July 31, 2010 Cohen performed at in. It was Cohen's eighth Irish concert in just two years after a hiatus of more than 20 years. On August 12, Cohen played the 200th show of the tour in, Sweden, where he had already played in October 2008; the show was four hours long. References.
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ - Consider yourself heard. East Brunswick officials have read your comments on social media, listened to your opinions at Township Council meetings, and encouraged you to verbalize your ideas at community gatherings. At a meeting Tuesday, attended by approximately 200 people at the EB Community Center, the mayor, the Town Council, the Redevelopment Agency, and the community gathered to hear something concrete about the plans for re-purposing along the Route 18' corridor, a seven-section zone that is currently marked by vacant buildings and large, empty parking lots.
Mayor Brad Cohen began the evening by putting in perspective the growth of suburbs following World War II, describing the 'age of the malls' and the 'car-dependent' nature of suburban life. As he has done in the past, he cited Leigh Gallagher's, a text that asserts that 'the white picket fence' is no longer the American Dream.' Cohen described the 'flight from the cities' that built towns like East Brunswick and the highways filled with commercial retail space that served them. However, said Cohen, 'East Brunswick has an 'oversupply of retail space, even compared to New Jersey statistics for similar towns' He added, 'Route 18 has the largest percentage of vacant retail space of any highway in New Jersey.' 'With the growing use of online retail, those days are over, ' said Cohen. 'Developers don't want to build commercial space here or anyplace else.' Cohen used demographic statistics conducted by the East Brunswick Board of Education to add to his argument about redeveloping with a vision.
'In 2000, census data showed a majority of East Brunswick residents between ages 35 and 45. In 2010, the majority fell between 45 and 55.' Said Cohen, 'An aging population indicates a township in decline. We need to change that now.
We need to attract younger people.' So what's the answer? How does the township get rid of the eyesores and make a vital community that welcomes younger residents? Cohen and the Redevelopment Agency, headed by Councilman Jim Wendell, say that the answer lies in high-demand mixed-use properties, rethinking township roads, creating affordable housing for young residents and seniors, and adding to the 'downtown feel' of the suburbs.
Improving and increasing access to and parking for commuter buses to New York would be helpful, too. Cohen and Wendell reminded residents that the properties under discussion are not owned by the township, but by private developers, some of whom have lacked incentive to resurrect their unused spaces or revision them. They stressed that the status change that allowed the township to condemn properties encouraged new contractors and developers to express interest in the properties. Cohen described 'pilot programs' that provide alternate methods of taxation that would incentivize developers to create the 'mixed-use' properties that would meet the needs for increased affordable housing and more restaurants and small businesses.
A commonly accepted definition of 'mixed-use development' is one that blends residential, commercial, cultural, institutional, and entertainment uses, where those functions are physically and functionally integrated, and that provides pedestrian connections. 'Our goal is to provide residences above and retail below. We want to bring traffic off Route 18. We want service-oriented retail, small businesses, and destination retail (like the shops in New Hope, Pennsylvania.)' said Cohen. He went on to describe other locations where residents could walk or bike without having to go onto or cross the highway.' 'We want people to age in place,' said Wendell, with a nod to the baby boomers who make up a large part of the East Brunswick population and whom he says are important to developers nationally. The affordable housing, indicated by both the mayor and the councilman, would be attractive to millennials and seniors who are not impacting the school system.
'We still want families to buy homes in East Brunswick.' The redevelopment will start at the former location of the Wonder Bread factory off Tices Lane and Renee Road, Wendell said. He showed a proposed model that would feature a boulevard off Route 18 that diverted local traffic away from the heavily-travelled highway.
It would combine some retail locations with a parking deck, a hotel, and. (Residences of this type can be seen along Route 18 South in New Brunswick.) For Cohen, though, 'It is essential that everything works together' to create an attractive, usable space. He wants the redevelopment to be 'commuter-friendly.' 'Even a parking deck can be beautiful,' he said., Noting the need to show forethought with regard to both community needs and technological growth, Cohen added: 'The last thing we want to do is build more structures that become obsolete.' 'We want a city-like vibe in a suburban community,' affirmed both Cohen and Wendell. Following the opening and proposal, Cohen asked interested parties to share their suggestions in eight areas by writing them on sticky notes which would be collected after the meeting by the Redevelopment Advisory Council, a community group who provides support to the administration with regard to change.
Topics included Recreation and Activities; Housing; Design Ideas; Transportation and Commuter Needs; Technology and Innovation; Dining and Retail; Arts and Entertainment; and 'Miscellaneous.' As the crowd circulated around the room to provide its input, Councilwoman Camille Clark said that she found the whole process, 'exciting and based on a very forward vision. We have to build it so that millennials will come. I am also happy to see more community activity on the north side of town. Maybe we could have a satellite library?' Some senior citizens at the event posited that they have already 'downsized' within the township, going from a full-family home to a smaller one, to a condo over the years.
One woman noted, 'I would not like to live above a store, though.' One resident was skeptical.
'As an East Brunswick resident for over 55 years, I have lived through the 'Golden Triangle.' I hope that this is not the' Silver Rectangle.' ' Another woman had a question about helping the township's homeless population and providing some support for the poor. 'I see them all the time in the Shop-Rite shopping center. Where are they supposed to go?
What are we doing for them?' Realtor Jane Mueller, a candidate for Town Council last year, said, 'I can see myself buying one of those when I am ready to get rid of my house.
I still think that we need an upscale Asian food market or shopping area to serve the community.' She noted the popularity of in Edison. 'Also, I am tired of people passing through East Brunswick, using our road and creating traffic, and we get nothing, ' she said.
When asked, a group of millennials at the meeting offered, 'We need more meetings with millennials so that young people so that they can hear these ideas.' 'A main street area would be cool, ' one young woman said. She also proposed a library satellite location that would be like a student center where older students and adults could work and study. Her companion suggested a satellite campus of Middlesex County College that would serve the southern end of the county. 'I want to live in my town,' said one young woman, 'And it's kind of sad that I can't because there is no affordable housing to rent or buy. East Brunswick young adults are smart and educated, but there is nowhere for them to live here at home.'