And, since he’s Leonard Cohen, he explains it very, very well: And what about the charge that his singing causes people to feel suicidal? Exactly. As for me, I happen to think that Leonard Cohen’s renditions of his own songs … Continue reading →
[Please scroll down for ADDENDUM at end of post.] Who? Joan Baez and Judy Collins. And they look and sound pretty good, considering. Pretty darn good. They’re not what they were at their peak, of course. But who is, at … Continue reading →
Yes, Neil Sedaka. Why not? As for the why, I was listening to the song “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” the other day. I hadn’t heard it in a gazillion years, and I got curious about him. So I … Continue reading →
After giving us the gift of his music for nearly fifty years, Leonard Cohen has finally gone home: His son issued this statement on his father’s death: “My father passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles with the … Continue reading →
I just heard the news that Leonard Cohen is dead at 82. I am tremendously saddened. Cohen’s music, his lugubrious voice, and his poetry are the gifts he gave to the world, and they will live on.
Continue reading →Here’s a very sweet and touching story for you, amidst all the gloom. I’ve noticed, though, that between the time I first read it late last night and now, they’re eliminated one sentence in the story, which is that the … Continue reading →
[NOTE: I wrote this post quite a while ago and never published it until now, so it’s not as timely as it once was. In fact, it’s not timely at all. But I think we continue to need the relief … Continue reading →
Yes, it was a surprise when Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize in Literature. My reaction? I think it’s an absurdity. But I think quite a few of the Nobel Prize in Literature awards choices have been absurd, so this … Continue reading →
Hey, let’s talk about something other than politics. It’s the weekend! Whether you love Mark Knopfler (as I do), or have never heard of him before even though you may have heard some of his more famous songs like “Sultans … Continue reading →
Recently something reminded me of a book I had first read back in the 1980s, one I would recommend to everyone. It’s called Hasidic Tales of the Holocaust, and it’s quite different from most Holocaust literature: An important work of … Continue reading →
I’ve never been one of those folks who seek out and soak up obsessive details about rock musicians—the minutiae of their lives and loves and drug habits and the like, although I realize it’s somewhat of a cottage industry. But … Continue reading →
[NOTE: Once in a while I recycle an old post just for fun. At this point, I’ve published so many posts—10,542, according to trusty old WordPress—that even I have forgotten some of them. This one was very enjoyable to research—so … Continue reading →