leonardcohenforum.com

godnose wrote:

LisaLCFan wrote:"Don't Go Home with Your Hard On." Next on the list woud be "Fingerprints" (cute lyrics, but that country two-step grates on my nerves!), and then the rest of the Death of a Ladies Man album would follow.

Ah, I love the whole album! The first time I heard it it was strange, sounded syruppy and cluttered. Once I listened to the tracks I picked out the lyrics and got a handle on the production I really liked it. Really love Fingerprints, and Don't Go Home With Your Hard On was the first track I liked on that album funnily enough. Took my a while with Paper-thin Hotel and Left a Woman Waiting, but now I love them too!

There have been times when I "liked" the album (I've never really loved it), but I have to be in just the right mood/frame of mind for it, and that happens very seldom. I do love that Leonard's albums over the years are so varied, though, because it doesn't get boring, there's always something a little bit different to listen to after a binge of a favourite album or two.

I don't like The Partisan. Especially when he sings in French. It took me a while until I realized which language that was meant to be ...

I think I love every single song mr. Cohen wrote except for one: Dear heater.

sorry, that last post was a mistake. thoough I don't like The Partisan very much either, what I was talking about was Un Canadien Errant, actually.

DJS wrote:I think I love every single song mr. Cohen wrote except for one: Dear heater.

I agree
I will add more.
Extremely quite low album, very unsuccessful duets with Anjani.

DJS wrote:I think I love every single song mr. Cohen wrote except for one: Dear heater.

Is that the song he wrote during one of those really cold nights up on Mt. Baldy?

LisaLCFan wrote:

DJS wrote:I think I love every single song mr. Cohen wrote except for one: Dear heater.

Is that the song he wrote during one of those really cold nights up on Mt. Baldy?

It's a latter-day incarnation of Song To The Machines.

holydove wrote:

LisaLCFan wrote:

DJS wrote:I think I love every single song mr. Cohen wrote except for one: Dear heater.

Is that the song he wrote during one of those really cold nights up on Mt. Baldy?

It's a latter-day incarnation of Song To The Machines.

Even more useful in montreal from December to April

I like 'Dear Heather' for its humor. What's not to like about 'Un Canadien Errant'? I went searching and could not find Esther's/mnkyface's too funny video of this song. Sadly, it is no longer available.

If I had to pick one, it would be 'Jazz Police'. (We have discussed on this forum the 'chanting' that was done by LC in some of the later concerts of this tour. Anyone watching this song on 'Austin City Limits' , will see that there are definite similarities between this and what was done on the tour.) Maybe this song appeals to jazz afficianadoes, but I have a hard time seeing how this fits in with all his other music.

Well, I deeply like Jazz Police, the Butcher, Dear Heather .... the song I find weak at the moment is 'Banjo' from the latest album. I just don't feel that the central ideas, good as they are in parts (especially the reference to the flooded grave) provide enough substance to sustain the song. The image of the 'broken banjo bobbing on a dark, infested sea' feels horribly trite to me. I should say that I adore the rest of 'Old Ideas' and indeed of Leonard's work, including (and in some ways especially) 'Death of a Ladies' Man'. I also think that 'Recent Songs' is marvellous throughout, and immensely underrated.

One other thing about 'Old Ideas': there's a live recording of 'Lullaby' which, to me, has far superior lyrics to the one on the album (I don't like the verse substituted there about the mouse and the crumbs, etc). So, I don't like that version of the song so well!

Also, for me, 'Ten New Songs' would be utterly perfect if 'You Have Loved Enough' were a bit more interesting. It doesn't help that it follows the wondrous 'Alexandra Leaving'! But I don't mind it ... it's just relative to the company it keeps among the other 9 new songs!

I find Land of Plenty to be a great song, but in the end disappointing because it needs a couple of additional verses - seems a bit thin as recorded. I think with two more verses the song would be substantial and could stand with LC's finest.

Jazz Police is really terrible. I'm not a big fan of the Dear Heather album at all, and rarely put it on. I do enjoy the occasional listen though without any song really annoying me in a particular way.

I used to be a big fan of Store Room, but it doesn't do that much for me these days. I find the Death of a Ladies Man album to be a great and enjoyable listen, 'don't go home with your hard on' isn't too great a song but I enjoy it.

To answer this thread's title question: yes there are songs I do not like listening to. Mainly because they either do not interest me musically or to me they are (in my opinion) poorly written/composed/executed songs. For instance:

Blessed Is The Memory (the length of the verses is disproportionally long compared to the chorus line; also I do not find the melody that interesting)

Fingerprints (although the lyrics are quite funny by themselves, the composition makes the song a ridiculous one)

Un Canadien Errant (his singing is just awful here; also, loose the mariachi horns)

The Captain (just doesn't grab me; neither lyrically nor musically)

Be For Real (hell, I like Tacoma Trailer even better!)

On That Day (although I admire the fact LC payed attention to 9/11, I just do not find him to be a piano-accompanied singer; same problem with Coming Back To You and Show Me The Place, but imo those songs have a beautiful melody/lyrics).

Dear Heather (nice joke, would've made a nice hidden track; but wait, it is the title track?!)

Lullaby (waaaay too slow a song; with not so interesting lyrics; also, compare these lyrics to, say, a poetic masterpiece like The Master Song)

Funnily enough, I rather enjoy Jazz Police!
Hope to see what you think.

Mollydog wrote:I've never liked On That Day.

Probably because it barely qualifies as a song.

Personally, I don't care for Diamonds In The Mine. It's just too harsh of a song. I love most of his other work that I have listened to, although I've not heard all his music...yet!