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Thursday 19 January 2012

Show Me The Place

Old Ideas, New Songs

Found another track from the new Cohen album, available at the end of the month. Enjoy.

Show Me The Place

Perhaps I should reread a Cohen novel and write about it to coincide? I will if I can find the time.

7 comments:

  1. I never committed to his novels (or poetry).
    Please guide me.
    I love this new album so much that I've invested in the new box set of his past work, remastered. All vintage/classic apart from 'Death of a Ladies Man' which (over) producer Spector rendered just plain weird; like Leonard in hot pants and a tank top...

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  2. Hi Trevor - I read both Beautiful Losers and The Favourite Game (around 20 years ago) and enjoyed both. They reminded me of Kerouac's Maggie Cassidy.
    Neither seared itself into my consciousness but I remember thinking they were good. If you were going to read one I'd be into reading along and sharing impressions. I think I still have copies of both but would have to check the shelves to make sure.
    I've only really dipped into his poetry but enjoyed what I did read.

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  3. Ok Seamus, you're on... where to start?

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    1. Well, I've found Beautiful Losers after scouring my shelves (all my attempts at a system have failed so far). Whenever you're ready to start I'll read along. I could use something shorter to read alongside Proust and I'm increasingly finding that reading along with others adds to the experience.
      I'll have to fire up the vinyl and have a listen to a few of his older albums for atmosphere. Cohen's music (along with Johnny Cash) has been with me since childhood. My parents had cassettes and LP's and I never stopped listening to both. In fact I've probably used both (Cash & Cohen) as a kind of litmus test over the years .. A teenage infatuation with The Bunnymen was cemented when Mac followed Cohen around on tour and similarly Nick Cave covering Avalanchewas another vindication which meant I didn't have to drop Cohen from my 'cool' list, when that mattered. Now that 'cool' has long passed me by Leonard is still there, still ineffably cool.

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  4. Seamus, I've just ordered 'Beautiful Losers' (alongside an Everyman pocket poet selection of his poems and songs) from Amazon and will shout when it arrives.
    I've read some mixed reviews: "one of the most radical and extraordinary works of fiction ever published in Canada," and "the most revolting book ever written in Canada."
    Does this mean that we should go to Canada to read it?

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    Replies
    1. Those reviews are certainly what you might call mixed, although it is quite possible to be revolting and extraordinary. I'm afraid it will have to be a Canada of the mind, for me at least. Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, The Band, K.D Lang etc ... Maybe watch Jesus of Montreal, a few Cronenbergs ... Virtual tourism..

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  5. My bags are (virtually) packed...

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