Don't Give Your Heart To Anyone

July 17, 2013 12:46 PM

Leonard Cohen sings "Save The Last Dance For Me" in Hamburg
posted by The Whelk (22 comments total)

Nice! I haven't seen videos of him lately - I was surprised by how old he looks. He's still such a great performer. I'd love to see him live.
posted by aka burlap at 1:04 PM on July 17, 2013

I wanted to see transcendence, I just see aging.
posted by Xurando at 1:13 PM on July 17, 2013

Funny, I was going to say how good he looks, sounds and moves compared to some of his contemporaries. The little skip off the stage was so jaunty.
posted by EvaDestruction at 1:20 PM on July 17, 2013

When I saw him live for the first time, a few years ago when he first began the epic touring schedule he's been following, I remember being actively worried about his ability to stand up long enough to complete the first song. He just looked so stooped and fragile, so old. I wanted someone to get him a chair.

Then he opened his mouth, and I stood before the lord of song with nothing on my tongue but hallelujah.
posted by jesourie at 1:26 PM on July 17, 2013 [8 favorites]

He did this one in Portland, as his last number.
posted by Danf at 1:27 PM on July 17, 2013

Saw him live in LA a couple of years back. Transcendence (and astonishing vitality) aplenty. I hope I have a fraction of his grace and energy when I reach that age.
posted by yoink at 1:31 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

This song was a very welcome surprise the last time I saw him, as was his cover of Georges Dor's 'La Manic' the time before that.
posted by Capt. Renault at 1:47 PM on July 17, 2013

Yeah, I agree that he doesn't seem nearly so old once he starts singing. It was just the first look that was surprising to me. The skipping was great!
posted by aka burlap at 2:11 PM on July 17, 2013

I wanted to see transcendence, I just see aging.

You do realize that we age as we get older, don't you? The guy is 78. That's two years less than 80, for heaven's sakes.

The only reason he's doing these tours is because a significant amount of his savings were stolen from him.
posted by KokuRyu at 2:14 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

I'm seeing him next month in Manchester and I will happily lose my mind never to return if he sings this.
posted by iamkimiam at 2:26 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

Looks old, sounds timeless.
posted by maudlin at 2:29 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

The only reason he's doing these tours is because a significant amount of his savings were stolen from him.

That's true, but he manages to convey a sense of pure joy in performance that is truly extraordinary. I don't know if it's real or just an act, but it is astonishingly palpable.
posted by yoink at 2:31 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

"The only reason he's doing these tours is because a significant amount of his savings were stolen from him."

I didn't know about Cohen losing his savings. Here are some details - it's a real soap opera. Tragic, really - and ironic that someone who seemed above all that would get caught in such a web of deceit over money.
posted by Vibrissae at 2:39 PM on July 17, 2013

Here's that cover of 'La Manic'. French helpful, but not necessary -- let the crowd carry you along... Leonard explains that he's working on a translation, but isn't satisfied with it yet. (Georges Dor's original.)
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:50 PM on July 17, 2013

The only reason he's doing these tours is because a significant amount of his savings were stolen from him.

True, but he's already made it back and then some (certainly, my addition has helped him in that). His kids have made it clear that he doesn't need to work like this for their sakes. But he's out there, night after night, giving 3+ hour shows, showing the kids how it's done, and by all accounts having a grand ol' time. He's probably the happiest I've ever known him.
posted by Capt. Renault at 2:54 PM on July 17, 2013 [4 favorites]

He played Austin about a year ago, & it was absolutely entrancing. He made a point of RUNNING out onto & back off of the stage at a pretty good clip, as if to make a point about his health, and they played & played, & played some more. I think just about 3 hours. His voice was fantastic, the band was one of the most professional units I've ever seen, (Roscoe Beck & Mitch Watkins, Austinites, natch) and even his roadies had on 3-piece suits. Absolutely class act 100%. I was also blown away by the simple, elegant visuals. They hung diaphanous white drapes floor to ceiling, then lit those with a slowly evolving array of colors as a backdrop. I think they managed the entire show without re-using the same lighting scene once.

A+++ WOULD SEE AGAIN!!
posted by Devils Rancher at 3:08 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

I saw him three or four years ago and it was indeed transcendent. Thanks for sharing this link.
posted by Kafkaesque at 3:22 PM on July 17, 2013 [1 favorite]

I saw him two nights in a row a few months ago. It was wonderful.
posted by Optamystic at 4:05 PM on July 17, 2013

Here's a three-part interesting interview with him from Norwegian TV.
posted by Dumsnill at 4:11 PM on July 17, 2013

I've seen him twice since his recent revival of touring, once in Radio City Music hall on the first swing through town and again in Madison Square Garden a year or so later. Both were outstanding, but Radio City is such a better performance space and we were much closer to the stage. That performance was church for Mrs. slkinsey and me.
posted by slkinsey at 4:56 PM on July 17, 2013 [2 favorites]

Have seen this tour twice at the LA theater, first in 2008 and again in 2012. The first was my favorite, because it was my first time seeing Leonard Cohen perform despite being an avid listener for decades. But both shows were wonderful, and generously long. People weep at these concerts; it's basically a Mass for non-religious book club members.

Just finished the newer biography of Cohen, I'm Your Man, and learned about the retirement ripoff in more detail. The happy ending is that Cohen indeed made back much more than he started off with—what he called a "nest egg" of nearly $10 million from the sale of his publishing and future earnings on his songwriter's share.

The second tour, this years-long global campaign, seems purely for the fun of it. And it's keeping that skilled band fully employed for most of a decade, which is nice.
posted by kenlayne at 4:59 PM on July 17, 2013

I saw him live a few years ago... he's dirtier than I like my singers but he felt trancendent and blessed, especially when he blessed the audience.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 5:13 PM on July 17, 2013