Tag Archives: Leonard Cohen

Nobel 2016 Revisited

Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature. When the award was announced last October, people who care about such things were either elated or outraged: Fans of the man felt that Dylan’s work deserved such lofty accolades, but writerly snobs — the worst snobs — looked down on the troubadour, his popular music, and [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

So Long

Antonia and I had been talking about Leonard Cohen tonight, eating a hotdog down the street, watching television screens displaying both Agnes Varda’s Cleo from 5 to 7 as well as the original Highlander film. With the sound off – Cleo had subtitles – it was interesting to see the parallel themes of the existential [...]

Posted in Books, Music, Occult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lou’s Clues

I dedicated one recent Halloween post to the all too real ghost of Lou Reed who died three years ago this past October, 27. I’ve had a productive week this week: I handed in a final proposal for a community arts grant; I turned in a feature story about the challenges of being homeless in [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Midnight Visitor Waits

If you follow me on Facebook you might have seen my ornery post last week wherein I linked to an announcement about Leonard Cohen’s new album, and complained about my Nashville music peers constantly celebrating “great” songwriters who shouldn’t even be allowed to mutter Cohen’s name in their prayers. GREAT is a big word, and [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Cohen: 81

Leonard Cohen turned 81 on September 21. A year ago, on his 80th birthday, he released a great record called Popular Problems. Here it is. Happy Birthday, poet… Stay Awake! Please subscribe to my YouTube channel where I archive all of the videos I curate at Insomnia. Click here to check out more Music posts

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Cohen Intelligence Agency

I’ve blogged about Leonard Cohen’s use of LSD on this illuminated scroll before. Today as I was sorting stories for the Remnants Flipboard when I came across this bizarre report from Abel Danger about Leonard Cohen’s involvement with early CIA LSD experiments in the 1950′s. Here’s the word… The man in the photo, taken at [...]

Posted in Counter Culture, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leonard Cohen Acid Test

I’ll finish up three days of Leonard Cohen posts with this last gem that reminds us that it’s Cohen’s dazzling songs and intensity as a performer that have won him almost five decades of attention from music listeners with ears to hear his erotic prayers and sensual meditations on love, sex, ecstasy, women, death and [...]

Posted in Cinema, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leonard Cohen’s Heroes

My last post about Leonard Cohen’s early recordings has me excited to curate this conversation about someone we all seem to care so much about. Leonard’s not everyone’s bag and it’s really wonderful to see so many folks interested in the man’s complex, felt lyricism. Not sure if I can find more unique documents to [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Leonard Cohen’s Early Years

Bob Dylan brought poetry to rock ‘n’ roll, but Leonard Cohen brought rock ‘n’ roll to poetry, recording a remarkable string of records — beginning with his 1967 debut, Songs of Leonard Cohen — which married the studio sounds of the day to his already-established voice as a nationally celebrated poet in his native country [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Linger On, Lou Reed

Bob Dylan brought poetry to pop music and Leonard Cohen brought pop music to poetry, but it was Lou Reed who brought the literary ambitions of the great American short story to the 3 minute single. An iconic New Yorker, Reed’s place among American rock’s most important singer/songwriters was secured through an inspired, intoxicated, cantankerous, [...]

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment
© 2024 Joe Nolan's Insomnia. All Rights Reserved.
Built by Paper Lion. #teamwork