What started your Leonard Quest?

breezie · Post by **breezie** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 8:24 am

Fairly recently I just found out about this amazing poet/songwriter named Leonard Cohen. It started with a song called Light as the Breeze. I had to find out who wrote that song. (the version was actually sung by Billy Joel). I found the album "The Future"..and the rest they say is history. I have a lot of work to do to catch up though.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 2:07 pm

Pure pleasure, that catching up.......welcome to the Forum, Breezie

.

Are you anywhere near, or able to get to, New York? There's going to be a gathering and celebration of Leonard's work by his fans, coming from worldwide, June 11-13 [actually a couple days longer]. Check it out on Jarkko's main page under "New York Event 2004" ~ you couldn't ask for a better crash course, or opportunity to meet people you'll be meeting from here and the chatroom.

~ Lizzytysh

linmag · Post by **linmag** » Tue Jun 01, 2004 11:54 pm

Hi breezie, and welcome. You lucky person, with all that catching up to do

.

What started me off? It was this guy at a party way back in 1968/9ish, who said "You just got to listen to this guy..........."

I'm still listening

Helven · Post by **Helven** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 7:11 am

Hi Breezie, welcome

! Light as the Breeze... amazing song! I’ve never heard Billy Joel’s performance. It’s interesting how it sounds.

My story is rather funny. The first LC’ song I heard was Dance Me to the End of Love and I haven’t known any other one for quite a long time. Once I decided to improve my English and recalled one easy and pleasant method to learn foreign language which implied listening to the songs and memorizing their texts. I drawn up a list of songs I liked. Dance Me… was one them. And then, looking for the mp3-files and texts in the I-net, I hit on one photo of LC. A man on the picture looked just like another one who I’ve loved for many years. It seemed to me pretty funny, and it was awfully interesting what kinda lyrics that “double” could write. I downloaded a number of mp3-s and found a site with all the texts. It turned out then that the man looked absolutely different (don’t know, though – at least, that photo was the only one where the traits which were so dear to my heart were visible

) but instead of those traits I found wonderful songs and the true poetry. So I wasn’t disappointed… well, maybe just a bit

.

breezie · Post by **breezie** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 8:40 am

Thanks for the welcomes, and interesting stories. I am already hooked on this site.

smccallon · Post by **smccallon** » Wed Jun 02, 2004 8:15 pm

The Nirvana song, "Pennyroyal Tea" and ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling).... Those are the two responsible for the Leonard Cohen plague that currently occupies a place in my body, mind, and soul.

glugsofgosh · Post by **glugsofgosh** » Wed Jun 23, 2004 1:22 pm

The year was 1970, my son was just born & I went with some friends to a coffee shop(Jennys) & heard this singer doing a couple of Leonards songs. I had never heard of him before that. I was hooked. Monday after work, I went & bought the 2 albums that were available. The rest is history. I was 21 then.

jeannieb · Post by **jeannieb** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 2:26 am

I was a 19 year old hippie in 1971, travelling on a Youthpass ( roundtrip ticket to and from London for $99., use the return within one year), with my boyfriend. We had ended up with a couple -- a German man and Canary Islander woman, with whom we travelled for a bit. We were living on a beach on Gran Canaria (Playa De Tauro) in tents, and Nils had a tape player on which we listened to a European Cohen compilation that included Famous Blue Raincoat and The Master Song. I had never heard anyone with such an ability to convey sexual obsession and the complexities of relationships.

It's 33 years later, and this is still true!

starshaped · Post by **starshaped** » Mon Jun 28, 2004 4:41 pm

i started of with The Future in January this year. ive all his album except 10 New Songs. but i shall be buying that soon!

tripindiculary · Post by **tripindiculary** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:24 pm

I started listening to LC about two years ago when I was 17 and obsessed with Nick Drake whose music led me to "Songs of Love and Hate." Not sure how.. perhaps rateyourmusic.com.

LadyWriter · Post by **LadyWriter** » Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:47 pm

I've always had an affinity for dark, intense, moody broody men, always, I mean ALL WAYS.
I'm a poet/writer myself (guess the nic kindof gives that away, how subtle am I) so I began reading everything I could lay my hands on. I don't like the Hallmark type poetry and don't give a damn if it rhymes or not; I was looking for someone who spoke to my soul.

Leonard did that from hello. Now, if only I could lay my hands on HIM (Oh my God, did I type that out loud?)

When I first found this site, I was hooked all over again by "A Thousand Kisses Deep."

Beth (making her very first post)

CT · Post by CT » Sun Jul 04, 2004 9:59 pm

Heard "Hallelujah" over a bleak Christmas back home and it stayed with me. Months and months later, my husband (a Canadian) asked me what was on my mind and I told him, "there's this song I can't get out of my head ... the lyrics are amazing, the chorus is a series of hallelujahs, and it's not religious, but it is, and it's just amazing ..."

He laughed and said, "Honey, don't you know Leonard Cohen?"

Thank god for small graces.

cicatriz · Post by **cicatriz** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 11:29 am

I first LC when I was six years old, my mother used to play a cassette in the kitchen a lot. a part of my childhood I guess.
My true obsession began when I was 16 or 17, maybe because I started to grasp a little what this man was singing about.. so I bought album after another (my mother had lost all the early ones) 'til had the first five which I've played to death by now. I recall it was songs like 'Is This What You Wanted', 'Famous Blue Raincoat', 'Avalanche' and 'You Know Who I Am' that got me hooked in the first place. Years have passed and my relationship with this music only deepens (last saturday morning I just couldn't take 'Songs From a Room' off the turntable..)

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 8:36 pm

Great anecdote, CT

!

Welcome to the Forum, Beth

! "Leonard did that from hello"

~ you do sound like a writer.

~ Lizzy

jeannieb · Post by **jeannieb** » Mon Jul 05, 2004 10:15 pm

Welcome, indeed, Beth!

Your honesty is appreciated here.

Many of us have the same feelings for our Leonard. In fact, one of his new songs on the CD to be released in the Fall, addresses our obsession. Some of us lucky folks who attended the New York LC event got to hear some of it.

The mind is, after all, the most pwerful sexual organ.

What started your Leonard Quest?

What started your Leonard Quest?

ahhh, I was hooked, instantly