Leonard Cohen meet Paul Simon

by Sixties Course, Mel Rosenberg

Artwork: Miki Peled

This is the account of the music of the sixties course "Evolution of the Revolution" that we give every semester Read More

Joined Jun 2016
Published Books 24

In memory:

Hineni – Here I am

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Short movie of “Hineni” from the Museum of the Diaspora

https://fb.watch/4OE_UZawCF/

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Leonard Cohen’s best line ever is in this song – what is it?

Anthem – Leonard Cohen

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Paul Simon’s best stanza (from 2:08)

Simon And Garfunkel – Slip Slidin’ Away (with lyrics)

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My personal letter to Leonard Cohen, optional reading:

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I was a Simon and Garfunkel fan early on. Our neighbours let me listen to their records when I would babysit their daughters in Ottawa. I saw them perform at the Capitol Theater in Ottawa (with Jim Shalom) on Feb. 5, 1967, and again at Saratoga Springs in New York on August 19th, 1968.

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This is one of the songs they performed.

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That same summer of 1968 I first heard a Leonard Cohen song (Hey, That’s no way to Say Goodbye) sung by a girl at camp. By 1972 I was a big fan.

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I saw him in Jerusalem in April, 1972, that fateful night when he walked offstage in the middle of the set, and returned as the whole audience sang for him “Hevenu shalom aleichem”. A few years ago I discovered that this event was captured on film as part of a documentary.

From Wikipedia: When his performance in Israel didn’t seem to be going well, however, he walked off the stage, went to his dressing room, and took some LSD. He then heard the audience clamoring for his reappearance by singing to him in Hebrew, and under the influence of the psychedelic, he returned to finish the show.

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I like to compare the careers and music of Cohen and Simon. Both Jews, but different kinds. Both recorded at Columbia Records. Both New York lovers. Both had high school bands. Both wrote the lyrics and the music. A morose bent in many of each of their songs.

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Commonalities:

Judaism

Alienation

New York City

Columbia Records

High School Bands

Self-writing, lyrics and music

Lots of sad songs

Long Careers

Reinvention

Foreign influences

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”Cohen is one of the most fascinating and enigmatic singer/songwriters of the late ’60s. . . [and] has retained an audience across four decades of music-making. . . Second only to Bob Dylan (and perhaps Paul Simon) [in terms of influence], he commands the attention of critics and younger musicians more firmly than any other musical figure from the 1960s who is still working at the outset of the 21st century.” – Bruce Eder, critic

Would it be fair to say that Cohen is more of a lyricist and Simon more of a musician?

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Take a moment to listen to the intricate accompaniment of this song -how many instruments can you make out? And who is Mr. Leitch?

Fakin’ it – Simon and Garfunkel

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Songs with NY Streets: Leonard Cohen, Clinton Street

Leonard Cohen – Famous Blue Raincoat (Live)

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/leonard-cohen/famous-blue-raincoat-chords-64974

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Simon and Garfunkel, Bleecker Street

Simon and Garfunkel – Bleecker Street

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/simon-garfunkel/bleecker-street-chords-1827726

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Songs about rivers: Hudson, New York

Simon & Garfunkel – Bridge Over Troubled Water – Madison Square Garden, NYC – 2009/10/29&30

https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/simon-garfunkel/bridge-over-troubled-water-chords-185044

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from Wikipedia:

As their relations frayed preceding their 1970 breakup, Simon began to experience regret for allowing Garfunkel to sing it solo:

He felt I should have done it, and many times on a stage, though, when I’d be sitting off to the side and Larry Knechtel would be playing the piano and Artie would be singing “Bridge”, people would stomp and cheer when it was over, and I would think, “That’s my song, man…”^[10]

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