relation Cohen-chansonniers, does Cohen know Barbara's work

nila · Post by **nila** » Fri Feb 03, 2006 4:26 pm

patience Antonio...
I ordered a disc on your recommandation 3 weeks ago, still havn't recieved it... So I'm ashamed, I do not at all know her yet.

mdidier · Post by **mdidier** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:34 am

Ever since the beginning of this thread I have been trying to give Barbara another chance to stir my emotions, but.... no luck so far.

Who can steer me to the (French) lyrics of Barbara?... the site that was linked in here only provides a listing of the songs. The 2-CD Le Chatelet 1993 set has a few of the lyrics, not sufficient to help me get a better understanding of her art... I suspect I will have to see her on stage on DVD to make progress... (In particular I need L'AIGLE NOIR and PETITE CANTATE)
http://www.passion-barbara.net/

merci

Marcel

nila · Post by **nila** » Fri Feb 17, 2006 10:39 am

Hi Marcel, you can find lots of lyrics of Barbara (and others) at
http://www.paroles.net

I hope this will help.

Try with "le soleil noir", "la solitude"...

But Barbara, that's definitely not only the lyrics!

Greetings,
nila

mdidier · Post by **mdidier** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:03 am

Thanks Nila...

in that case, how would you evaluate the relative "importance" of lyrics (the message) Versus the musicality of Barbara's work?

60:40, 50:50 or what?

Musicality was what first attracted me to LC... (2003 re-broadcast of the 1988 TV appearance on AUSTIN CITY LIMITS)

nila · Post by **nila** » Sat Feb 18, 2006 1:34 am

Oh dear, I'm not good in calculating...

I won't evaluate somebody like Barbara this way, it's simply the whole thing that makes it (how would you do that for Cohen? I couldn't. I was first "caught" by the music, too, but now I wouldn't split it up.). The songs are different and so is the quality and relation of lyrics, music, interpretation, performance...
Possibly it's simply not "your style", and if you don't like the music you will perhaps never like - but I don't at all want to say that you shouldn't try!

Greetings,
Nila

Tchocolatl · Post by **Tchocolatl** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 4:23 am

Martha Wainwright covers Barbara's song Dis, quand
reviendras-tu?

MW is very very good. Really, I think that she is the best of the family.

I heard an interview on the radio in which she seemed to be not so sure about herself, I can't understand, this. She is really good.

Antonio · Post by **Antonio** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 11:14 pm

Mdidier:

there is very difficult to establish music and words relation about some singers; and Barbara does not deserve to be better known, I'm afraid

LFan · Post by **LFan** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:10 am

I am new to this forum and I have been a fan of both Leonard Cohen and Barbara for most of my life.

My head is spinning right now. I think I have finally found a home.

I will take the time to read all the answers on this post before adding my comments.

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Mon May 08, 2006 4:51 am

I have recently acquired Barbara chante Brassens et Brel , only to find
she refused to sing the killer phrase from "Ne Me Quitte Pas," "L'ombre de ton chien," and changed it to "Je ne sais plus rien." Bah! But she did a beautiful job on Pauvre Martin. Maybe I like her singing other songwriters because she doesn't compose great melodies.

Antonio · Post by **Antonio** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:37 pm

Dear Lightning:

maybe it is true Barbara does not compose great melodies, but it is also true that you don't compose great arguments (and this is also a bad argument, an argumentum ad hominum). I am really annoyed by your intention of dissmiss her, I just don't understand why. I admire Cohen, Dylan, Brel, Brassens, Ferré and so many others, all of them are great, I don't understand why we have to dissmiss a singer songwriter just by the fact that we don't like it. But it would be better to forget her, not to talk about her rather than saying such unfair things. As I said before, maybe Barbara does not deserve to be better known, that's all.

Sadly,

Antonio

Antonio · Post by **Antonio** » Mon May 08, 2006 9:41 pm

Dear Lightning:

I present my excuses for my latest comment; I just would let you know that your latest appreciation really hurts, so I reacted badly.

I beg your pardon

A

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Mon May 08, 2006 11:57 pm

Antonio,
Don't take it so personally if I don't appreciate Barbara's songs as much as you do. Most of the French speaking world loves her. America is not very strong on European languages except for a few specialists and we are not able to understand her. Unlike Brel, she has never been translated or adapted for us, so she remains a regional star. She is lucky to have you as a devoted fan.

Antonio · Post by **Antonio** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 3:01 pm

lightning · Post by **lightning** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 4:10 pm

After visiting the daily motion Barbara videos I have come to revise my opinon of her. She's great actress and beautiful presence. I wish they were subtitled. Someone in Spain has subtitled Brel in Spanish. I wish more people would do this in English. I intend to when I get a chance and learn how. Check out the Zachary Oberzan videos I just posted on DailyMotion from his recent concert "I'm the man who wrote Suzanne." (Also on Google Video.)

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Jan 10, 2007 5:18 pm

I'm so glad to hear that, Lightning

. Barracuda won't let me get there right now, but eventually [like after this weekend, when my computer guy comes

], I should be able to not only GET there, but LISTEN there, as well

!!!

Thanks for posting all of them, Antonio

.

~ Lizzy