Songs of Love and Hate - should it have a warning?

[John Etherington]

Hi Louise,

I thought I should add that although I'm not familiar with Brel through his own work (though I have heard him), I saw "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and living in Paris" on TV, and have heard some other songs such as "Le Diable". Also, the Persian singer Shusha (an old friend of mine) recorded a couple of his songs - namely "Les Vieux" and "Marieke".

All good things, John E

[Darling]

Hi John,
'Les Vieux': perhaps his most beautiful song...
Louise

[mickey_one]

I've been getting to know LC's music and I bought this album last weekend.
Powerful or what. After the first 4 songs I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I felt physically shaken and had to get up and get myself a cup of tea and some cheesecake to calm myself down. I see that the album is from 1971, was LC very depressed at that time? I'm glad he's happier nowadays.

I must say that as my introduction to Mr Cohen was via his later albums I never understood why people said he was sad but after listening to Songs of Love or Hate I can see what they mean.

I've been too scared to listen to it all in sequence again but I shall endeavour. Am I just easilly shocked or is this a really powerful album? The only song I slightly knew previously from that album was Diamonds in the Mine which strikes me as quite punky.


Regards
Joney

Joney, Joney, are you the strong woman who sat next to me at the Barbican? Songs of Love and Hate is a breeze. It's not scary at all. Now take my hand and let's list the tracks and donate some quick marks on a scale that goes all the way down to Jazz Police 1 LC point, and Dirge on The Wire 2 LC points.

1. Avalanche decentish starter 6 LC points
2. Last Year's Man 8.5 LC points
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag 8.75 LC points
4. Diamonds in the Mine lightweight froth, 4 LC points
5. Love Calls You By Your Name moderate 4 LC points
6. Famous Blue Raincoat 8 LC points
7. Sing Another Song, Boys fun 6.5 LC points
8. Joan of Arc 8 LC points

ok, sorted!

[ania]

Sing Another Song, Boys fun 6.5 LC points

???

mike are you insane?
doesnt that song just make you want to scream with excitement and sing and laugh and drink??

[mickey_one]

Sing Another Song, Boys fun 6.5 LC points

???

mike are you insane?
doesnt that song just make you want to scream with excitement and sing and laugh and drink??

no, but it's a decent novelty song so that's why I gave it such high marks.

[ania]

no, but it's a decent novelty song so that's why I gave it such high marks.

pfff haha a decent novelty song

youre always in fine form

[Cate]

I think Ania's right, Sing Another Song, Boys should be at least a 7.5.

Michael - a few of your numbers seem off - It's possible that hanging out at this high altitude is effecting your thinking - let me help you out.

1. Avalanche decentish starter 6 LC points
2. Last Year's Man 8.5 LC points
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag 8.75 LC points
4. Diamonds in the Mine lightweight froth, 4 LC points
5. Love Calls You By Your Name moderate 4 LC points
6. Famous Blue Raincoat 8 LC points
7. Sing Another Song, Boys fun 6.5 LC points
8. Joan of Arc 8 LC points

1. Avalanche 5 LC points - like reading a book before a movie, it's never as good
2. Last Year's Man 8.5 LC points
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag 8.75 LC points
4. Diamonds in the Mine, 9 LC points - you must have confused the 4 with the 9
5. Love Calls You By Your Name moderate 6 LC points
6. Famous Blue Raincoat 9.25 LC points
7. Sing Another Song, Boys fun 7.5 LC points
8. Joan of Arc 6.5 LC points

[Joney]

I've watched this thread with interest, it obviously strikes a cord with a lot of people.

I really enjoyed John's first response, I could feel his enthusiasm for the album and his wonderful description of hearing it live.

I still stand by my first reaction, remember that was the first time I'd ever heard it and it is a very powerful album. I have listened to it again of course and, although not really a 'favourite' album of mine, I think it is possibly Leonard's most powerful album. I think I may have read it here on the forum as somebody's signature, sometime along the lines of "it only seems kinky the first time" and definitely the shock factor of this album lessens with each subsequent listening.

Joney, Joney, are you the strong woman who sat next to me at the Barbican? Songs of Love and Hate is a breeze. It's not scary at all. Now take my hand and let's list the tracks and donate some quick marks on a scale that goes all the way down to Jazz Police 1 LC point, and Dirge on The Wire 2 LC points.

1. Avalanche decentish starter 6 LC points
2. Last Year's Man 8.5 LC points
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag 8.75 LC points
4. Diamonds in the Mine lightweight froth, 4 LC points
5. Love Calls You By Your Name moderate 4 LC points
6. Famous Blue Raincoat 8 LC points
7. Sing Another Song, Boys fun 6.5 LC points
8. Joan of Arc 8 LC points

ok, sorted!

I don't know where you got the idea that I am a strong woman Michael, maybe it was that arm-wrestling competition that we had where I beat you. In fairness though you did have a sore shoulder at the time.

I do like Diamonds in the Mine though, as I said I like the early punk Leonard sound and it is very un-apologetic.

Regards
Joney

[mickey_one]

Dear Ania, I have made it quite clear to you that I am unshiftable on the Bird issue. Indeed it is one of the main reasons why I have turned down all your marriage proposals over the years, (that and your dreadful iconic teasing of my friend Henning). Let us talk no more of these matters on which I have spoketh with such authority and persuasiviosity,

Lord Mickey of One
















Last edited by mickey_one on Tue Apr 2009, 3:57 am, edited 2575 times in total.

[mickey_one]

Michael - a few of your numbers seem off - It's possible that hanging out at this high altitude is effecting your thinking - let me help you out.
1. Avalanche 5 LC points - like reading a book before a movie, it's never as good
2. Last Year's Man 8.5 LC points
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag 8.75 LC points
4. Diamonds in the Mine, 9 LC points - you must have confused the 4 with the 9
5. Love Calls You By Your Name moderate 6 LC points
6. Famous Blue Raincoat 9.25 LC points
7. Sing Another Song, Boys fun 7.5 LC points
8. Joan of Arc 6.5 LC points

Dear Cate, thank you for your amusing response with your satirical markings therein. Obviously, you do not mean seriously to dispute my definitive assessments and I accept your worship of my various positions.

Lord Mickey of One

[mickey_one]

I don't know where you got the idea that I am a strong woman Michael, maybe it was that arm-wrestling competition that we had where I beat you. In fairness though you did have a sore shoulder at the time.

Regards
Joney

ok, this controversial controversy has gone on for long enough. you did indeed force my arm down first, and technically I therefore "lost", but I wasn't ready and I also did say it was Best out of 3, which you conveniently ignored as you celebrated your "victory" over a man twice your age and suffering with several broken shoulders, some of them mine.

I would also like you publicly to admit that during the rest of the Philip Glass gig I beat you at Scissor Stone and Paper, Battleships, Monopoly, and Rugby. To bang on and on about your sole "success" is to distort the overall picture, which clearly emerged, of me being the Champion of Rear Stalls Row V.

So, IN YOUR FACE

kind regards

Lord Mickey of One

[Cate]

I accept your worship of my various positions.

Lord Mickey of One

Oh my, Mister Mike you're thinking quite highly of yourself - I'll blame it on altitude sickness.

[John Etherington]

Avalanche - "a decentish starter"?!!!!!!! Sing Another Song Boys - "a decent novelty song?!!!!!!! Where the hell is this cat at?!!!!!!!

To grade "Songs of Love and Hate" into neat little percentages is a bit like describing the Moon by anal-lysing it's craters! It reminds me of those letters you get from the local council asking whether they did a very good job, a good job, a neutral job, a fair job or a poor job. I usually reply "bollo! My brain doesn't work like that".

"Songs of Love and Hate" is like a musical version of "Beautiful Losers". Now how did they describe that?...it was something like...
"a howl, a rage, a scream, a nervous breakdown"...whatever. That's just it..."Avalanche" was never meant to be given 6 points because it's dealing with a painful subject, and "Famous Blue Raincoat" 8 and a half, because it's a pretty tune. "Songs of Love and Hate" was never meant to sit neatly on your record shelf between "Imagine" and "Sweet Baby James"!

You tell 'em son!

[Joney]

I would also like you publicly to admit that during the rest of the Philip Glass gig I beat you at Scissor Stone and Paper, Battleships, Monopoly, and Rugby. To bang on and on about your sole "success" is to distort the overall picture, which clearly emerged, of me being the Champion of Rear Stalls Row V.

Now Michael I don't want to tell tales but really the sacrifice I made in letting you beat me at all these games during the show was so that you didn't spoil the show for everybody else. Your insistence that the audience would really appreciate your rendition of Bird on a Wire whilst you performed a shadow puppet show on the big screen meant that I had to distract you somehow, and I am pretty sure that I beat you at Rugby anyway.

[mickey_one]

Avalanche - "a decentish starter"?!!!!!!! Sing Another Song Boys - "a decent novelty song?!!!!!!! Where the hell is this cat at?!!!!!!!

To grade "Songs of Love and Hate" into neat little percentages is a bit like describing the Moon by anal-lysing it's craters! It reminds me of those letters you get from the local council asking whether they did a very good job, a good job, a neutral job, a fair job or a poor job. I usually reply "bollo! My brain doesn't work like that".

"Songs of Love and Hate" is like a musical version of "Beautiful Losers". Now how did they describe that?...it was something like...
"a howl, a rage, a scream, a nervous breakdown"...whatever. That's just it..."Avalanche" was never meant to be given 6 points because it's dealing with a painful subject, and "Famous Blue Raincoat" 8 and a half, because it's a pretty tune. "Songs of Love and Hate" was never meant to sit neatly on your record shelf between "Imagine" and "Sweet Baby James"!

You tell 'em son!

OK John, point taken...from the score for Sing Another Song, Boys. So that now gets my Official Rating of 5.5. LC points and we are all happy that this essential exercise is correct and completed.

Thank you for your contribution (for which, by the way, I award 3.75 LC Forum points, well done!)


Lord Mickey of One