Very Best Of CD

[JJR]

HMV.UK is posting a new Leonard Cohen Very Best Of CD to be issued on June 2nd. Anyone know any more about this?

[John Etherington]

Hi JJR,

Thanks for that info, which I didn't know. I guess this was inevitable, and suspect it will be a career-spanning single disc with all the most-obvious songs ("Suzanne", "Tower of Song" etc. and maybe a couple that haven't appeared on compilations before ("Joan of Arc? The Window?). My only hope is that it doesn't do what I've always dreaded...that is give Leonard a hit single, send him crashing into the charts, and get him played on Wogan and in supermarkets! I think it's great that Leonard has so far managed to stay free of all that nonsense (and it would be even more difficult to get tickets if he does so some extra shows later this year!).

All good things, John E

[gingermop]

My only hope is that it doesn't do what I've always dreaded...that is give Leonard a hit single, send him crashing into the charts, and get him played on Wogan and in supermarkets!

Ah, dearest John

I don't get this part... I mean, being popular does not diminish ones' quality. Leonard's tour has pretty much sold out everywhere he announces. He's popular these days. Doesn't mean he has sold out in any other way... it's inevitable that folks such as I (young uns!) have got into him in the years since he last toured. Par for the course considering how good he is. I think we'd be all massively annoyed if concerts got cancelled due to poor ticket sales! I'd rather have the glorious stampede, given the choice...

Gina

[John Etherington]

Hi Gina,

When I wrote a one-off letter to Leonard in his quiet days (about 12 years ago), I said something to the effect of "being into your music makes me feel that I am part of a highly esoteric order" (and that's how I want it to stay). Nick Drake has never sounded quite the same to me since I heard "Five Leaves Left" playing in the men's loo at Borders, Oxford Street, a few years ago!

Love, John E x

[astranger]

I'm glad to hear this, I'm ready for any new release from him!! maybe with the release of this some shred of news will be announced about a formal album coming out maybe in the fall? I agree with some of the others like myself, who have gotten into Cohen after his Future tour, I've been an obsessed fan for almost 2 years now and would really like to get a chance to see him perform, I hope he comes to the states. I do also enjoy being in the "esoteric order" of Cohen fans, however, Cohen is quite a big name in music, for people who know music besides what's constantly barraged on the radio

[Red Poppy]

John
It never did New World any harm to have that hit with their cover of Rose Garden.
Without it we might never have heard Tom Tom Turnaround, Kara Kara and Sister Jane

[John Etherington]

I beg your pardon?

[JJR]

The important thing is that LC still has control of his own back catalogue. No-one wants to see a future (forgive me) in which LC compilations start appearing like, say, Donovan compilations, which come and go faster than Italian prime ministers. This one makes sense as a support for the tour though, particularly since the promised new album seems to have been delayed until later in the year.

[Davido]

But he doesn't.His back catalogue belongs to Sony.

[Red Poppy]

JJR - I hope you're not accusing Donovan of being a leech?

[JJR]

Donovan is an original. The Sony plan for LC seems to be following the Bob Dylan model; a brilliant Essential CD followed by a do-we-really-need-this Best Of. Let's just hope the artwork is better than the recent DYLAN album.

[Red Poppy]

JJR - Donovan is an original yes but he may still be a leech!

[margaret]

RP
it doesn't seem like everyone gets your little joke - maybe Donovan's surname is not so well known
Hope to see you at one of the Dublin concerts,

margaret

[Red Poppy]

Margaret
Thanks -I was beginning to despair of my little pun getting recognised at all.
Look forward to seeing you there - at damellon's chip van!

[sallyxi]

All original songs will be surpported by me!