We lost another one. It makes sense that we’re going to be losing more and more music icons as the generation from the heyday of rock n’ roll continues to age, I guess. Just another sad reality we have to get used to. And sad reality was Leonard Cohen’s stock in trade. Or maybe sad surreality.
Since his passing, many people have been posting their favorite Leonard Cohen songs all over social media, making their Leonard Cohen playlists, and in general celebrating his work and legacy. And of course we’ve all heard “Hallelujah” a thousand times in the last few weeks. I would like to share a few lesser-known Cohen covers from other favorite artists of mine, especially since that’s how I came to Leonard Cohen myself.
First, here’s the Pixies covering “I Can’t Forget”:
Next, here’s R.E.M. covering “First We Take Manhattan”:
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds covering “Avalanche”:
Concrete Blonde covering “Everybody Knows”:
In a small way, I will pay tribute to Cohen myself in a few weeks, when The Rendezvous in Turners Falls hosts a Cohen tribute night. On Saturday December 10th join me and a number of other local artists as we play Cohen songs and drink to his memory. The Rendezvous is a great venue, you can check it out here: http://rendezvoustfma.com/