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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Leonard and the Tower of Song

Yes, I am nearly halfway through the wonderful new bio of Leonard Cohen.  Fun fact: Joni Mitchell wrote "Chelsea Morning" while living with Leonard in the Chelsea Hotel.  Now reminded of this ten-minute, unlikely, clip of his induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame a few years back.

It's got everything:  a mini-bio, heartfelt intro by Lou Reed (who, like Leonard, has written books of poetry), then the man himself, with usual fun and touching lines, including reciting his "Tower of Song."   Yes, he is humble enough to admit that Hank Williams is "a hundred floors above" him in the tower.  Best line though is claiming that Jon Landau's famous line in the 1970s was "I have seen the future of rock and roll, and it is not Leonard Cohen."  BTW, at 78, he put out a great album this year, and is still touring.

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