This year has truly been a Götterdämmerung, twilight of the Gods, as one after another beloved figures from Rock aristocracy bowed out from the stage.
Facing all these - unexpected but frankly, inevitable - news, we also face our own mortality. There are others, who in more elaborate terms explained how previously we only heard about rock stars dying in car crash or from drug overdose, after all rock stars were young people - now the time came when these same, once young and fresh faces who in 1960s represented rebellion, change and new ideas, grew into veterans with grandchildren. Just like with any ordinary grandmother or grandfather, the clock is always ticking and the finality of it all eventually reaches each and everyone of us, be it anonymous Joe or the beloved rock star. The medium of popular music, with its focus on a cellophane, has always been promoting youth and sex appeal, so we tend to see (and remember) our idols as they were long ago - this is particularly true for the female performers who are basically forced to keep up appearances, while guys are allowed to age disgracefully, without obligations to forever stay the same.
And there is - and always was - someone who never played the game, like Leonard Cohen.
True artist, in any sense of the word, Cohen never depended on choreography, clothes, image or scenery, like majority of the pop stars. In fact, by all accounts, he entered the music scene in late 1960s as already mature, sophisticated and celebrated poet with several poetry collections published. He happened to be there, right in the middle of Woodstock generation but in fact, I don't believe he was part of it, as his poetry grew to be timeless. One of the singer-songwriter holy trinity (along with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell) Cohen became hugely influential as poet & musician for many generations who followed, be it fellow musicians or listeners. Lack of pretty voice never seem to have been a problem, as listeners were forced to pay close attention to his lyrics, which were always superb, powerful and meaningful. Equally mysterious was his effect on ladies all over the world - not conventionally attractive, he was nevertheless considered incredibly charismatic.
A universe for himself, Cohen successfully weathered decades in business by sheer force of his cult following. Because he never was a toe-tapping, entertaining variety of music, his was music played by adults and it took me some time to catch up with him - the very first Leonard Cohen album I have ever bought was of course, his classic "Songs of Leonard Cohen" (1967) that was so powerful that it literary hypnotised me into stupor, with its lilting melodies and mysterious lyrics. The older I got, the more I understand the appeal of this basically non-singing singer, poet and completely unique artist. It was kind of music you play when alone with yourself, listening to the words that somehow deeply resonate within our chest, very memorable and picturesque, each song a carefully structured short story. Of course, its not something you play casually - Cohen demands full attention and can't be played in the background - for everything, there is a season, so yes, radio can play while I'm cooking or playing with the dog, but if I'm really relaxed and reading or just enjoying glass of wine, Leonard Cohen is my man.
Sure, like with everything else, there will always be people who absolutely don't get him and reject his music - instead of going into arguments with them, nowadays I just keep silent on the subject, because I understand we simply don't share same sensibilities. Things either appeal to you or they don't and since for me he represents the Olympian heights of art, I treasure his work by myself without impulse to enlighten those around me who worship celebrity magazines. When I found out that Cohen passed away, I was moved to tears (just like last year upon finding that my beloved Arsen Dedić had passed away, he was Croatian spiritual brother of Cohen) but instantly I was aware that there is nobody around me who would understand my grief and in fact, some of my colleagues expressed downright hostility when I even mentioned his name. I guess his music is acquired taste and miraculously, I acquired it without anybody specially pointing towards it, the poetry simply spoke to me.
Listening to Leonard Cohen right now, I am just thinking that despite the fact he worked in a genre of popular music, spiritually his art goes much, much further back to the old days of medieval troubadours and even beyond - I dare to say he was blessed with gift of mythological Orpheus who could enchant listeners with his music and if this sounds a bit preposterous (considering Cohen never had a conventionally beautiful voice) personally I find his completely true statement, because his music & poetry has always been completely hypnotic, from earliest days to the latest recordings. He might be gone from our material world now - and sad as it is, we also have to admit he had fulfilled life, was loved, had spectacularly well attended concerts and lived life that was creative way above majority of his colleagues - but there is no doubt his art will live on. It is really sad that our heroes have to eventually leave this earth and it will happen to all of them sooner or later, but we might get a comfort of knowing they touched people's lives, inspired and comforted us. In the end, its all that really matters.
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