"If I were to float off in a balloon and were only allowed to bring the music of one artist, I would chose Leonard Cohen. Very few things in life are this clear to me".
I fell deeply, and irredeemably in love with Leonard Cohen in London at a concert in 2013.
He was, by then, an 80-year old master-craftsman, waltzing the stage with grace and virtue, commanding the room like an army general, whist imparting his wisdom upon us like an old professor.
The way in which a man could retain so much mystery, yet give so much of himself away to an audience was breathtaking.
Like a spiritual leader, with us his unworthy disciples, he conducted our souls like one would an orchestra. At times it felt like more of a sermon than a gig, or as if every song was some divine offering or prayer.
A pure meditation on life, love, sex, salvation and redemption.
There was this great sense in the room that he somehow knew more than we did, like he'd unlocked the secrets, uncovered the answers, and was revealing them to us one pithy line at a time.
He'd found the diamonds in the mine and was bringing them out to us one by one.
To this day, it was the closest I have ever come to a religious experience.
The man was a class act, dressed to the nines in a businessman's pinstripe suit and serious navy hat, he introduced every member of the band with a short bio, before preceding to name-check every member of the crew, lighting, sound, make up, the lot. I've never seen anyone else do that, it was a lovely touch.
Deep in the tower of song, as the rest of us are scratching away at our pieces of wood, one man found the keys, and unbolted the doors so we could catch even a glimpse of truth.
Very few things seem to me, in any sense, spiritual, yet the music of Leonard Cohen touches on that realm.
Here are a few of my favourite songs of his, I hope they touch you too.
https://open.spotify.com/user/charliehole1/playlist/6T3RhKmCtwFi93LRN4vnEk
tangentwithtanner
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