Posts Tagged Leonard Cohen
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July 26, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 387
V/A, Natural Born Killers [OST] (1994) I liked the film – an Oliver Stone rewrite/trashing of a Quentin Tarantino script. Well, I reckon it works well, or worked – it’s been a while since I’ve seen it. But I’ve always loved the soundtrack. I still have my CD – still play it in the car, […]Archive
May 25, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Sweetman Podcast: Episode 117 – Emily Fairlight
Welcome to episode 117 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T, Yeastie Boys and Le Petite Chocolat. Here’s a chat I had with Emily Fairlight. She’s a Wellington-based singer/songwriter and poet. She’s recently released the fantastic Mother of Gloom album. And before that, a few years ago now, there was a self-titled debut.Archive
May 8, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 59: Dion – “Born To Be With You”
Sometimes you have every reason to hear an album but just never get to it. Case in point: I love Dion DiMucci – I love so many of the albums Phil Spector produced in the 1970s (the earlier stuff too, but the ramshackle charm he brought to legends faltering, as is the case here…) and […]Archive
April 16, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Songs of Her Life, Songs For My Life: The Great Songs of Suzanne Vega
I’ve been listening to Suzanne Vega since I was ten years old. The songs that everyone knows are Luka and Tom’s Diner. These songs have held up well – Luka might suffer from a very-1987 guitar sound but it’s an incredible piece of pop songwriting. A song about child abuse is one thing – a […]Archive
March 8, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
Stubs: #202 – Joan Baez, Wellington, 2015
One of the odd things about reviewing gigs is you can get sent along – again and again – to an artist, and obviously if they’re touring the same show then the appeal/result isn’t as good. It can’t be. And yet you’re writing a review that will be held up against what you said last […]Archive
November 11, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen has died. He was 82. He asked us, just recently if we wanted it darker. He told us the answer was to kill the flame. That from the lead single from his brand new album, quite possibly his best in 30 years. Cohen was one of pop music’s strangest most wondrous things: the […]Archive
October 24, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker Columbia Leonard Cohen’s released a handful of albums rather quickly across the last few years; part of a self-imposed “comeback” that was required first for fiscal and then maybe for mental-health reasons. It’s been a long and loving and lovely victory lap and You Want It Darker hints – […]Archive
March 7, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Nick Cave: The Sick Bag Song
The Sick Bag Song Nick Cave Canongate Books; Main edition Nobody walks the line between hi-brow and gutter-punk, between deeply moving and utterly pretentious quite like Nick Cave. You get the feeling – here – and elsewhere across his canon of songs, movie-scripts, soundtracks, plays and lectures that he knows that too. Knew it first, […]Archive
February 8, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Better off Read Podcast: Episode 29 – Stranger Music by Leonard Cohen
One of my favourite podcasts to check in on is Better off Read. Hosted by Pip Adam (a great writer) it features authors in conversation around a favourite, formative book. I was honoured to be invited onto the podcast and the latest episode features me in conversation with Pip around the Leonard Cohen book of […]Archive
August 26, 2015 by Simon Sweetman
Radio Nowhere by Michael Ross: # 4 The Saddest Song Ever? – Bruce Springsteen’s The River
A song, not an album this week. Some time ago on Facebook, Simon asked, “What’s the saddest song ever?” or something to that effect. I had the same answer as ever – and this is a variation on something I’d previously written on it. It’s also the first time I’m going to talk about Springsteen […]Archive
August 18, 2015 by Simon Sweetman