Inspired by the creation of this list, I braved the Saturday mobs today
to check out the huge new 'Mega' record store in downtown Stockholm. They
seemed to have all the Cohen stuff, and I bought the two CD's I have had
in mind to buy for some time: Recent Songs, and New Skin..


  Since I'll have zilch to contribute to this group by way of discographical
research or knowledgeable comments on technical aspects of recordings, I might
as well come clean about my actual interests. Apart from chatting aimlessly
about Cohen in general, I'm interested in talking about his lyrics and the
ways in which he achieves his effects. My opinion (and of course all my
opnions stated here and elsewhere are extremely humble ones) is that Cohen
is not so hot as a novelist, nor as a poet, but has a genius for combining
words and music and presenting those words and that music.


  'Recent Songs' has some very beautiful songs. 'The Window' always brings
to mind for me 'So Long Marianne', of course because of the first line
of that older song: 'Come over to the window, my little darling'.