Leonard Cohen: That's No Way To Say Goodbye

Whoa -- what a week! My brain is still wrapping itself around election news, so my vote for now is to forgo a political post (notes on the president-elect and his victory coming soon).

At the end of a fun client dinner in Orlando on Thursday evening, I read the sad breaking news of Leonard Cohen -- a.k.a. the "godfather of gloom" and the "poet of pessimism" or "the prince of bummers" and composer of "music to slit your wrists to" (according to CTV's obituary) -- who died on Monday in Los Angeles.

Just last week, "Fresh Air" aired a critical review of the poet/singer/songwriter's latest release "You Want It Darker" and, man, it sounds like a Grammy contender (it is dumbfounding Cohen has all sorts of honors but does not have a single Grammy already).

The segment and dissection of some of Cohen's later life lyrics took me back to my introduction to the Canadian during the late 1990's -- at that time my Uncle Scott requested a CD copy of "The Best of Leonard Cohen" (the 1975 greatest hits compilation) and after one listen I was hooked!

Of course, hearing that CD helped me go back with a new appreciation for Cohen's "The Future" and "Waiting for the Miracle" (both aptly chosen for the soundtrack to "Natural Born Killers") and "Everybody Knows" (remade by Concrete Blonde).

When the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic opening ceremony rolled around and k.d. lang performed the heck out of "Hallelujah" there was not a dry eye in the dome, as noted in my post from just hours after the event (the previous year I also wrote about Cohen's literary work of the day). Here's the live Olympic broadcast:

In general, "favorites" are something to avoid, but one of Cohen's songs that made a great impression was "In My Secret Life," discovered in the music collection of my 2010 Winter Olympic apartment landlord (only a few days after the Opening Ceremony performance).

I smile when I'm angry, I cheat and I lie. I do what I have to do to get by. But I know what is wrong, and I know what is right. And I'd die for the truth In My Secret Life.

The simple guitar and storytelling in Cohen's cover of "The Partisan" also stuck with me.

But the Leonard tune that makes me most misty-eyed is "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" -- one of several songs used to describe the better parts of a 13-year long-distance relationship.

Last year, there was an opportunity to experience Leonard Cohen live in concert on his visit to Atlanta. Sadly, it was an event I chose to skip at the last minute, thinking "maybe next time he's in town." The new album release gave me hope that opportunity may come in 2017. Oh, well.

Borrowing from another of his works, "So Long, Marianne" (about which Cohen and his muse shared a remarkable correspondence, according to the Associated Press -- see last few paragraphs of this report), "You left when I told you I was curious. Did I ever say that I was brave? So long, [Leonard]. It's time that we began, to laugh and cry and cry and laugh about it all again."

Photos from various Leonard Cohen fan sites that did not provide attribution to original source material. 

Over The Wall

Those final days in Vancouver ... they each remain a fantastic, psychedelic blur.

After posting about hitting the wall weeks ago, the next day (the final Thursday of the Games), brought a great blend of work successes (interviews for clients), a ticketing coup (row three seats for the women's figure skating final for less than an arm and a leg), three nights of red carpet interviews at Club Bud (disclosure: a client of the firm where I work) and as much pin trading as I could muster.

Some old friends arrived in Vancouver, too, so some blogging time went away in order to catch up and create new Olympic memories.

There was a midnight visit to the Main Press Center (MPC) and International Broadcast Center (IBC), tying up loose ends with new friends at work and around town, then packing up from the Marinaside condo (realizing now I have yet to post details of that experience ... and dozens more experiences). Spending an hour at Sochi House, then a Saturday afternoon and evening in the Olympic Village residential zone, were icing in the cake of a fabulous yet extremely exhausting four days of Olympic wrap-up.

Could blog for days about the Closing Ceremony, too (seated under the stage where Avril Lavigne and Michael Buble performed). And I will in good time. There are gold medalist and other surprise interviews yet to be formatted and posted.

There was some big ice hockey game one day, too, wasn't there?

Leaving Vancouver was a HUGE BUMMER. I absolutely love and miss being there.

The commute back to Atlanta -- starting March 2 at 5 a.m. at YVR with landings in Seattle, Dallas and (at long last) ATL at 9:30 p.m. after several consecutive weeks with only 2-3 hours of nightly sleep -- made for a soupy/foggy first few days back (it was indeed good to be home, too -- torn between two cities, now). There are two steamer trunk-sized bags of loot with a label "for eBay" staring at me from the corner of my home office. :-)

It hardly seems possible that only a week after the layover in Dallas on March 2, work travel took me back to "Big D" on March 10. It's nice to sort of ease into a spring of busy days that, by comparison, will be calm and steady.

Was it all a dream?

Vancouver marked my seventh Olympic Games. It is going down among the best. No credentials? No problem.

I keep thinking of John Furlong's astounding speeches of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the music of the Games. Paraphrasing Furlong, Canada's Winter Games will certainly be remembered for generations.

Only 862 Days to London.

More Opening Ceremonies

Spent most of today at my computer for client work, so no new updates from the Olympic City (though heading to client LiveCity Downtown shortly).

But wanted to get a new shot from last night up for perusal -- the photo on this post is via the LA Times, and that is yours truly, bottom-left corner of image about third person up (in the snazzy white holding up camera as Team USA cruises into B.C. Place).

More blogging time on Sunday, or so I've pencilled in on calendar.

C'est Magnifique, Both Sides Now, Hallelujah

What a day! Oh, what a night!

A couple of years ago it seemed Beijing delivered an untoppable Olympic Opening Ceremony. Tonight, Vancouver answered with a magnificent, moving evening, the memories of which I will always cherish.

So many moments. So much poetry, via spoken word and in motion.

And, what music! Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" brought tears to those in my party. Bryan Adams and Nelly Furtado. The Aboriginal dance and Four Host Nations drumbeat. Nikki Yanofsky's rendition of "O Canada." Sara McLachlan -- brilliant! And finally k.d. lang singing Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" -- an astounding encore Olympic performance.

I am most grateful that my assigned seat (absolutely devine intervention and/or sheer luck) was in the section immediately to the right of the snowboarder, and later the Olympians', grand entrance, affording me numerous stops on the lower corner of the seating area, often staring up the tunnel at legends of the past and legends in the making.

Singer Anne Murray high-fived me with one hand while carrying the Olympic Flag with the other.

Donald Sutherland, who narrated much of the voice overs for the grand Canadian showcase was steps away, too.

Felt like I was walking into the stadium with Team USA (more high-fives, this time from Olympians marching to competition). Thought I was full-blood Canadian when their flag entered the arena.

In China's Opening Ceremony, a few thousand assigned drummers brought down the house. In Vancouver, more than 50,000 audience members got the pleasure of beating to their own drum (the audience participation kit itself was a clever cardboard drum set)

There have been plenty of "big moments" of pride working at Edelman, and witnessing our client, a Paralympic gold medalist who spent the last 25 years as the "Man In Motion" raising more than $200 million for spinal cord injury research, carrying the Olympic flame -- WOW -- to be even remotely connected to that and have the opportunity to work again at the Olympics is just unbelievable! I am so proud and thankful to be part of the Edelman team.

So happy to be at the Olympics again.

Living the dream. Go Canada Go!

2,417 Days Ago ...

Paraphrasing today's cover story of 24H newspaper, 2,417 days ago the IOC announced Vancouver to host the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. At long last, today is the day they begin.

Walking along False Creek this morning, with the Olympic Village across the water and B.C. Place all decked out on the horizon, was incredibly inspiring. And on the streets people are all smiles and proclaiming "It's finally here!"

For all the preparations, for all the planning, for all the anticipation and chasing the Olympic starting line, it's time to quote Sean Connery in The Untouchables, who proclaimed (after pursuing a bootlegger from the Canadian border crossing to a little log cabin, calling a halt to their chase), "Alright! Enough of this running sh*t!"

Another news source this morning also posted word leaked from the Opening Ceremony rehearsals, affirming at least four of the Canadian performers listed in the survey to the right of this column -- a nice mix of new faces and Olympic veteran performers. We could hear one of them singing as we walked to Gastown on Wednesday night. Can hardly wait. Hours away.

There are dozens of items I need to post from the last 48 hours: Sarah Brightman at the Panasonic (client) pavilion; the Canadian Tenors singing "Oh, Canada" at Canada House last night; chatting with Olympic legend Dick Fosbury; Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton. I will endeavor to post more during the weekend.

Have a great Olympic Day, Vancouver, and world. The best is yet to come!

POLL: Which Canadian Musicians Will Rock the Olympic Opening Ceremony?

With just days to go until the Vancouver Olympic Opening Ceremony, folks are buzzing about who will perform and represent Canada on the big night Feb. 12.

I'd like to know who you think will perform, so please peruse the Olympic Rings And Other Things poll (on the right side of screen just below the "About Me" section) and click on as many names as you like.

If you know a Canadian musician who is not listed but you believe may perform, please email that name to me or post a comment (I might add names to the poll, but only Canadians).

Happy clicking!

Update: Dang it all! I thought that k.d. lang was on the poll, and only now realized she was left off by mistake. But I do think she should be on the poll (sorry, k.d. lang and fans) -- unfortunately, now that there are votes posted, she cannot be added. So noting her here in this update -- if you want to vote for her, please send me an e-mail.