Comments on: What do Billy Joel and Leonard Cohen (and Billy Joel and Salman Rushdie) have in common? http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 05:18:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Ozyripus http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63209 Ozyripus Sun, 06 Apr 2008 21:12:03 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63209 Neo: I understand, and agree with your evaluation. But, for this old man, what is that "bubble-gummy stuff"? [and, yes, I know the ? goes inside the ", but I think that is stupid in a case such as this) Neo: I understand, and agree with your evaluation.

But, for this old man, what is that “bubble-gummy stuff”?

[and, yes, I know the ? goes inside the “, but I think that is stupid in a case such as this)

]]> By: CJ http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63147 CJ Sun, 06 Apr 2008 06:47:00 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63147 Something else they both have in common is that they were both ripped off for considerable coin by people they had trusted with their financial affairs. In Joel's case, he kept his ex-wife on as his business manager. Her brother then embezzled a considerable part of Billy's savings. With Cohen, his manager and former girlfriend stole about $5 million from him, forcing him to return to work at the age of 72. Moral of the story: keep the exes away from the loot. Special trivia about Billy (born 1949): his father was a classical pianist and Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who divorced Billy's mother in 1960 and returned to Vienna. He started another family and Billy has a half-brother who has conducted the Vienna Symphony. Something else they both have in common is that they were both ripped off for considerable coin by people they had trusted with their financial affairs. In Joel’s case, he kept his ex-wife on as his business manager. Her brother then embezzled a considerable part of Billy’s savings. With Cohen, his manager and former girlfriend stole about $5 million from him, forcing him to return to work at the age of 72. Moral of the story: keep the exes away from the loot.

Special trivia about Billy (born 1949): his father was a classical pianist and Jewish refugee from Nazi Germany who divorced Billy’s mother in 1960 and returned to Vienna. He started another family and Billy has a half-brother who has conducted the Vienna Symphony.

]]> By: neo-neocon http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63105 neo-neocon Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:12:00 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63105 Ozripus: I much prefer Cohen, as well. But I like Joel for what he is, which is a consummate pop music writer of songs that are far from bubble-gummy stuff. Cohen is primarily a poet who writes music, whereas Joel is a musician who sometimes gives us a bit of poetry. There's room in this world to admire both. Ozripus: I much prefer Cohen, as well. But I like Joel for what he is, which is a consummate pop music writer of songs that are far from bubble-gummy stuff.

Cohen is primarily a poet who writes music, whereas Joel is a musician who sometimes gives us a bit of poetry. There’s room in this world to admire both.

]]> By: Ozyripus http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63101 Ozyripus Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:56:18 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63101 Thanks for another intriguing introduction and comparative review! Between Joel and Cohen, in my shallowly-based opinion, it's Cohen by several lengths, and he aged more effectively. Thanks for another intriguing introduction and comparative review!

Between Joel and Cohen, in my shallowly-based opinion, it’s Cohen by several lengths, and he aged more effectively.

]]> By: C. Siegel http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63092 C. Siegel Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:05:24 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63092 gcothatn--Besides the fiddler (as in "He who calls the tune must pay the--"), I can't see how this is even close to "Country". I think the big defference in theme is that "Closing Time" is a musing on the spiritual emptiness of the party life, whereas "Piano Man" is more a sociological approach. Plus. as has been mentioned, we've heard "Piano Man" so many times we can't hear it anymore. gcothatn–Besides the fiddler (as in “He who calls the tune must pay the–”), I can’t see how this is even close to “Country”.

I think the big defference in theme is that “Closing Time” is a musing on the spiritual emptiness of the party life, whereas “Piano Man” is more a sociological approach.

Plus. as has been mentioned, we’ve heard “Piano Man” so many times we can’t hear it anymore.

]]> By: Tatyana http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63080 Tatyana Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:32:21 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63080 Joan - it's not spots, it's polka-dots! Joan – it’s not spots, it’s polka-dots!

]]> By: Synova http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63041 Synova Sat, 05 Apr 2008 02:43:37 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63041 Well that was about half an hour doing nothing but listening to different versions of Hallelujah. Well spent. Well that was about half an hour doing nothing but listening to different versions of Hallelujah.

Well spent.

]]> By: Joan of Argghh! http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63031 Joan of Argghh! Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:49:52 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63031 Nothing short of extreme torture could make me click onto any version of "Piano Man." My loathing of this doggerel in both tune and word knows no bounds. If it comes on the car radio, I curse loudly and hit any button just to make.it.stop! Same for Chapin's "Cat's In the Cradle." Ugh! A close third: Every Move You Make. Gah! They all make me see spots before my eyes... :o) . Nothing short of extreme torture could make me click onto any version of “Piano Man.”

My loathing of this doggerel in both tune and word knows no bounds. If it comes on the car radio, I curse loudly and hit any button just to make.it.stop!

Same for Chapin’s “Cat’s In the Cradle.” Ugh!

A close third: Every Move You Make. Gah!

They all make me see spots before my eyes…

:o )

.

]]> By: gcotharn http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63020 gcotharn Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:54:48 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63020 Wow. Interesting observation about Cohen coming from a dark place and finding a sliver of light there. Interesting speculation about polka dots. And I'm so glad I heard this new to me iteration of Cohen's voice. As much as I read your blog, I'm not a big music person, and apparently skipped right past your last year's post about Cohen. I confess I had, for many years, thought Leonard Cohen was Leonard Bernstein. Heh. I happened into a study of Cohen - just last month - as I tried to make sense of the lyrics to "Hallelujah" http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/03/okeefe-purple-hallelujah.html and, later, when my brother encouraged me to look at "Suzanne" http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/03/okeeffe-tree-trunks.html I might be listening to "Closing Time" for a couple days, trying let the dark lyrics and the sliver of light sink in. "Closing Time" is really a country music song. Cohen maybe just doesn't fully realize it. Oh, and, as much as I've enjoyed the Padma pics ... as a Texan in good standing ... I'm all over anyone named Katie Lee who: writes a cookbook, possesses that smile, has the bootylicious southern trailer park charm, and also has the trailer-park-but-doesn't-know-it Billy Joel for a boyfriend. And I'm not talking down about trailer parks. To the contrary. Trailer park people are MY PEOPLE - which is why I think Katie Lee has a lifeforce which makes Padma look like a frail willow. I've been in some LOVELY trailer parks. Wow. Interesting observation about Cohen coming from a dark place and finding a sliver of light there. Interesting speculation about polka dots. And I’m so glad I heard this new to me iteration of Cohen’s voice.

As much as I read your blog, I’m not a big music person, and apparently skipped right past your last year’s post about Cohen. I confess I had, for many years, thought Leonard Cohen was Leonard Bernstein. Heh.

I happened into a study of Cohen – just last month – as I tried to make sense of the lyrics to “Hallelujah”

http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/03/okeefe-purple-hallelujah.html

and, later, when my brother encouraged me to look at “Suzanne”

http://theendzone.blogspot.com/2008/03/okeeffe-tree-trunks.html

I might be listening to “Closing Time” for a couple days, trying let the dark lyrics and the sliver of light sink in. “Closing Time” is really a country music song. Cohen maybe just doesn’t fully realize it.

Oh, and, as much as I’ve enjoyed the Padma pics … as a Texan in good standing … I’m all over anyone named Katie Lee who: writes a cookbook, possesses that smile, has the bootylicious southern trailer park charm, and also has the trailer-park-but-doesn’t-know-it Billy Joel for a boyfriend. And I’m not talking down about trailer parks. To the contrary. Trailer park people are MY PEOPLE – which is why I think Katie Lee has a lifeforce which makes Padma look like a frail willow. I’ve been in some LOVELY trailer parks.

]]> By: Vanderleun http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63018 Vanderleun Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:44:56 +0000 http://neoneocon.com/2008/04/04/what-do-billy-joel-and-leonard-cohen-and-billy-joel-and-salman-rushdie-have-in-common/#comment-63018 Drop the free and start with the flee-associating already. Drop the free and start with the flee-associating already.

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