Bob Dylan Vs. Leonard Cohen: The Ultimate Battle

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I'm going with Cohen because his bad albums are good, where as Dylan's bad albums are horrible. The only good Bad album he made was "Self Portrait".

― Voodoo Child, Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:36 (twenty years ago)

Tom Waits in suckerpunching the exhausted winner... well, you know the drill.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:49 (twenty years ago)

Dylan, no contest at all

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Thursday, 18 August 2005 03:50 (twenty years ago)

Cohen, no contest at all.

― Momus (Momus), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:02 (twenty years ago)

I'm sticking up for Dylan's bad album "Dylan" as being perfectly alright.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:07 (twenty years ago)

Oh and hasn't Bob made about ten times as many albums as Eeyore?

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:08 (twenty years ago)

roffl

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:10 (twenty years ago)

Dylan seems to be better at numbers than our Lenny.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:10 (twenty years ago)

Dylan means nothing to me, Cohen means a little something to me, I could live without both.

― gear (gear), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:25 (twenty years ago)

Lou Reed, no contest at all

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:34 (twenty years ago)

Oh Christ, Lou fucking Reed with his amusing lyrical references to the "Statue of Bigotry."

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:37 (twenty years ago)

Oh who cares about anything he wrote after 1980!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:39 (twenty years ago)

1982 maybe, even though I've hung on to my copy of The Blue Mask principally because it's got Robert Quine playing the best guitar of his career on it.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:41 (twenty years ago)

Oh yes, that's true, I forgot that one

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 08:44 (twenty years ago)

The latest Lou Reed record:

These are the stories of Edgar Allan Poe
Not exactly the boy next doe

― Momus (Momus), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:45 (twenty years ago)

Neither Dylan nor Cohen have sunk to the depths of Reed (though not for want of trying). I gave the Edgar Allen Poe record a listen in the record store. I don't see how anything could be more awful than that. I'm at a loss as to how Reed could have been so good and is now so bad. Not just mediocre but downright bad. It makes me think VU must have been all Cale, but then again there are some great VU lyrics.

― JZ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:52 (twenty years ago)

That copy of The Raven that's been sitting in the basement of Notting Hill MVE for the last 18 months is now going for £3! It's still robbery.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:54 (twenty years ago)

It makes me think VU must have been all Cale

Definitely not

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 10:58 (twenty years ago)

Lou's charm has always been that he's capable of being brilliant one minute and a complete dolt and dingbat the next. Personally, I think a little healthy idiocy is a prerequisite of any great artist.

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

Agreed, but Lou has been indulging his healthy idiocy for around a quarter of a century now. After a while, you start to get a bit suspicious about the "great artist" part of the equation...

(having said that I'm still including "What Goes On" on my Desert Island choices when Sue Lawley finally invites me on the show)

― JZ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:12 (twenty years ago)

No-one, but no-one, is capable of being as great an artist as Lou Reed thinks Lou Reed is

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:13 (twenty years ago)

If Lawley ever invites me onto Desert Island Discs she will be firmly advised not to try it. I always preferred My Top 12 with Andy Peebles anyway.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

i was just wondering about this in the car about 10 minutes ago while listening to LC. I still have to go with dylan though, as there's so much more good stuff he's put out.

― AaronK (AaronK), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

Leonard's novels are better than Bob's one

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:42 (twenty years ago)

this is Villon vs. Verlaine, i.e., kind of a silly comparison: the styles aren't really comparable

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Thursday, 18 August 2005 11:57 (twenty years ago)

Dylan.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:09 (twenty years ago)

toughie. i know dylan better and heard him earlier. but it might be cohen anyway.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

Who is better isn't a very interesting question, but who's funnier might be.

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:29 (twenty years ago)

They're both funny but, again, I think Lou Reed is funnier

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:35 (twenty years ago)

lou reed is funny.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:37 (twenty years ago)

Unintentionally.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

in an unintentional kind of way.

xpost!

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

Yes but often intentionally funny too - well, not anymore of course

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:40 (twenty years ago)

His version of "Soul Man" is one of the most unintentionally funny things ever!

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

Ha ha! You're right there!

― Diddyismus (Dada), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:41 (twenty years ago)

Dylan easily although I'm still only a moderate fan. Dylan/Cohen/Waits/Reed all artists I generally find easier to admire than enjoy, but if I listed the tracks that I enthusiastically like by all of them at least 80% would be Dylan's.

― frankiemachine, Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:47 (twenty years ago)

Don't think I'm ever going to get old enough to 'properly appreciate' Dylan, but can easily imagine getting being bitter enough to totally get on board with Cohen.

― fandango (fandango), Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:51 (twenty years ago)

haha, yes dylan and cohen fans are old and bitter. twat.

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 12:52 (twenty years ago)

Cohen. A more consistent, infinitely more engaging worldview.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

consistency -- the key to great pop

― N_RQ, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

yeah well, i'm not imposing my opinion on anyone, i'm just stating why i like cohen more. i'll fine-tune the language: both guys are world-builders, and i like cohen's world more.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:10 (twenty years ago)

If I could drink scotch and smoke cigars full-time, Leonard Cohen would be the soundtrack to my life.

― James G. Wert, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:15 (twenty years ago)

I'll pick El Cohen, but maybe that's because I'm too familiar (sick of) Bob. Certain artists like Dylan, the Beatles, and the Stones, though they're great, I have digested in full many years ago, and never need to hear again. They're like water or flour, basic, archetypal ingredients you can find in everything else, not something you need to savour individually once you've had your fill the first time.

― 57 7th (calstars), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

Dylan easily - though I would take I'm Your Man over any '80s Dylan album.

― o. nate (onate), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:19 (twenty years ago)

Did somebody refer to Leonard Cohen as "Eeyore" upthread?

That made my day.

― PB, Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

ahah. I wasn't being entirely serious, perhaps that wasn't so obvious ;)

I still think I can probably empathise better with LC at this point, although I respect Dylan's talent with words maybe more... he just doesn't draw me in on some humane level as much.

― fandango (fandango), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:31 (twenty years ago)

Dylan by far, although I like LC...

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:35 (twenty years ago)

Cohen never made a Blonde On Blonde, but he's more consistantly great...and never fell completely off the path like Dylan did (for 20 or so years)

― Space Is the Place (Space Is the Place), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

cohen. at least he wrote two great novels and his early books of poetry mean more to me than dylan's music. plus "the songs of leonard cohen" is just about perfect.

oh yeah, i'm from montreal.

― you will be shot (you will be shot), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:39 (twenty years ago)

MOBY DICK

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:53 (twenty years ago)

TS: Love & Theft vs Ten More Songs Without Rhythm Sections.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 18 August 2005 13:56 (twenty years ago)

Neil vs. Dylan's the ultimate battle. And Neil takes it.

― lover lover lover, Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:25 (twenty years ago)

Greendale vs. Masked and Anonymous

― Outsider Enter Port City (sexyDancer), Thursday, 18 August 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

ryan adams

― JD from CDepot, Thursday, 18 August 2005 16:35 (twenty years ago)

Bob wins in any matchup you put him in.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

They're like water or flour, basic, archetypal ingredients you can find in everything else, not some'thing you need to savour individually once you've had your fill the first time.

But yumm yumm the first time you get your fill savoring flour individually.

I agree with the going with Cohen because he isn't as overly farmiliar as Dylan. Besides, Suzanne> Visions of Johanna.

― sarahdali, Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:08 (twenty years ago)

Dylan obviously waaaaay more important.

Cohen obviously waaaaay more consistent.

Not that he hasn't changed and evolved, but he hardly ever has written weak songs until very recently, in his near-dotage.

I'm always surprised to remember that Cohen's older (by about 6 years), since Lenny's musical career wouldn't be conceivable without Dylan. He probably would have stuck with print.

― carl w (carl w), Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:26 (twenty years ago)

TS: Love & Theft vs Ten More Songs Without Rhythm Sections.
-- Alfred Soto (sotoal...), August 18th, 2005

Sorry Alfred, but I'm calling you out on the "Boo hoo no rhythm section" meme. Are Dylan's "rhythm sections" always something about which you're really stoked?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:42 (twenty years ago)

that's why I mentioned those two albums specifically, Tim.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 18 August 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

i'm not sure, cohen is funnier, dylan a better songwriter

― buzza, Sunday, 5 May 2013 04:15 (thirteen years ago)

Cohen is funnier? Than the writer of Leopard Skin Pillbox Hat? My goodness.

This thread is perplexing. Blonde on Blonde itself has more great songs than Cohen's entire catalogue.

― medelman, Sunday, 5 May 2013 08:40 (thirteen years ago)

six years pass...

Perfect place to put this..

Saturday 12 October
Hallelujah - A Tribute To The Genius of Leonard Cohen.
The genius of Leonard Cohen is unquestionable. After the award winning Canadian poet turned to songwriting in the early 60's, Leonard soon wrote "Hallelujah". Bob Dylan had never before sung anyone else's song....
but, for Leonard, Bob made an exception!

Hallelujah has now been covered by over 300 recording
artists. Cohen's final tour in 2013 took him to 31 countries
selling over 4 million tickets. By now a cult figure, Leonard
was widely praised as not just a gifted poet, but a Buddhist
priest and perhaps even a prophet!

Including "So Long Marianne", "Suzanne", "The Future", "Everybody Knows".... This 8 piece tribute band is a sincere
and even sublime show, with great musicians, a chorus of
beautiful angels and of course, that golden voice.
Tickets: https://www.camberleytheatre.co.uk/events/hallelujah

― Mark G, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 07:45 (six years ago)

See, I had an issue with that bit about Bob Dylan. Basically because it's rubbish.

The theatre got back to me saying they didn't write it they got the promo from the company staging it. Which I assumed. So, they're contacting them to get a corrected version.

― Mark G, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 07:47 (six years ago)

Lol @ Dylan not singing anyone else's song until circa 1988

― Sam Weller, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 10:24 (six years ago)

They've changed it now.

All part of the service..

― Mark G, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 11:30 (six years ago)

lol @ this matchup

― Οὖτις, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 15:10 (six years ago)

and of course, that golden voice.

idgi are they going to be piping in the recordings?

― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Tuesday, 17 September 2019 15:19 (six years ago)

Does the corrected version still say he wrote hallelujah “soon after” beginning his career in the 60s?

― YouGov to see it (wins), Tuesday, 17 September 2019 15:26 (six years ago)

It lost the "soon".

― Mark G, Friday, 20 September 2019 18:11 (six years ago)

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