A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music
Cover of the book A Broken Hallelujah: Rock and Roll, Redemption, and the Life of Leonard Cohen by Liel Leibovitz, W. W. Norton & Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Liel Leibovitz ISBN: 9780393244205
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Publication: April 14, 2014
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company Language: English
Author: Liel Leibovitz
ISBN: 9780393244205
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Publication: April 14, 2014
Imprint: W. W. Norton & Company
Language: English

Brings to life a passionate poet-turned-musician and what compels him and his work.

Why is it that Leonard Cohen receives the sort of reverence we reserve for a precious few living artists? Why are his songs, three or four decades after their original release, suddenly gracing the charts, blockbuster movie sound tracks, and television singing competitions? And why is it that while most of his contemporaries are either long dead or engaged in uninspired nostalgia tours, Cohen is at the peak of his powers and popularity?

These are the questions at the heart of A Broken Hallelujah, a meditation on the singer, his music, and the ideas and beliefs at its core. Granted extraordinary access to Cohen’s personal papers, Liel Leibovitz examines the intricacies of the man whose performing career began with a crippling bout of stage fright, yet who, only a few years later, tamed a rowdy crowd on the Isle of Wight, preventing further violence; the artist who had gone from a successful world tour and a movie star girlfriend to a long residency in a remote Zen retreat; and the rare spiritual seeker for whom the principles of traditional Judaism, the tenets of Zen Buddhism, and the iconography of Christianity all align. The portrait that emerges is that of an artist attuned to notions of justice, lust, longing, loneliness, and redemption, and possessing the sort of voice and vision commonly reserved only for the prophets.

More than just an account of Cohen’s life, A Broken Hallelujah is an intimate look at the artist that is as emotionally astute as it is philosophically observant. Delving into the sources and meaning of Cohen’s work, Leibovitz beautifully illuminates what Cohen is telling us and why we listen so intensely.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Brings to life a passionate poet-turned-musician and what compels him and his work.

Why is it that Leonard Cohen receives the sort of reverence we reserve for a precious few living artists? Why are his songs, three or four decades after their original release, suddenly gracing the charts, blockbuster movie sound tracks, and television singing competitions? And why is it that while most of his contemporaries are either long dead or engaged in uninspired nostalgia tours, Cohen is at the peak of his powers and popularity?

These are the questions at the heart of A Broken Hallelujah, a meditation on the singer, his music, and the ideas and beliefs at its core. Granted extraordinary access to Cohen’s personal papers, Liel Leibovitz examines the intricacies of the man whose performing career began with a crippling bout of stage fright, yet who, only a few years later, tamed a rowdy crowd on the Isle of Wight, preventing further violence; the artist who had gone from a successful world tour and a movie star girlfriend to a long residency in a remote Zen retreat; and the rare spiritual seeker for whom the principles of traditional Judaism, the tenets of Zen Buddhism, and the iconography of Christianity all align. The portrait that emerges is that of an artist attuned to notions of justice, lust, longing, loneliness, and redemption, and possessing the sort of voice and vision commonly reserved only for the prophets.

More than just an account of Cohen’s life, A Broken Hallelujah is an intimate look at the artist that is as emotionally astute as it is philosophically observant. Delving into the sources and meaning of Cohen’s work, Leibovitz beautifully illuminates what Cohen is telling us and why we listen so intensely.

More books from W. W. Norton & Company

Cover of the book A Most Dangerous Book by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book The Abyssinian Proof: A Kamil Pasha Novel (Kamil Pasha Novels) by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Straight on Till Morning: The Life of Beryl Markham by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Freud: A Life for Our Time by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book The Genogram Casebook: A Clinical Companion to Genograms: Assessment and Intervention by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Summer Lightning by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alan Turing and the Invention of the Computer (Great Discoveries) by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad (Revised Edition) by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Family Wellness Skills: Quick Assessment and Practical Interventions for the Mental Health Professional by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Stitch in Time by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Indelible Ink: The Trials of John Peter Zenger and the Birth of America's Free Press by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Mississippi: A Bicentennial History (States and the Nation) by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book The Neurobiology of Attachment-Focused Therapy: Enhancing Connection & Trust in the Treatment of Children & Adolescents (Norton Series on Interpersonal Neurobiology) by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Tremor of Intent by Liel Leibovitz
Cover of the book Freedom and Destiny by Liel Leibovitz
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy