When people talk about Leonard, they fail to mention his melodies, which to me, along with his lyrics, are his greatest genius. Even the counterpoint lines—they give a celestial character and melodic lift to every one of his songs. As far as I know, no one else comes close to this in modern music. Even the simplest song, like ‘The Law,’ which is structured on two fundamental chords, has counterpoint lines that are essential, and anybody who even thinks about doing this song and loves the lyrics would have to build around the counterpoint lines.

Bob Dylan

At a certain point, when the Jews were first commanded to raise an altar, the commandment was on unhewn stone. Apparently, the god that wanted that particular altar didn’t want slick, didn’t want smooth. He wanted an unhewn stone placed on another unhewn stone. Maybe you then go looking for stones that fit. …Now I think that Dylan has lines, hundreds of great lines, that have the feel of unhewn stone. But they really fit in there. But they’re not smoothed out. It’s inspired but not polished. That is not to say he doesn’t have lyrics of great polish. That kind of genius can manifest all the forms and all the styles.

Leonard Cohen

A few mentions of leonard cohen in this unusually forthcoming Dylan interview from 2001
if you are a dylan fan and haven’t yet heard this check out the whole interview , posted in 6 parts on you tube- funny and revealing – to a point
at 1 min and 3.30

Leonard Cohen On Bob Dylan’s Nobel Prize: “It’s like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain”

Bob Dylan, in 1961, discovered Leonard Cohen, in 1966. This was John Hammond, a patrician related to the Vanderbilts, and by far the most perceptive scout and producer in the business. He was instrumental in the first recordings of Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin, and Billie Holiday. Tipped off by friends who were following the folk scene downtown, Hammond called Cohen and asked if he would play for him.

Read more : https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/10/17/leonard-cohen-makes-it-darker

B-side of the 1977 single Memories. Backing vocals by Bob Dylan and Alan Ginsberg. This song can also be found on the (Phil Spector produced) album Death of A Ladies’ Man

It was late on the second night of recording when Bob Dylan showed up at the studio. “He comes in through the back door,” says David Kessel, “and he’s got each arm around a different woman, in his right hand he’s got a bottle of whiskey and he’s drinking it straight.” Allen Ginsberg followed close behind with his lover, the poet Peter Orlovsky. Seeing them Spector jumped up and hailed them over the studio monitor. There were so many Jews in the room they could have a bar mitzvah, he joked. Work stopped while Spector came down to socialize. There was much hugging and drinking, then, as happened to any anyone who came into Spector’s studio, the visitors were put to work.

Leonard Cohen was recording “Don’t Go Home with Your Hard-On,” a boisterous commentary on domestic bliss. Dylan, who was in the process of being divorced by his wife, Sara, seemed to have no problem entering into the spirit of the song. Ginsberg said later that “Spector was in a total tizzy, ordering everybody around, including Dylan: “Get over there! Stay off the microphone!'”

But that was the way Phil worked; he wasn’t trying to run us into the ground, he was looking for that feeling. That magic…

24 January 1977, from I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen by Sylvie Simmons.

Hard Rain (The Songs of Bob Dylan & Leonard Cohen)

Sources : https://www.leonardcohenforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=34093

https://plus.google.com/114972365014876681245/posts/Ktc9hATzVKF

See Also

75 Facts About Leonard Cohen You Might Not Know

75 Facts About Leonard Cohen You Might Not Know

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