Could a taste for Leonard Cohen songs be a sign of clinical depression?

[sandyRoe]

He's good but he's not happy clappy.

[237SJ]

An old friend of mine has always loved Leonard Cohen, even as a teenager when the rest of us were into more upbeat music. I think his songs are enough to bring on clinical depression

[lauratwentyeight]

i think it depends on the state of mind you are already in, if your feeling down then music like that is not going to help but wouldnt be the cause!

[dotty.]

Yes his earlier work is morose, Suzanne etc, but in the 1980s he was alot more upbeat, I;m Your Man being a stunning album and very clever lyrically

[Dr Wu]

Have to agree with Dotty, some of his later stuff has a wonderful dry, wry sense of humour running through it. Have a listen to the song 'Closing Time' it's warm, genuine good time music!

[MarkRae]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFBKV0zVXSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yG5e1oaen-M

[gingejbee]

As long as he's not singing them. Love Jennifer Warnes' Famous Blue Raincoat - all LC songs, I believe.

[dotty.]

I still have that CD mark, bought it way back when it came out as the soundtrack to Love at Large , good film too. the movie was 1991ish

[andy-hughes]

I find LC meloncholy rather thn depressing.

For the record, I suffer from clinical depression, and on bad days, I love extreme metal, something violent to match my dark mood.

Although my favourite, which I played in the hospital over and over on my Walkman was 'Wise Up Sucker' by Pop Will Eat Itself - perfect.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvgCGa0DGbE

[SeaJayPea]

To answer the question is quite simple. No. Music doesn't need to be 'happy clappy' to be good. Equally, that it is 'happy clappy' is no indication that it's bad, either.

The fact that Cohen has just, at the age of 75, filled stadia all over the world for much of the last two years is a tribute to the man's musical brilliance.

Just as with many other types of music, it's not to everybody's taste. Takes all sorts.

[mightyWBA]

Pop will eat itself....A great band..Stourbridge's finest ,my Sister went out with the lead singer!

Anyway as seajaypea said music is all about taste,I'm no fan of Mr Cohen but you can't argue with his record sales etc.
Some people say The Beatles were rubbish,which is a bit silly...
Beauty is in the ear of the beholder.

[Mosaic]

Only if you sit alone in the dark to listen, dressed in black.