The conflicted, majestic and mythic songwriter Leonard Cohen died last week at the age of 82, leaving behind a legion of longtime fans of many musical inclinations. That includes the perfectly mis-matched father-son duo of country legend Bobby Bare Sr. and his ace rock ’n' roller son, Bobby Bare Jr., currently rhythm guitarist for Guided by Voices.
Last December, the Bares brought an array of Cohen fans who also happen to be top-notch musicians to a session at Mark Nevers' Beech House studio, where they recorded a cover of "Tower of Song." The cut from Cohen's 1988 record I'm Your Man fixes his brooding gaze on the craft of songwriting, as opposed to the art.
"I'm just paying my rent every day / In the tower of song," he sang over a laid-back groove with hand drums and cool female vocals that is the dictionary definition of tragically hip. It's an elegant complaint about how a gift for making music can take over your life, while at the same time laughing at itself for doing so in a very Cohen-esque way.
The Bares' spin on that idea is, well, a little Nashville-ized, with a kind of Area Code 615 feel to it. Bare Sr. takes the lead vocal, atop a phaser-washed electric piano (played by Deer Tick's Rob Crowell, who also plays bass and other keyboards), acoustic guitar (William Tyler), fiddle (Lillie Mae Rische, who also sings harmony vocals with Carey Kotsionis and Bare Jr., who also plays electric guitar) and drums (Brian Kotzur).
We're very pleased to premiere the track today. Give it a spin below, and look out for Bare Jr. and his Young Criminals' Starvation League at The Basement East this Thursday, Nov. 17. The show kicks off at 8 p.m. with the gregarious songwriter Jon Latham and other guests. Tickets are $8 in advance, and $10 at the door.
