Arts & Entertainment
Reliving 1970, Cohn Style
Songwriter Marc Cohn sings his favorites at the Ridgefield Playhouse on July 24.
If you think about the year 1970, chances are you're remembering the big social events. Maybe the first Earth Day or the tragic shootings at Kent State.
Marc Cohn's memories are a bit more musical, a little more personal. He thinks about that dramatic year as one in which he first heard some of his favorite albums. Classic records by Simon And Garfunkel, Badfinger and The Grateful Dead. Certain songs from these discs stayed with Cohn, who has now put them on his new record, Listening Booth 1970, which was released on July 20.
The singer/songwriter will be bringing some of these well-crafted gems, as well as his own carefully-etched folk-pop poems to the Ridgefield Playhouse on Saturday.
"The album began when (producer) John Leventhal and I started looking at our favorite songs from that year," says the husky-voiced Cohn, best known for his radio evergreen "Walking In Memphis."
"He and I share similar tastes in music, so our initial choices were pretty much the same. We first though I should cover something from Neil Young's After The Gold Rush. But after trying a couple, I thought, 'These songs have already been done to perfection.' However, the basic conceptual idea still seemed like a good one," Cohn said.
So, instead of going after definitive versions of legendary songs, Cohn aimed for the more esoteric or less-heard material from that year. Not to mention, as Cohn points out, the occasional "silly" love song. Some of these tunes are genuinely fine, like Paul Simon's "Only Living Boy In New York," and Badfinger's "No Matter What." Representing the silly side? Bread's gorgeous, if goofy, "Make It With You."
"That was one of the more challenging ones," says Cohn. "It's a lovely melody, like all of Bread's stuff but, poetically, it's not as deep as, say, Van Morrison. I didn't want to make my version too serious, because the song really isn't built for it."
For fans who know Cohn's stark and serious songs, this collection of covers will come as an endearing surprise. With Leventhal playing all the instruments, sans drums ("it was such a relief to just sing" says Cohn) the singer/songwriter gives these '70s songs lovely and unfussy new readings.
A real highlight is the Paul Simon song, written in anticipation of his break-up with Garfunkel. Disregarding the choir of background vocals on the original, Cohn sings 'Only Living Boy' in a hip, growly way, almost tossing off the lyrics. Try to imagine Tom Waits with better diction and a voice not ripped to rags, and you've got some idea.
Generally speaking, despite the melancholy outlook of his best songs, Cohn betrays a newfound optimism—not just for his music, but for his life. This is due, at least in part, to the attempted carjacking he survived in Colorado in 2005. During this scary event, a bullet struck Cohn in the temple but miraculously did not penetrate his skull. When asked if the incident has had a lasting effect, the songwriter is quick to answer in the affirmative.
"I certainly wouldn't recommend it to anyone," says Cohn, chuckling. "But the shooting incident first seemed devastating, but then became a very liberating thing for me. After the shock wore off, I felt a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude about everything I have. Certainly for my family (Cohn has two children with his wife, ABC News correspondent Elizabeth Vargas, and two from a previous marriage), but also for my career."
He says that he made a commitment to be on the road more in the wake of his great second chance.
"I really feel an obligation now, to play for the people who've supported me since my debut in 1991," Cohn said. "This is a great job I have. And since the shooting, that's become vividly clear. And you know something? I don't ever want to forget that."
Cohn will be appearing at The Ridgefield Playhouse on July 24. Tickets are $55 for Orchestra Seats, $50 for Mezzanine seats. There are a limited number of Golden Circle Seats for $76. Call 203-438-5795 for more information. Cohn's album, "Listening Booth 1970," hits stores and Starbucks on July 20.
