Sharon Robinson – On Tour With Leonard Cohen

Alright, let’s call this hiatus I’ve tried to take exactly what it is: bollocks. Apparently, I am unable to stay off here. I take in too much, and I’ve been posting here for too long (over 8 years) so the reflex to hop on and tell you about something is too strong to quell. I don’t know what this means to the blog – I am not commiting to a schedule nope no way, but it seems I still have the need to tell you about things. So I will, whenever it pleases me. It may be several days between posts, but so what? This is all a learning process. Hiatus schmiatus. Let’s give ‘er.

Sharon Robinson – On Tour With Leonard Cohen

At the library the other day, I happened on this collection of pictures taken by long-time Cohen collaborator Sharon Robinson. This should have lots of cool ‘inside the tour’ photos, really worth my time, right? Of course I brought it home to check it out.

I truly wish I hadn’t. Most of the photos are blurry, or of pointless subjects that seriously needn’t have been included (for e.g. airport tarmacs, hotel rooms, empty hallways). There are, of course, several selfie shots of Robinson, and her make-up bags in the bathroom mirror. What.

Plain and simple, what this is is a vanity project, a ‘look at me I know Leonard Cohen’ pile of paper waste. Sorry Sharon, just because your phone can take pictures and you have access the rest of us don’t have, does not mean you are a photographer. This book is the proof.

To be fair, there are a few good, candid shots here. But I could cull through this book and maybe (maybe!) come up with 25 good pictures worthy of publication. This book is over 200 pages long, many pages containing multiple pictures. It’s ludicrous.

On the back cover, and repeated inside on the first few pages, is a quote from Leonard: “An eye as fine as her ear.” Really, Leonard? Sorry Sharon, he’s just being sweet because Leonard is always sweet to the ladies. But if these pictures are the outcome of your “fine” eye, it doesn’t say much for your ear, either.

Boy am I ever glad I signed out a library copy and didn’t pay the $45 US/CDN cover price!

Avoid this completely.