What’s the top song of Montreal?
Pointe-à-Callière museum is running a contest asking for votes to pick the top 5 Montreal songs, ending October 7.
I’m not his biggest fan, but how you can bring together 25 songs about Montreal and leave out Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne” I do not know.
Kevin 07:28 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
I went through the list of 25, and the only songs I had heard of were Illegal, Montreal -40, and Le blues de la Metropole…
Taylor C. Noakes 09:12 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
It’s too bad it’s not the top songs to be written and recorded by Montréal bands, that would throw the door wide open.
Hmmm, blog post coming up…
I would have put Walter Rossi’s Down by the Waterfront, Harmonium’s Le premier ciel, Beau Dommage’s Tous les palmiers, Aldo Nova’s Fantasy and Frank Marino’s Dragonfly.
But that’s just me. Those songs aren’t all about Montreal (at least not directly).
Steve Quilliam 10:17 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
Even before seeing the list of 25 choices I wanted ”Je reviendrai à Montréal” and ”J’ai souvenir encore” to be there. And they were. For me these are the two, hands down. It’s just that I can’t decide which one.
As fas as ”Suzanne”, by Leonard Cohen, it is indeed an amazingly beautiful song but it isn’t about Montreal. Yes the story takes place in Montreal but it’s not about it. Just like Gino Vanelli’s ”I just want to stop”. It takes place in Montreal in a very nice way but it isn’t about Montreal. Big difference IMO !
But too bad John Labelle’s ”theme for Montreal” wasn’t in the list. I really like it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXZRgChhTCE
Clément 10:22 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
Well, you made me pull out a Leonard Cohen CD this morning.
And also look the wikipedia article about the song. You learn new stuff everyday.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_(Leonard_Cohen_song)
Kate 10:30 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
Steve Q: I submit that “the sun pours down like honey on Our Lady of the Harbour” makes the song about Montreal.
Kevin: how could you have missed that Ariane Moffatt song? It has a catchy riff and an excellent video.
Steve Quilliam 12:09 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
@ Kate: I understand all the references about Montreal and they are beautiful. But do you think it is obvious to just anyone ? If I send this song to my friends in New York or elsewhere in the world, will they know that it is about Montreal ?
Kate 12:40 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
Steve, anyone who cares enough about Cohen to know where he comes from will know. Unless you feel the song must definitely namecheck the city, I think it should’ve been on the list, but I’m not about to make a federal case out of it.
steph 14:19 on 2012/09/25 Permalink
Just look at their list and consider how many song titles are “Montreal” to get a bearing on how obvious they wanted the choices to be. :shrug:
Kevin 07:15 on 2012/09/26 Permalink
@Kate Cuz I never listen to the radio?
@Steve Q I have a copy of that song! Used to hang out with John in the ’90s, seen him perform at least a dozen times.
Steve Quilliam 09:23 on 2012/09/26 Permalink
@Kevin Oh great ! Was he performing that song in the 90′s or it’s more recent ? I wish the song would be more popular especially around the Jazz fest. If it we’re me I would have a woman doing a french version and I would constantly play both versions all the time during the jazz fest. I would want every local and tourist to leave with that song in their head. It’s easy, it’s catchy and it’s jazzy…
Kate 01:06 on 2012/09/27 Permalink
Kevin, I never listen to radio either, but that song was mentioned in a lot of places a couple of years ago.
Kevin 12:07 on 2012/09/27 Permalink
@Steve
John wrote in in the 90s and I have it on a CD somewhere.
It’s not my favourite tune by him. It’s a song I *want* to like, but I think he was trying too hard.