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HomeMusicRockFolk RockSongs of Leonard Cohen |
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Legendary debut Aug 23, 2008
The lilting poetry of Suzanne lures the listener into Cohen's world of romantic despair while introducing the essence of his sound: a deep monotone framed by sublime female backing vocals over simple but engaging melodies. Master Song, Winter Lady and Stranger Song reinforce the desolate landscape although the melodies are less immediate. Cohen's genius shines brightly on the immortal Sisters Of Mercy, a strange mixture of the spiritual and the sensual that must be one of the most beautiful musical poems in the English language.
This delicate gem is followed by the powerful and evocative So Long Marianne and the understated Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye, both masterpieces of words, melody and arrangement - the female vocals on Goodbye is especially impressive. Stories of the Street appears as a poem in one of Cohen's 1960s poetry books: Selected Poems 1956-1968 and deals with a visit to Havana during of just after the revolution. Interesting fact: The line "some girls wander by mistake" from Teachers was later used as an album title by the goth band Sisters Of Mercy: Some Girls Wander By Mistake
One Us Cannot Be Wrong addresses the beloved in a series of strange images before moving on to melodic whistling and ending with bitter shouted la la lahs. For those interested in other artists' take on Cohen: Suzanne has been beautifully covered by inter alia Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy and Geoffrey Oryema on I'm Your Fan, while Sting and the Chieftains' celtic version of Sisters Of Mercy is available on the Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen tribute album. On I'm Your Fan there are interesting interpretations of Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye by Ian McCulloch, Stories Of The Street by That Petrol Emotion and So Long Marianne by James.
They don't write songs like they used to...... Apr 29, 2008
Yeah, I know, I sound like an ole curmudgeon, well I am and am happy to be so. I was living on the island of Ibiza back in the '60's when this album arrived in Santa Eulalia on the back of a Harley. Like many of us who were fortunate enough to have been around back then and lived to tell tall tales, Leonard does not get older, just ages like fine wine. A couple of other albums that appeared in Art's Bar around that time were Nashville Skyline and The White Album. We were/are blessed to have had such music as the soundtrack to our journey. Before leaving England and setting out on the road in the early 60's the hottest band around was Georgie Fame, I was in the Flamingo the night he recorded the live album.
If you aren't familiar with his eclectic body of work, do yourself a favor and check it out, he's also older and grayer but still grooving.
Patrick Monk.RN. SF. Ca.
Broke my heart 25 years ago, & still breaking it... Mar 28, 2007
I love this work, second only to "Songs of Love and Hate". Cohen is fabulous, not only his amazing lyrics, but his ability to interpret them uniquely. Try "Winter Lady" for the coldest pain of love, and "Suzanne" for the warmest wonder of love. All of the songs on this album presage the mysticism that will haunt and inspire all of Cohen's work.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Simply arranged, beautifully performed. A Cohen masterpiece. Jan 29, 2007
I got the urge to listen to this disc today. It's been a long time since I've listened to it in its entirety. Collected here are some of Cohen's strongest songs, the ones he will be remembered for: "Suzanne," "So Long, Marianne," "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye," and "The Stranger Song." Cohen, in his world-weary way, sounds so young on these songs!
"Songs of Leonard Cohen" was my first introduction to Cohen's music. I bought a used LP at a thrift shop for fifty cents and I became hooked. Cohen's words and music are penetrating, and took root in my soul. That's how affecting some of his songs are. Simply and tastefully produced by John Simon, this album is timeless.
1 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Leonard Cohen, singer and poet Jan 16, 2007
I finally bought a cd of Mr Cohen's after reading that
Bob Seger was listening to his latest. It is excellent with
superior lyrics with great melody and presentation. He is frequently
compared to Bobby Dylan, with some truth, however his songs sometimes
have too much in common- a more diverse tempo would help- such as
from Dylan where " the times are always changing".
I think I read he is coming out with a new book of poetry,
possibly to be part of the Spoleto festival in Charleston.
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