Reviews (page 12 of 13)
I'm just not a fan of his voice. appreciate some of the lyrics telling a story, others just seem like rambles.
Phenomenal songwriter, but this was boring.
I’ve always heard what a great songwriter Cohen is….not seeing it. Too much the same within the songs. Too much the same from song to song. Suzanne and Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye musically just seemed like theme and variations. His guitar playing style was also always the same…monotonous. Not as bad as Dylan, but similar with his too long of a song with too many words and not enough musical variety.
This monotone and creepy album did not make my ears happy.
Depressing
Not terrible, maybe a couple of songs that I liked. Probably wouldn't listen to it again, it's just not my type of music.
Пердед за пердедом. Ну окей, слушаем дальше звуки старины... Опять гитара. Опять под гитару поёт слегка грустный но всё равно сильный мужчина. Что я должен думать про эту музыку? конечно же её основная сила в текстах, но я не native english speaker, это не мой first language, потому я могу выхватывать некоторые слова и общее настроение. Леонарт Коэн поёт про любовь и надежду. Ну... хорошо? честно сказать, если Ник Дрейк мне нравился голосом и настроением, то к Леонарду Коэну у меня не особо много чувств возникает )
I understand who he is, and what he is to the music world. But I can't stand his monotone droning for a 4minute song let alone 41minutes.
This just isn't for me. Did his family own the record company back then?
Not a big fan of 196”’s folk music.
Slow
Leonard Cohen is a fantastic storyteller but damn do these tracks just sound so ... boring? Lifeless? Just feels like his not really doing them justice.
nah, that was mid at best
I feel like I would have fucked with this if I was alive in the 60s but it's just kinda boring to me now.
Favourite song - Master song
Sorry but cannot sing for shit tbh; appreciate the unique poetic lyricism tho
As someone who admittedly doesn't listen to a lot of lyrics, these songs aren't for me for that reason. They are very lyric dependent with some light music going on in the background. The lyrics might very well be good (although they seemed corny at times) and reminded me of Bob Dylan/Paul Simon in places. Just not an album for me. Also- album cover looks like Al Pacino...is Leonard actually Al Pacino? 5/10 (2.5/5)
Was all of the place on this one. Starting thinking "well, I can see why people thought he had promise" then some songs in the middle I was pretty blah on, the a couple towards the end turned me back around. Sounds like a 2.5 to me
I can see why people like Leonard Cohen but I, unfortunately, do not. I can appreciate the poetic lyrics from an intellectual standpoint but the music doesn't groove, it just kind of plods along behind the lyrics. It feels more like I'm listening to spoken word poetry over a guitar backtrack on loop than listening to a song. It makes it so every time a new instrument joins the fray, or backup singers, I'm so excited to hear them I stop paying attention to the lyrics, and then I tune back in to the lyrics and I don't know what the hell Leonard is singing about.
Simon and Garfunkel in sleeping pills
One song, I could cope with. Suzanne or So Long, Marianne in particular. A whole album? No thanks. Five whole albums? Hell no. I get people think Cohen's a genius and I understand why one or two albums might be on the list, but I might skip the next four because I really don't like this enough to bother with. So Long, Marianne saved this from 1 star. Just.
#126. God damn, but that was boring. The whole thing. Every song. Just sheer boredom. And why does the album cover look like a movie poster of a biopic where Adam Sandler is playing Al Pacino? 2/5: yawn
I’m just not a fan of cohen, the half sung half spoken lyrics are not it. The writing is there but it’s just so mellow and boring
I like the accompaniment and I appreciate Cohen's place in folk, but I have a hard time getting with this. Very little to latch onto. Probably better in the day, esp. for Canadians. Not something I'd return to. 2.9
It's like Bob Dylan but with an adequate singer. I'm not much of a lyric man, so singer-songwriters don't draw me in unless the music is compelling. Apart from 'So Long Marianne' there wasn't much that made me want to sing along, and I prefer the version by The Straitjacket Fits anyway. It's mostly just Leonard strumming a guitar and crooning and I forgot it was playing most of the time. But bugger me, the last 20 seconds of this album would scare sleeping babies.
Folksy in that Bob Dillon style of folk. Interesting songs, solid music, all sung in a similar cadence and tone though. Nothing really struck me on this one, aside from being good vibe music for an early morning on a rainy day. 2/5 sad guitars.
More like Leonard NOhen
Cohen’s songwriting skills are overshadowed by how boring and forgettable all thr songs are.
Not really my thing ...
Not really my kind of music, but I can understand why someone likes stuff like this
I hate Leonard Cohen, boring AF
I was hopeful. I don't really know Leonard Cohen's music, but I've looked what I've heard. This was not that good. Too much sounded strangely like the same song.
A gothic adventure to the inner working of cohen's mind
Not my thing...
Tää levy kuulosti siltä että sama biisi ois soinut vähän eri lyriikoilla. No ei ihan mutta melkein. Sinänsä pidin joistain, mutta kuulostaa Cohenin harjoittelulta tulevaa varten. Siinä mielessä siis merkityksellinen ja kokonaisuutena ihan onnistunut levy, mutta aika tylsä (ja dylanmainen). Melkein 3 mutta inan vajaa.
Ihan ok biisejä. Sääli että niitä on noin kolme. Sanojen kielikuvallinen absurdius ei jaksa kiinnostaa.
Did not like at all
Blind album and artist. Snore. Is it just me or does he look like he could be a younger Epstein? Look at the akbum cover for Various Positions. Maybe I need to get off the internet for a while.
Even though he’s never been my favorite artist, I certainly get the appeal of Leonard Cohen. This was a decent album.
Not a fan of the genre, songs felt too similar
Pleasant voice, sometimes interesting lyrics, but so, oh so boring. Endless droning with generic sad guitar background. So Long, Marianne is a refreshing break.
Sammlung entspannter Gitarrenmusik, gut aber wenig Abwechslung.
Respect the writing on this and the hauntingly gentle guitar but this album is just too slow and melancholy for me. Definitely a hell of a songwriter lyrically but this is just a bit on the boring side for me. Really impressive album for the time that it came out at though.
Eh. Whatever.
Not my cup of tea lol
Drab and dreary. Two decent songs: Suzanne So Long, Marianne
Just not my thing
I don’t like Leonard Cohen at all but at least I made it all the way through this one. That’s about all that can say.
Fine but too slow
Clearly a well crafted set of songs - but you'd really have to be in the mood for some serious reflection to enjoy....
I understand what's good about it, but I was not in the mood. I very rarely am. Doesn't help that it's very samey.
Could not get into it. The lyrics are probably super -interesting if I listen close enough. But it did not grab me. Others have done the stripped down guitar-singer-songwriter thing better, but he was one of the first? I prefer Dylan or Springsteen.
Okay. Sad folk that doesn't do it for me. Lyrics are corny. Would be more into it if he leaned into the bluegrass feel of So Long, Marianne more. The screaming at the end of One of Us Cannot Be Wrong pretty much sums up how I feel about this album.
Great album if you want to fall asleep or take your life. ;) But great guitarplaying.
This dude creepy as hell
It’s not for me. So long, Marianna was kind of nice, but no. Too dull. 2/5
Nope
Not my thing particularly.
Never got sucked in. 2/5
not this guy again. i am just not a fan
Nothing really hit me. It was fine, but not exciting or particularly interesting to me, personally.
People love Leonard Cohen. I respect that but this was just not my thing, and I love classic folk music. His lyrics are beautiful but I found this album fairly dull and uninteresting, musically.
Just voice & guitar, love it. Texts are a bit melodramatic. not my style
I see why some might like it but was not my favorite.
The lyrics were the only thing holding this album up. Overall it felt like a man unenthusiastically reading stories.
A collection of very good songs no doubt, but thankfully albums after this starting telling more coherent sonic stories.
Meh a little too moody for me
Het deed me bitter weinig.
Clearly amazing songwriter, but not really my style of performing
I have literally no idea what to expect listening to this. Nice enough vocals but to me this is kind of boring
A story teller first, this wasn't my cup of tea
The Songs of Leonard Cohen are one of life's most important works of art. The first time I listened to this record was the first time I ever felt love. It nurtured me and made me feel safe and happy. I've never questioned why. It's just something organic. Thank you Leonard. I'll do a little wank to the thought of you this evening.
Not really my cup o’ tea. The spoken word aspect was mostly what I’m not into. If Mr Cohen’s tunes came up in a shuffle with the rest of my library, I wouldn’t skip it but I didn’t really enjoy the whole album in a sitting.
The opening track of this album almost lulled me to sleep. The strings and organs on Master Song hint at a more engaging sound but then just fade back away. So many of these songs feel like lullabies. The Stranger Song has such gentle guitar picking and Leo's soft voice barely getting above a whisper. Aside from the accompanying instruments and the occasional guest voice, these songs kind of blend together. The lyrics are poetic and emotionally complex, but Leonard's voice is taking me out of the beauty.
Soft religious metaphors for days.
This might be one of the most boring albums I've ever heard in my life. Leonard Cohen just drones on while he plays minimalistic nothing on his guitar which the mix burries in the background to the point you can barely hear it. A couple songs kind of up the tempo but even they do who cares? This album is a snoozer.
Mellow, chill singer / songwriter guitar music. Nothing I recognized. 2.5 stars
Not particularly my cup of tea
Not really my style, old-fashioned slow music
When Suzanne started, all I could think was I hope this picks up because Mr. Cohen is going to put me to sleep. From the gentle guitar strumming to Leonard’s monotone voice, this is very mellow music. And that’s pretty much the entire album. It feels like I went to a poetry reading that was accompanied by someone playing acoustic guitar. So Long Marianne gave us some background vocals to contrast with Leonard’s monotone, so that was a somewhat upbeat break. In all, not bad if you want something mellow to listen to. I often enjoy mellow music. However, these songs start sounding very similar. Some of the guitar strumming is quicker on some of the tracks, but for the most part, this entire album is Mr. Cohen speak-singing poetic stories over quiet, peaceful guitar.
boringggggg
Far too melancholy for my liking. Songs well written and composed, but not feeling the mood with this album.
Liked the instrumentation, but I just don't like his voice, I put him in the same basket as Bob Dylan, more droning than the US Military. Didn't save any for a playlist.
Nice to see that Leonard Cohen's style didn't change throughout the years. Once a contemporary artist, always a contemporary artist. Is debut album definitely set the tone for his entire career, however with this album I can see why people may have liked this album. His voice is markedly different as well, it hasn't yet taken on that gravelly tone that he became well known for, which to be honest I think I prefer the voice on this album. Best: Suzanne Worst: One of Us Cannot Be Wrong
Just too boring for me to appreciate any kind of musical genius that might be happening here. 2.5 stars
Apart from the legendary track "Suzanne", this is an album for fans of Leonard Cohen. I never understood why he was so popular because he sounded so depressing - it must have been a 1960's thing.
I still don't really know what to make of the near monotone quality to Cohen's voice. There's something fitting about it, like it's the final piece of the puzzle that comprises this album of slow, pared down instrumentals, and lyricism that's sometimes dour and referential to religious text. It is fucking hypnotic and I genuinely don't know *why*. But hypnotic isn't exactly synonymous with pleasurable, and fascination isn't the same as love. Suzanne is a stellar opener, but Master Song drags and drags. Moving on to Winter Lady and, yeah, I really do think his voice is the problem that's holding me back. It's like, I'm hearing what you're laying down, but am I listening? I dunno, I just keep thinking that this would be better off as a poetry collection than a musical album! It's something I can't shake the feeling of, even halfway through. A lot of these songs have moments I like, but the full picture is quite lacking. In the latter half of the album, So Long, Marianne is the only real standout. The length of the album is the main thing keeping this score from going any lower tbh. It comes close to dragging at times, but not so close that it is impossible for me to say "well, this wasn't for me, but at least it was something different!"
Not a fan. A bit depressing
Strange music. Don’t know if I like it or not. Storytelling/lyrics is good, but just weird to listen to. Probably wouldn’t choose this to listen to.
Идеально на фон. Настолько, что вообще нечего выделить :(
Please no more Leonard cohen
My God this is a boring record. 40 minutes felt like 4 hours. I think it's because of Leonard Cohen's delivery of "spoken word" music. I feel if you are going to be a vocalist, you should do two things: 1) be excited to perform, and 2) fucking SING!! Cohen sounds almost bored to be performing, which leads to a super boring album. Cohen sounds like a Dollarama brand of Bob Dylan, and (on the album cover) looks like an unimpressed Adam Sandler. Even in his photo shoots, Leonard looks bored and unimpressed. The musical accompaniment is super minimal (almost non-existent), which doesn't help the nature of this record. Overall, not great. Lyrics made no sense, and Leonard sounded like he didn't want to be there. This music would be the type of irritating drivel enjoyed by hipsters in artsy coffee shops. Certainly not my type of music at all. I like folk, but I also like it to be delivered in a way that is less boring. This was 40 minutes of waiting for something to happen, and nothing did. Favourite songs: Suzanne, I guess? Not great, but less annoying than the rest of the record. Least favourite songs: One of Us Cannot Be Wrong (what's with the random moaning at the end of the song? Sounds like someone inhaled a kazoo and is trying to free it from their windpipe), "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" and others... I was so bored, I zoned out several times, so I don't know their names, and I'm not relistening to find out. 2/5
Not for me
I've been stuck on this one a while, time to finally bite the bullet and review it so I can un-pause! I understand why people like Leonard Coen, but this album does very little for me. The first song is a strong start, but after that it just becomes a dull slog; so many repetitive and dreary melodies. "So Long, Marianne" has to be one of my least favourite, the halting melody in the chorus makes me grimace, even though it is quite catchy. His singing really leaves a lot to be desired too. Although there are some nice guitar parts in places. I know he is supposed to be renowned for his lyrics primarily, but I find it hard to sit down and unwrap them from such a boring package. I'd much rather read them in a poetry book than listen to this album again. I do like Bob Dylan, which makes me feel a bit hypocritical, but at least Dylan has a bit of variation throughout his albums, and is a quite good songwriter musically to boot. In addition to being a great lyricist!
2/5 Best: Suzanne Worst: Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
Disappointing. Not as good as I'm Your Man
Like a poor man's Bob Dylan. More spoken word poetry over a guitar than anything else.
Don’t listen to this album if you are drowsy, or before a strong cup of coffee. His voice is like a bedtime story. 2.8/5
Divisive genius performs the occasional pearl. Suzanne is a five star song, but Stories of the Street is not.
I appreciate the poetry, and I like the vocals. I’m into the dark vibes. But usually I need it paired with upbeat Production. Or at least more production than this. Very subdued/minimal which is fine, just need to be in the mood for it.
Not my style, kinda all sounds the same throughout but meaningful work.
Sobre tones, influenced by Spanish guitar.
Ok but very simple and kinda draggy.
I didn’t care for this but I see why people like it. I didn’t listen too closely to the lyrics but he sounds like a good poet. Dylan definitely influenced him
Please no more of him.
I didn’t particularly like this one. To me Leonard Cohen always just devolves more into a poetry reading rather than music. The backing music can often be completely forgettable. I was most intrigued by Suzanne, but more because I had heard Tales of Brave Ulysses by Cream previously and that song rips the music from Suzanne and some of the themes. Otherwise I don’t really like it.
My first reaction was fuck no, not you again Leonard. And by the end of it I thought thank fuck. Sorry Leonard you just do not do it for me
It's not bad, but the songs on this album all sound mostly the same and they have a bit of an easy-listening / adult contemporary sound. You may love Leonard, but what I just said isn't wrong.
One thing I'm learning about myself doing this project. The Singer-Songwriter genre is not my thing.
A poor man’s Paul Simon.
I enjoyed maybe 3 out of 10 songs. I'm just not into the droning storyteller vibe. If this was a book of poetry it'd be fine, but no, he had to pick up a guitar.
Pretty enjoyable, I like Leonard Cohen. I like his older sounding voice better than the younger version, but let's face it it's still Leonard Cohen.
Love the songs. Not so much the performance.
To me most of the songs feel like they are poems with random music behind them. The music seems disassociated from the lyrics. I liked the first and last songs though.
2.5 - some amazing lyrics here, probably a friday night album with wine...
Enjoyed some of the guitar playing, but overall not really my style so hard to judge. Not worth really keeping any
If you're a fan of Dylan and appreciate folksy music accented with heart-felt songwriting and imagery you'll also love this. Thing is though, I hate Dylan and I also don't like Cohen. He's another of those polarizing artists, you either love him or hate him. Someone here also wrote that if you find Dylan too exciting, then Cohen is for you... which I found hilarious. His lyrics may be good, but he's the Dark Prince of Gloom and his maudlin, gloomy voice throughout just makes me want to slice open my veins now.
No strong feelings.
I don't think this is really my thing, but I might try it again down the road and we'll see.
Overall too ...monotonous for me. It's got a lot of fast paced finger picking with really mellow singing that feels a little exhausting. The lyrics are all written in what feels like a fantasy setting which can be fun, but can make things hard to follow/comprehend. For example, there's a line from "So Long, Marianne" that goes, "We met when we were almost young". Does that mean they were, infants? Toddlers? Does it have some deeper definition that actually means they were just AFTER being young? (just turned 18 or something along those lines) It's not until the middle of the record with songs like "So Long, Marianne" and "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye" that we get into stuff that has more of an arrangement to it. The album then goes back to fewer instrumental landscapes. The album rounds out with a whistle solo accompanied by a vocal tracks that feel like their wandering around due to the panning. They also become more and more, intense before the song finally closes. Feels like something Bob Dylan would have made if he was obsessed with The Hobbit. Ultimately not my jam.
Suicide music on a grey Monday morning. Just what I need.
If you’re happy and you know it go elsewhere.
you can really hear the beard
Not for me
Meh...not my bag. Good lyricist, but the music doesn't do it for me.
This was just so....boring
Ihan kaunista, mutta levyllisenä kovin pitkäveteistä vaikka kuuntelin kahdessa osassa. Varmasti aika ja paikka tällekin muttei nyt lähtenyt lentoon.
Ei iskeny. Jaaritteluna jäi mieleen
That's 3 Leonard Cohen albums I've listened to thanks to this list. Hopefully that's enough... 1 extra star for "So Long, Marianne" - when he's not being so bloody morose, he's not a bad vocalist...
Everything except for So Long, Marianne was pretty dreadful
A little Simon and Garfunkel, a little bit of The Bee-Gees, too. I bet Elliott Smith was really into this record. The music is OK and the vocal performance is a lot better than I was expecting. I don't take too much away from the lyrics at all. In summary, I regard this record in the way I take that one cottage-core Taylor Swift album.
Not my cup of tea. Some of it got better though
Oh gawd, not an album to listen to if you’ve got the January blues.
This is not for me. All the same tunes for the most part and endless verses. Positives: I did Suzzane and Marianne. The production value is really good.
Album important pour l'artiste. Personnellement, je suis plus musique que textes dans un album, donc côté musique, c'est correct, mais sans plus. Donc pas un album auquel je reviendrais, mais je ne passerais pas dans une playlist.
A little bit monotonous
Wow I can’t believe how different his voice sounds from the other record. I like You Want it Darker better. The lyrics are somewhat interesting but I wasn’t really excited about anything else on this record.
I didn’t like this nearly as much as You Want It Darker. Kinda had a bob Dylan vibe for different parts.
Álbum debut de Leonard Cohen, el cuál debutaba en el mundo de la música viniendo desde la literatura. Habiendo publicado dos novelas y cuatro libros de poemas cuando salió este álbum, se nota claramente el sello literario en cada una de sus canciones. Contando historias, y centrando la mayoría de la producción en su voz y el relato de las letras. La instrumentación, centrada en el folk, da más que nada un ambiente para el relato. Y cumple con su objetivo, que al no ser un objetivo muy ambicioso, podría haber sumado algo más a la mezcla sin la necesidad de opacar el centro, que es sin dudas, lo gran letrista que es Cohen. Suena medio vacío por momentos, y si no se le centra su total atención al contenido lírico, termina siendo algo aburrido y lento.
it’s just not for me
Could do without the religious imagery
Lyrically intereting although uses the word lover too much and his scanning was weird. His singing was like listening to gravel in a washing machine and the music was like just awful.
While the lyrics are poignant, I can’t get into the music. Great storyteller, but not a musician I can appreciate
Nije nešto što mi se pretjerano sviđa, uredu je, tekstovi nekih pjesama mi se sviđaju, neki manje,a neki su mi jako čudni i nisu moj ukus. Lijepa melodija ali nije nešto što bi inače slušala i malo me dosađuje...inače volim ovaku glazbu ali ovo ne jednostavno......cant get into it
Who doesn't know Leonard Cohen and hundreds of covers of his most famous song - Hallelujah. Beautiful, deep voice and such a melancholic and momentous melody. But I've never done any deeper dig into the discography of Cohen. For me he was an artist of two songs (Dance Till the End of Love being the other). This was my first opportunity to listen to his debut album "Songs Of Leonard Cohen". My first impression was that I couldn't even recognise his voice. At the time the album was released he was 33 years old, he got most famous at 50 and the difference in voice is very noticeable. In my opinion he sounds much more mature, with a more prominent hoarseness and in general his voice transmits more emotions. Leonard in his thirties sounds more like a Canadian version of Bob Dylan, but not as interesting. The musical layer is also very thin - usually there is only few notes of acoustic guitar for accompaniment. There are certain songs, with more instruments and small choirs, where Cohen sounds much better, and the listening is more pleasant. For example "Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye". Unfortunately, that is not enough to convince me of this album greatness. I prefer the older Cohen and probably won't come back to this album.
Songs of Leonard Cohen is simple, fairly elegant and understated, and accomplished. A bit dull, sure, and that limits it to 2/5, but it's respectable for sure.
Didn't dislike it, but a bit too monotone and downbeat for me to choose it
Never heard of him until now, no prior conceived opinions, although I wasn't surprised to find it being a folk album. As a first folk album, it was entertaining. I really enjoyed the lyrical content (wikipedia says Cohen was known as a poet before ever thinking of music). The music itself was entertaining, there were a couple that stand out more than others. Good mix of slower and up-tempo songs. For my first folk album, I liked it pretty well, but I don't think I'll be listening to it again.
One good song, but the rest did not age well and is very repetitive.
More average music that's not my thing
okay. don't ever see myself reaching for this album again.
Wasn't a fan of this until the very last 30 seconds of the very last song. He really went all out there.
I liked it less and less with each song as they all sounded the same. If I was more into poetry and just viewed it as a version of that, perhaps would like it more. Really negatively effected my mood for the day with its energy.
Look, he's a great songwriter and I know he was a perfectionist. But dammit I cannot get into an entire album of Cohen performing his stuff. I felt like I had taken an entire bottle of barbiturates and I started slipping into the void. Nope.
Welp, that was depressing... and I kinda liked it... sometimes?
Boring Lenny album
The most tuneful I've ever heard Cohen be, but just boring overall
2 si no es que 1
Just like the previous Leonard Cohen albums I've listened to so far on this: Just not a fan of folk music in general and find it and this album boring. Can appreciate his work, but not for me. 4/10.
Va ganske kjedelig
very calming
Some of the guitar is ok but most of the album is a bunch of rambling. Wasn't too impressed with this one.
Meh
Major mistake to call your debut album “Songs of [your name].” Because your next album is, theoretically, going to be songs of [your name] as well. But nearly all Leonard Cohen songs, these included, bore me too much to appreciate his writing.
Leonard Cohen’s voice is the worst thing in entertainment…uninteresting. His vocals are bland…boring…and I can’t get past it. So Long, Marianne was the standout song on the album for me. After two albums and knowing there are three more coming, I’m beginning to wonder if I need to call bullshit on the 1001 list because Leonard Cohen should not be on it. One album I can understand, but 5 (!) means there is a deep flaw here.
I probably should like Leonard Cohen... I can't quite work out why I don't. Musically it's all a bit dull and I don't think I have enough time in my life these days to sit and listen to the lyrics in depth
Listened to on 2/20/21 2.5/5 Favorite song: Suzanne This album was the epitome of storytelling background music - kinda odd and very sad but still beautiful
2/20/22 I don’t like his talk singy vibe. His songs are just kinda slow and depressing. Not for me, but not total hate.
Just listen to a greatest hits compilation and get through the funeral dirge vibes all at once, listening to his whole catalogue is just cruel and unusual punishment, some folks are singer song writers , Leonard can write.
Not impressed
Pretty boring.
Hated the style of music and the repetitive monotone sound of each song. Added an extra star for the lyrics though.
vrode norm no odnoobrazno
Nice album. Too professional to overlook its flaws, though.
2/5 - Fell asleep during the listen. Not really for me
Not saying it's bad, it's just boring.
Just abit repetitive and meh really
I didn't really enjoy this album.
Overall: Decent folk album Relisten? No
Kinda boring
I only want to hear Leonard Cohen songs when they're Soundtracking a western starring Warren Beatty and Julie Christie, and even then I'm secretly wishing it was Cat Stevens scoring scenes of Beatty and Christie eluding bounty hunters. What I'm trying to say is I prefer McCabe & Mrs. Miller over Harold & Maude, and I'll take the whimsical Cat Stevens over Cohen and his minimalist poetry anytime. I do enjoy Judy Collins' version of "Suzanne", but that cover isn't on this album now, is it?
A bit Monotone
Not for me
I did not dig it
I know it's Cohen's schtick, but it was a bit boring for me.
booooring
Not interesting.
Not all poetry benefits from being set to music; the words get lost here amidst samey melodies and finger-picking. I struggled to pay attention.
Slow folk music is not really my speed. This was OK, but nothing ever grabbed me enough to listen to it again. 2
a bit repetitive
No es mi tipo de música aunque Suzanne (1) mola. Tendré que leerme las letras para entender a lo mejor. BT: Suzanne (1)
Like his other albums, songwriting is impressive, but it's just a little boring and longwinded. Not anything I look forward to returning to
Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Master Song Cutting Edge: None Overall Notes: Sometimes I feel stupid for not liking Leonard Cohen cus he's so beloved and acclaimed. Then I'll put on one of his albums and remember that music is subjective and his 'music' is subjectively a two pack of ass. Good lyrics do not a good album make. At least there's some life to this one.
Too folky for me
Not really my thing
This is not the album to listen too when you've just had your second covid jab, you're heading to work feeling awful, and you need a pick-me-up. Inspite of that, its fine, it's Leonard Cohen doing his stuff....2.5
An unenthusiastic bard
-Kind of cool acoustic riff in "The Stranger Song" -ok the fact that Leonard Cohen wrote "Hallelujah" makes this album so much worse -Its basically just guitar and Cohen reciting poetry kind of singing for the entire album -there is like no change of emotion across the entire album -this would be a 3 for a lot of other artists, but it was so boring and Cohen was capable of so much better
Chill, calm old rockish
Boring
Sounded like Lou Reed. Some interesting songs but pretty samey.
Pleasant and nice lyrics, but really boring
I don't know what to do with Leonard. He's a clever writer, but I never quite feel like I need more of his music. Some of the backing vocals cement this album into a earlier time, and this album has a number of strange songs to women. "So Long, Marianne" and "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" came closest to being a potential repeat listen. This album took some work to get through. I don't feel like rounding up --> 2 stars
it was ok. not into this kind of songwriting.
4/10 It was alright for me, all songs kind of sounded the same, might have to listen again, wasn’t paying much attention while listening through Favs: None
слишком спокойно и однотонно
Some interesting vocal progressions, but I am just not a huge fan of Cohen's voice
I mean, it is LITERALLY one song! Again, I've tried Leonard Cohen before - not for me I think.
A bit mournful
Some moments of greatness but overall a tough listen
Dated; presentations like that don't cut it anymore. Cohen's later albums are way better, IMO, even if they didn't achieve the same cult status.
muy pajero I guess, primera impresión no tan wena pero podría gustarme con más escuchas
Music and voice alone are not enough to keep me around to listen to the lyrics. Has to do more for me to stick around for long
No thank you Leonard. I didn't like the singing or the music, and I feel like it's bs that he's on this list tbh.
5
Ouin je ne suis pas un gars de texte ça par mal, l’ambiance et la guitare est là mais ....
It's really different than I expected it to be.
Not my bag
2.5. some are good background, some are annoying.
I love the later work of Leonard Cohen, at least the handful of songs I'm familiar with. I don't love this so much though - the songs are vaguely creepy. 2 stars.
No
Not my jam. The songs were very similar, best one was So Long, Marianne but i didn’t listen to the whole thing
Really like his voice, not so much the music.
Not my style...
Not a huge folk fan I guess
Leonard Slowhen.
Not my steez but i liked it better than old man Cohen
High two
I've never actually heard this guy outside that annoying song Jeff Buckley covered. Aaaand it's American 60s folk rock, hoorah. I was expecting he'd be able to at least sing but he can't. It's so fucking amateur! I guess the lyrics are what sucks all the wannabe hippies in. Also, for 40min album this goes for a fucking AGE. Legend status denied. 2/5.
Сара спремала челик Марко 1,5
it's songs alright
Respectfully, I did not enjoy this at all. It's almost laughable how much I disliked it. It's just not for me and that's okay.
Boring
very unenjoyable for me. every song sounds the same and they are hardly musical at all.
You know that scene from Animal House where Belushi destroys the guitar? That's what I think about. Just seems pretentious.
Starting to realize I’m just not a Leonard Cohen guy lol
1/2
No real songs but mostly just a guitar riff dragged on for an excruciatingly long time with monotonous low-energy "vocals" on top of it.
Boring but Suzanne and winter lady like winter woman is raye song names maybe she got inspiration
Pretentious rubbish
favs: hey, that’s no way to say goodbye rating 0.5/5
BOOOO GET OFF THE STAGE
I've tried but it's just so far away from the music I like to listen to. I find it unbelievably boring, sorry Leonard.
2/10 I gave it a fair shot but this ain't my cup o' tea.
Want to do 1.5 cause I didn’t mind it, but it was putting me to sleep at work and isn’t my favorite genre of music.
Slow, boring annoying
Overrated artist. I hate his voice and his slow monotonous songs.
Guy looked like Al Pacino
i tried hard to get myself to focus on the lyrics so i could at least give this a 2 but it's so hard when the performance is this monotonous and devoid of emotion. the greatest lyricist in the world couldn't get me to care about his music when it sounds like the audio version of stale bread crusts fave track: so long, marianne
Ties with Simon & Garfunkel as the worst album so far. So corny.
I listened to most of it. Not something I would ever run out and buy. Had to listen to some Rolling Stones to get me moving again.
....
Boring ahh album, bro just spoke over a melody. First rap album? Also how many bihhhs did this guy have?? About 40 songs about different women
Breaks the cardinal sin of "music shouldn't be boring" One guy only singing two notes with a guitar
25 - Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen - Rating = 1 Folky, soft vocals with some “oooh” soft backing… this is Americana folk, 60’s jangle… um… I’m not getting more than 30 seconds into any of these songs… slow, folk, ramble… The two starred songs are just boring… no.
I have no idea why people like this crap. He sounds like a traveling minstrel. So f-ing boring.
Apparently, folk is a genre I don't like. Why does it always sound like drunken men waxing poetic about nothing?
Replay nope
Did not enjoy it
What’s up with the hard-ons for Leonard? Second album in one week. He’s not terrible, but it’s just not interesting. Calling whines and moans as vocals would be stretch. Hard pass.
Holy boring…. I don’t get the obsession with this guy.
Awful
Sounds like Leonard Cohen. Not really anything else to be said, love him or hate him, he's one of a kind.
Obnoxious trash.
boring
Bob Dylan wannabe
Absolutely not - he's one with Cat Stevens that if it comes up it's a no from me Never been a fan, but my parents were - I understand the love, I just don't have it
Dullllllllllllllll. While he may be an amazing song writer he is not an amazing singer. He managed the exact same tone for each song, impressive honestly.
Couldn’t get through it. 3rd Leonard Cohen album is all lot considering all songs are very, very similar. I love ‘Suzanne’ but the Nina Simone version.
Dustin Hoffman saying, "I'm not mad; I'm just disappointed." on the album cover is a bold choice. Seriously, though, what's wrong with you Leonard? This is all so bleak and depressing. I can't listen to you any more.
I hate to give this star one album. From Warren Zevon to the Mountain Goats, I love a lot of music that is folk adjacent. I love Hallelujah. But this album was a tough listen for me. Where music I'm not loving can sometimes slip into the background of my attention, this album kept my focus on itself, but that was not a good thing. I actively disliked listening to it.
Not my cup of tea
The songs felt slow, boring, and kind of repetitive. After a while, they all started blending together and made the listen feel longer than it actually was. I got through the whole album, so not terrible by any means, but nothing that caught my attention.
Kind of a triggering album from childhood ickyness.
Too refined of an artist to include something so pedestrian as a *chorus* in his songs, Cohen mercilessly piles on one verse after another like some medieval bard telling the tale of how St. Olaf slayed the dragon. Also, like many other folk singers of the 60's, the music itself is little more than an afterthought, serving only as a bed for Cohen's overly earnest lyrics.
#46 Not this guy again
Not a fan. Couldn't get interested in it.
Not my thing
Was having a pretty good day until I listened to this album. Was so bad I threw up in the middle of the night and had to miss my morning lecture.
I really didn't like this one. I can't believe he is being compared to Bob Dylan. Music was very boring, and felt arrogant somehow.
Incredibly dull
Tedious, not very adventurous music. Your typical singer songwriter bullshit. After Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen might be the second most overrated, singer songwriter.
First listen
No Hallelujah
This is like if you took the worst songs from I'm Your Man and made an album out of them. Lacks cool instrumentation. Made me sleepy. Feels like it should just be a spoken word poetry performance instead of an album.
That first song is the most listened to Leonard Cohen song, it was good. Nothing else was.
This guy stinks
Not my jam. Found it boring.
I’m good. Didn’t finish it.
Not my style of music. Bored me to death.
Poetry done to music. Like my poetry free music free. Not for me.
This is some of the most pretentious drivel I’ve ever heard.
not interested
Going through my backlog, I really wasn't expecting this to make me look forward to Baby One More Time coming up next.
Jesus Christ, this made me want to throw myself off the Tyne Bridge 💀 If this has to be on this list, it needs to be album 1001, because you'll want to end it all before it's finished.
I'm not one who pays attention to lyrics, so this was lost on me. Nothing personal.
Not the one that is for me
Not for me. I get why its popular though
Folk music and its poetry just isn't for me.