Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Boring, fine, nothing special.

se for pra ouvir um velho cantando com um violao, que seja cartola.

My favourite Leonard Cohen album. May he rest in peace. He was a cool cat, chilling on the Greek island Hydra with his girlfriend writing poetry and playing guitar. What a dream!

Such a beautiful and soothing voice

Extraordinario

Iconic - some songs a bit more hit or miss than the stand outs

Beautiful vocals and lyrics. Favorite tracks: Suzanne, So Long, Marianne

Bob dylan if he was good

Beautiful, sublime.

You’re watching a movie and it’s the late 60’s and you’re in some kind of college house situation with a bunch of kids in their late teens who are starting to question everything and one of them puts on a record but the filmmaker doesn’t want to be too cliched and have them play Bob Dylan, this is the album they put on instead.

Great lyrics, but many of the songs have quite similar, repetitive, and limited range in the melodies. I guess that's part of the folk tradition, but doesn't make for very interesting listening IMO. Some standouts: Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong. I think I prefer Leonard Cohen a song at a time, rather than an album at a time.

This is one i’m almost positive will grow on me the more i listen, but i did really get a good amount out of this. I’d heard So Long, Marianne before but i can’t for the life of me remember where. 3 albums in and i think i really like Leonard Cohen y’all.

Good vocal performance….. that’s about it. Super melancholy and boring

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy Cohen, but I don't think he needed 4 albums included on this list. However, this and You Want It Darker are the 2 I would pick as they are so distinctly different but both display his talent for such tender emotional delivery and writing. I have to shoutout the mixing and instrumentation on this one, it is so supremely tasteful and perfectly suited for the lyrical and vocal style. They seriously enhance the feel of this album without getting in the way (the muted trumpet of Master Song, the ethereal harp of Winter Lady, the circling background vocals of One of Us Cannot Be Wrong). It’s very authentic and raw and definitely album people should hear before they die.

Kind of a softer Bob Dylan. More peace and less political. Some Christian influence even tho Jewish. Male soft vocals with guitar background

Today is a momentous day! The absolute and definitive last time I'll ever listen to Leonard Cohen in my life! I can't believe this day has come at last! 4 albums on the list. That's ridiculous. I'm one of those people with the gene that makes Leonard Cohen taste like soap. Still, I give every album as open-minded and objective listen as I possibly can. This one, for me, is his most palatable work. There were actually places on this album that were actually enjoyable, which is first for me with this artist. Usually, I find him completely intolerable. Fuck it: ⭐⭐.75

Good songwriting, voice reminds me of Dylan. Guitar adds a star.

Phenomenal album. The voice, the atmosphere. Great.

5/5

Album cover is a perfect reflection of my face when I saw this was today's album. Dusty. By the end my face was much the same but more pained, more miserable. Nearly half way through and 7 Bowie, 3 Cohen records. Least the next half has to be an improvement.

Hes just not for me

Another Cohen album & another lame Cohen album

All songs bang

1. "Suzanne" 2. "Master Song" 3. "So Long, Marianne"

Some soulful and longing, but some are repetitive, as if he writes the songs on the fly and rambling.

An incredible, timeless album of longing and regret.

JL : 3, Master Song

Songs of Leonard Cohen is a landmark debut because it introduced an artistic voice that was already unusually mature, intimate, and unsettling. It is not a perfect album, and its narrow mood and occasional musical stiffness keep it below the absolute top tier. But its strongest songs are extraordinary, and its influence is not based on mythology alone. This is a record that changed what a singer-songwriter could sound like: less entertainer, less confessor, more haunted literary presence.

sizo tekstovi ali bas mi je prijalo u setnji sa zucom

Its fine. I just fine him so boring!

A dark album but really beautiful and moving. Easily my favourite of the Cohen albums that have come up so far

lowkey bored tf outta me maybe i just dont get it but he was kinda just rambling can really admire the guitar work tho 5.5/10 best song - so long, marianne

Idk man, he just makes me feel things in a way I’ve never felt before.

This was a great introduction to Leonard Cohen for me, and I could feel how evocative he was as a storyteller and there were certain moments that really grabbed me. However, I think I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I had was paying more attention to the lyrics

Some exceptionally good songs here bookended by songs that are pretty good too.

Stor 3

Vanvittig debut, lyder magisk. Der har dælme ikke været særlig mange sangskrivere på det her niveau

Great songs and they sound "modern-ish" (for folk music anyway) while being almost 60 years old.

Leonard cohen is life changing. His words, his monotone delivery and his familiar repetitive patterns of music. Fall into this like you would an old friend, share some tears of loss and joy, reflect with it and let the melodies and lyrics sit with you.

Cohen's singing voice got old quick... I started getting a little annoyed towards the end.

Took a bit to get hooked, but I really got into this by the end! It’s got some vivid and unsettling imagery. I don’t think I gave him enough props before I started the 1001 project. Glad I had a reason to put this on today!!!

Pretty stunning lyrics, and several songs stood out musically to me. Stands out amid other music of this era. I look forward to revising this one!

One word: beautiful!

Love Leonard Cohen, but this one isn’t my favourite. The lyrical/poetic quality is there, but I think his later work gets more melodic and musical. Some of these songs sound like poems set to music, and kind of run together in terms of the sound. Farewell Marianne is a standout to me though- fantastic melody, great song!

Some nice moments and beautiful poetry, didn’t quite pull me in, but was still a pleasant listen.

singer songwriter album that blew me away, this was amazing and it inspired so many other artists i’m sure

Karret seg såvidt opp med noen brukbare låter i midten. Dette var rimelig tynt, hvis jeg vil høre på dikt kan jeg lese dem høyt selv. Forventet mer av selveste Leonard C.

This is one of those albums my dad owned, but he only ever played "Suzanne". Which was a fine song, but it never struck me enough to want to play the rest of the album myself. But I finally did, about 30 years later. My favorites are the darker and the kind of cryptic songs like "Master Song" and "The Stranger Song", but really, I enjoy the album as a whole. This is the kind of folk I can get behind.

Felt more like stories than songs, but I enjoyed it.

LOVED this. faves were ‘suzanne’ and ‘so long, marianne’

And so Leonard Cohen concedes to joining the music biz and his journey begins with a debut album just as cryptic and beguiling as those that would come to follow it. Due to mundane circumstances, my listens this time were not as engaged as I would prefer. As a result, on beginning writing, I could only conceive of reviewing the album on sonic aesthetic terms. From my point of view, this is not ideal when the subject is Leonard Cohen. What I did manage to do though just before beginning this, was to read the lyrics. I now realise this is a rather legitimate approach, Cohen considering himself a poet set to music; I’ve got the vibe and atmosphere sonically and been suitably embraced by the sparse arrangements and Cohen’s semi spoken lilt. Then I have examined the poetry. My next realisation was that even by separating the words as their own experience, I am probably no closer to any firm understanding of their true meaning. This is fine. It’s poetry; mystery, layers and ambiguity are its prerogative, its bread and butter even. If the meanings of these words were meant to be clear, then I wouldn’t need to be pondering them. Instead this poetry has been pored over for almost 60 years. People still discuss and debate, striving for the true meaning. For me this has been an unusual review to write, but the bottom line is I find great joy in listening to all the Leonard Cohen albums I own and I get more from them with every listen, this being no exception. Soon, I will hopefully get the opportunity to give this a “deep” listen; I don’t expect to unlock a deeper understanding, but actually writing this review might actually allow me deeper enjoyment.

Cohen has adulatory fans. I am not one. I was on team Cohen when he crept back into modern awareness and then took off like a meteor. But now for me he seems a little mannered or precious. Not bad, but not profound.

This sounded like one long song. On its own, that song would be a 4. As an album, not.

Is it just me, or does Leonard Cohen look like Al Pacino here? Man, I don't know about this guy. Some of his songs are fantastic: Goodbye Marianne and Suzanne are both great. But more often than not I find myself rolling my eyes at his poetry. Like, I'm not a Dylan fan, but that dude clearly can write. If LC were my poetry student, I'd be like, "Dial it back a little, bro. And stop it with the archetypes." Also, his arrangements are shit. There. I said it. Now that I've listened to all 5 of his albums on here (3 too many!), I'm surprised that i vastly preferred his newer stuff. Usually, I go the other way. But he got more interesting as he got older.

random words. poetry? guitar in background.

With the Dylan album just before, it’s in direct comparison with a single guitar and voice album. It’s good, but lacks a bit of variety. 6/10

idk what he was on when he made this but i can’t even finish it like nope.

Día 6 de 1001 albumes Realmente es un album muy limpio, acompañado en muchas ocasiones de una guitarra. Letras preciosas, y melodías diferentes entre una canción y otra.

Mysle ze jakbym byla starsza to bardziej by mi sie spodobal. Troche nie moj gust muzyczny, ale 3 piosenki mi sie spodobaly wiec wsm spoko.

o cohen é introspectivo como ninguém, tem um tom sombrio na voz dele que eleva o tom solitário das músicas. 10/10

It’s Leonard. Enough said

I would prefer his greatest hits.

Dope

bueno pero no de mi agrado

I liked this a lot. I think I am a Leonard Cohen fan. This is good stuff.

It's like Bob Dylan with a better voice. I'm not a huge Leonard Cohen fan, but like some of his later work. This album was just ok for me.

A pretty, poetry-forward singer-songwriter album. It’s about what I expected for Cohen’s debut. I enjoyed it fine and really did appreciate his writing, but I don’t think I’ll revisit in full in the near future; production-wise it sometimes felt like I was hearing the same couple of songs over and over again. The guitar work in particular felt pretty same-y across the record. The bluegrass touches and backing vocals on “So Long, Marianne” made it a standout just by virtue of sounding apart from the rest of the songs.

I think this is one of those types of artists where I can recognize the talent and skill of the performer while also accepting that it's just not my thing. Leonard Cohen, on this record at least, has a lot of soft music that is both enchanting and downright eerie. It takes a particular talent to be able to craft sparse songs with dynamics, and I think that he mostly accomplishes that, but also I just couldn't find too much on here that really turned my ear in a good way. Everything just kind of ran on into one big track. This is the second Cohen album that has been given to me in this project, and I don't know if there's more in the pipeline, but I kind of feel like my mind's made up on the guy.

Never heard of album or artist, so going in totally fresh. First impressions are that it's ok. Peaceful, emotional, poetic lyrics, lots of religious imagery. Not sure I would ever listen to this again, but it felt worthwhile to experience and I wouldn't be annoyed to hear it again. It fell into the background for me, not really in a good or a bad way. Favorite song: Suzanne  2 Stars: ok, not annoying, wouldn't ever choose to put on again

Have listened to this album before and I love it still. "Suzanne" and "Stories of the Street" have been two of my favourite tracks, but on this listen I also really liked "Sisters of Mercy"

storytime 2

專輯封面給了我一種復古感，我猜測他的音樂偏向是民謠樂嗎？ 第一首歌，Suzanne有一種給我用唸的在唱歌的感覺，我從未聽過Leonard Cohen的作品，這是我聆聽他第一首歌給我的感覺。 第二首歌，Master song給我一種陰暗的感覺，又有些急促。我不是英文使用者所以我沒有去理解歌詞的意思，只是用直覺去感受他。 第三首歌，Winter lady，起初以為是號角，原來是幽靜的低音的長笛。 剩下的我比較偏背景音樂的形式在播放，但我沒想到這張專輯我會願意給5顆星，明明他沒有驚艷我的部分，但卻備受我的青睞？

1 - TERRIBLE

Minimalist singer/songwriter music. His voice together with the acoustic guitar sounds very calm and delicate. Sisters of Mercy was my favourite on first listen, but it might have also been relief at hearing something other than gentle acoustic guitar and strings.

Cohen is a master in songwriting. His instrumentals are phenomenal. His voice is mid, but it adds to the beauty of it I suppose. Like he's just some guy with a lot of Feelings and lots of stories to tell. Anyone can sing a Cohen song, and it's so satisfying to listen to a Singer sing these songs. How many Singers have sung Suzanne, and did a wonderful job at it? I'm looking at you François Hardy t'es la sirène dans la chanson que t'as chanté mwah je t'aime jsuis déprimée je meure 4.5

Leonard Cohen's music is like poetry. It's crazy how good and well-rounded is song-writing is even on his first album. This is a folk/singer-songwriter classic but somehow feels so ahead of its time too. The songs are really timeless and there is so much to discover throughout. I wish there was a bit more variation in them, but so good either way. Top Songs: Suzanne, Master Song, So Long, Marianne, Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye

Sehr ruhige Musik fast nur mit Gitarre. Sehr entspannend

This was different than later Cohen. More melodic voice. I thought it was pretty good but got a little old by the end.

I believe Uncle Dale had the perfect review. In visiting about Leonard Cohen, I remarked I thought he sounded like a mellow Dylan. Uncle Dale replied, "Poetry put to music. Dylan and Cohen were poets above all. Neither one could sing but had to put thier words out there and music was the vechicle."

I like a couple songs, but honestly I eventually get bored of this one :(

I think I rated the first album of his I heard higher our if novelty. Now, I'm over it and not into the poetic slow nature.

Listening to Leonard is like looking at the Mona Lisa through foggy glass. The songs have an underlying supremacy and beauty that is always obscured by the blandness of the performance.

The more upbeat songs are OK but most of it is just a dirge.

Easy enough listening Bit depressing Fine

I was so tempted to give this my first 1-star as it was unremittingly one paced and felt like one long diatribe with a couple of breaks in. But then we had a couple of “slightly” more upbeat numbers (e.g. So Long, Marianne) which uplifted things slightly. Not one I shall be returning to, however. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be my cup of tea, and so it proved. 2/5 (just).

Beautiful but too “weird” for me.

suzanne

I like his 80s stuff better; this is a little too spare and poetic for my sensibilities. But I can see how great it is and will probably grow on me with time.

Simpler times. I actually liked this album. Added to my likes

Today was an unusually cool and muggy morning; I took a detour from my usual walking path to see the elephant tree. I'm still surprised at just how much less gruff and gravelly Cohen's voice is here in comparison to how it will sound later in his life. There's even sparser instrumentation here than on Songs From A Room, almost just his guitar and his voice with some occasional supporting choir vocals. As always, there is such beautiful poetry in his lyricism, with words so captivating and moving I wound up trying to sing along with songs I was hearing for the first time right then and there, and usually I could pull it off. There's also a particularly wonderful moment of additional instrumentation with what sounds like a marching band drum on So Long, Marianne, which serves as a powerful moment on the album; any time those additional musical elements crop up, they hit incredibly hard. There is a bit of a lack of progression on some of these songs, leaving them feeling a bit listeless and repetitive despite their beauty. I'm glad that this is a songwriting quirk Cohen would go on to work out as soon as his very next album. Highlights: Suzanne, So Long, Marianne, Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye, Stories of the Street, Teachers, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

After suffering through two later Cohen albums we finally reach the pristine source, before his voice was ruined by smoking and he unwisely swapped out his hypnotic guitar for cheap keyboards. These more spartan arrangements let the poetry of the lyrics shine through.

I’m not very familiar with folk music, but this was a pleasant-sounding debut. It’s very traditional and achieves this pure and wistful essence. It’s sort of bland vocally with some commendable instrumentation, overall not the type of thing I usually enjoy.

I need to relisten to this when it feels more appropriate. But I think I liked it.

Okay but not something I want to listen to again. Suzanne is a great song, but then it became a bit monotone and also the background vocals I found a bit annoying

Melancholy to miserable. Or two upbeat songs. Just wouldn't want to listen to this - it would bring any mood down for me.

He can clearly write lyrics. However I don’t think I’d listen to this again.

Ein paar Tracks überspringe ich ab und zu, aber ich habe dieses Album als Vinyl. Werde ich immer lieben 🫶

Suzanne just grabbed me right off the bat, liked Sisters of Mercy and So Long, Marianne as well. My complaint is some of the other songs are too same-y despite the lyrics. That said, I would definitely listen again when I am in a contemplative mood,

Very calming like a lullaby with gorgeous and timeless words

Can’t really get into Cohen, whose stuff seems fine but not anything I really feel despite them being stories. Sisters of Mercy and the guitar on Teachers the highlights of this

Exceptional debut launching a singular career and voice. An album an artist unlike any others on the list.

Still don't like Leonard Cohen, but this may be his best album.

Who gave this man a record contract? From the album cover to the songs – everything is boring. People with English as mother tongue might hear some interesting lyrics, but for me (who speaks English as second language but hears the daily album at work) the lyrics just blend into the background. With this said, the album has nothing to deliver. 2/5

Kinda samey but I liked the sound

Leonard Cohen is overhated

just amazing

very pretty, but it was a lot of lullabys. Not my jam. But the more i listened the more i enjoyed it. So long Marrianne is a great song

iconic but all songs very similar

Starts strong, but after a while it begins to sound a bit repetitive.

Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: I expected this to feel more difficult than it did. Cohen barely seems interested in “singing” in the conventional sense, but after a few songs his low, almost conversational delivery started feeling incredibly intimate. It’s also darker than I expected, but not miserable. There’s romance, sex, loneliness, religion, humor, and this strange calm running through everything. My criticism is that the sound can become a little samey across the album. I admire the writing more than I love every individual song. Favorite Track: “Suzanne.” Yeah, obvious choice. Don’t care. It’s gorgeous. The melody is simple, Cohen sounds completely at ease, and the imagery sticks around after the song ends.

Well this one was utterly fantastic. I was expecting to write it off immediately just based on my personal tastes but the writing, sincerity, emotion and it top-notch stuff.

A poet who can't sing, but sure can write some incredible songs. He would later come into his own as a performer -- I saw him in 2012 and he sang and danced for four hours with only one 5 minute break between two sets, then took three encores with no breaks, at 78 years old. Amazing!

Lyrical juggernaut but the songs can be hard to listen to. They kind of drone on and on. The backup singers are not a great addition either. But you can't deny that some of these songs are incredible.

I know it’s a classic but he kinda bugs me.

We love Leonard but this does get samey after a while

A great collection of folk songs. While i do prefer you want it darker, it's still a solid debut album full of fantastic tracks in it.

I wish every track on this debut was as good as Suzanne, but I don't think such an album can even exist. Cohen comes pretty close a couple of times, though, and that's honestly a marvel. I'm not in love with every track on the album, a couple of them do become a bit too deadpan for my taste, but it's an overall beautiful set of songs. The guitar brings an unique sense of serenity and the lyrics speak for themselves, just wonderful. The sparse moments of backing vocals bring freshness and depth to the songs. Cohen's somewhat one-dimensional delivery and range are an acquired taste, but I consider them integral to his work, especially in contrast to the music and the lyrics. I think a better singer would ruin, or at least diminish, this album. That would be a shame, as this is an essential listen. Favourite track: Suzanne

Only one more Leonard Cohen album to go. This is probably my favourite so far, it's much more musical with Leonard actually almost singing. Still not quite a 3/5 though.

I simply cannot enjoy something so stripped down on a summer afternoon. Maybe I'd revisit on a winter evening but even then, I think there are other solo singer-songwriter men who do this better.

Obvs he’s amazing but this album made me too sad

Me and boygenius 🤝 loving Leonard Cohen What the hell ever is this guy talking about, no one knows but it don’t matter because he says it all so beautifully and evocatively. I wish I could have a mind that sees the world in images the way Leonard Cohen did, I wonder what it was like in his brain. How can you listen to Master Song and not just smile and shake your head. Forever on the Mount Rushmore of Canadian songwriter poets, right next to Carly Rae Jepsen. Second act montage needle drop in my biopic: “So Long, Marianne”

I did not expect to like this as much as I did. I've never listened to Leonard Cohen before. I feel like I need to listen to it 100 more times to get everything out of it!

Beautiful and haunting. As a recovering Catholic, I am a sucker for media that blends religious imagery with yearning for beautiful women? Anyway, here’s my listening notes for some of my favorites: Hey that’s no way to say goodbye - It’s such a sweet love song. But then he says things like “let’s not talk of love or chains or things we can’t untie.” Heartbreaking Suzanne - beautiful, devastating, lyrical, melodic, atmospheric. Melodically my favorite Winter Lady - a woman in a male dominated field. He’s fighting for her even though she’s not his lover. Sisters of mercy - Now the listener is the beautiful traveler who needs rest, and the sisters are there to save us. I like the bell chimes in the background. Feels like church, but the altar is women The stranger - the reference to Joseph looking for a manger was well placed and added a nice depth. Was Joseph a dirtbag? Or does thinking of Joseph that way make me sympathize with the dirtbag men of the world needing a place to rest? I also love the parallel to Winter Lady. He is condemning of the stranger man but his perspective of the winter lady is so gentle, I deeply understand this. One of us cannot be wrong - the yearning. It captures so well the fantasy of wanting others to see your heartbreak or experience it so you know that it’s real.

issuing a disclaimer before my review: i’ve decided to be more stingy with my fives, coat of many colors and electric warrior are ACTUALLY a 4 for me . and I’m going to save my fives for albums that really stir me. melodic and beautiful, the lyrics are poetry and i’m not always like always sure what’s going on like. narrative wise but it reminds me of folk tales and obv very heavy with biblical references the background vocals on so long, Marianne are so lovely when they come in after “and the angels forget to pray for us” chefs kisssss i love in a couple of songs how the blonde woman is referred to as a storm. blondes have more fun joke here coconut rice with egg favorites: suzanne, the stranger song, hey that’s no way to say goodbye

I can't be objective about leonard cohen, when I was a kid my mom would make me memorize these songs so I could sing them to my grandmother over the phone but with the lyrics sometimes changed to make them less horny, they do something to my brain chemistry (positive) but it still feels like getting hit with a bat sometimes when I hear the original lyrics, I can't believe they let this guy write this stuff, he is literally making a violin sound like moaning The lyricism is just absolutely incredible on this, I can't stand it, its the kind of writing you would only expect to see in a T S Elliot poem, the bibble, or maybe a supernatural fanfic from 2014 Perfect music to listen to on a train who wants to go out to mesa with me Leftover gyro rice and white sauce heated in the work microwave

Really loved this one, felt like I was just listening to his brain

more enjoyable to approach this album more as performed poetry than capital M Music. but yeah it’s just words and guitar let him cook master song is my favorite i was captivated by its dark imagery and trying to interpret what the relationship it was based on looked like familiar with many of these songs but never listened to the album top to bottom , hypnotic and meditative when you let yourself fall into it . first listened with my partner last night and we were just sitting outside smoking cigarettes and staring off into space. and the air was quiet and still . we would look at each other after a song would end and be like what do you think that song was about. and that was perfect to me hey that’s no way to say goodbye <3 , i can’t really find the words to explain it but leonard cohen is like david lynch to me, i think it’s the subtle uncanniness in the way they depict parts of the human experience. and i have the same reverence for the art that both made even though i won’t pretend to understand all of it bread and egg

I just really don't like folk.

Crystal-shop music at quitting time

Very Folk, singer, songwriter, Elio coded. Did belle and sebastian and the clientelee get inspo from this guy?

it’s like a story. i love it. i love so long, marianne. and suzanne. and master’s song. love it

De leonard cohen machts guet. Glaub de old’neduzen wo i de 40er jahr gebore isch fänd das ganz glatt. Und wärs melancholisch inere alte kuche am lose. Aber ich bin de 93er neduziner und das isch mir doch biz zu alt. 3 fuegos

I actually think I'd really enjoy a book of poems by Leonard Cohen. The words are very meaningful, very strong, very fun. I do NOT need this shit set to music. It becomes a snoozefest. I just realized that I will have to endure 4 more of these albums to get through this list. Wish me luck! Highlight: So Long, Marianne

nada de otro mundo. muy tranquilo y lindo de escuchar, pero no mucho mas

I’m biased as a Leonard Cohen fan. In my opinion, no one crafted songs as well as he did in this era.

Soothing ballades.

Sorprendida, me encanto

In a fair world, Cohen should have been awarded with the Nobel for literature. The depth he reaches, the pure emotions he can so simply put down to words and delicatly sing in this record… there is no match. Of course, this is not a danceable album, nor a "happy walk in the park" one. This is an intimate encounter with a close friend, the kind you are insecure they're almost a partner. The one who takes you down to their place near the river.

Better than most other of his albums here on this list. Alas, also my last Cohen album.

02/08/2026 I could not back old Lenny for this one, I found it very boring. Spotify listeners: 3.4 million

Such an incredible writer. This is one of his best.

I’m still not fully sold on him but I definitely liked this more than the other one I had. I actually really like So Long, Marianne but it also annoys me because it shows he did have the ability to make the songs slightly more interesting instrumentally. The minimal instrumentation of most of his songs is what puts me off his work. I know the point of Leonard Cohen is the lyrics but he is releasing these as songs, not poems. There’s a debate here about what music is and what it is for but I’m not going to touch that in a 1001 albums review. This is longer than most of my reviews so maybe you can give him credit for that. Side note on the lyrics, there is a LOT of religious imagery here. I personally don’t connect to this as much as a lot of people seem to do. I was raised in a « if you choose to follow a religion that’s fine but we’re not forcing you to » way and ended up having very little connection to any religion. As a result of that, the impact these references seem to have on people, in Cohen’s work and otherwise, gets completely lost on me, even if I understand the background and what it means.

Man in turtleneck croons.

Couldn't get into this. Just kinda meandering instrumentals and rambling lyrics

Brilliant songwriting, probably some of the best I’ve heard. I had to actively listen to each track to fully appreciate it. Still not sure what I think of Cohen’s vocals, but they were growing on me by the end. Definitely adding this one to my regular rotation.

It took me a few attempts to get this one started, but it is unarguably a well written work of art.

I have not heard this one but I'm a big Leonard Cohen fan so Looking forward to it. Loved it his lyrics make me want to keep listening so well written

I have experienced none of what he's talking about

Lyrics are important, but sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes they are just the vehicle for the groove and the vibe of the song. However, here lyrics are key as the music and voice are so spare. And, oh what lyrics. Glimpses of the sublime, that tell us universal truths about love, loss and sacrifice. Suzanne May singly be one of the greatest songs ever

Ok, this is my second Leonard Cohen album on this list and I liked it better than the first one I got (You Want It Darker). I don't necessarily think I'd go out of my way to listen to this album again, but I found it to be mellow and relaxing. I actually was able to pay attention to it instead of zoning out like I did not long into the first album I listened to.

Columbia CL 2733 (US) mono vinyl rip: Not my thing. I don't get it. All the songs kinda sound the same. Similar voice to Bob Dylan, which I prefer over this.

I like the simple style and Leonard cohens song lady midnight is in my recent rotation. Wasn’t crazy about this and was expecting a bit more. Was pretty meh.

I love leonard

I found this set of poetry set to music both relaxing and mentally stimulating. A few songs don't work as well for me, but I'd definitely listen to the whole thing again. Didn't hit me quite the same as You Want It Darker, but I'm glad to hear more of Cohen's music.

On an individual level I enjoyed each song, and think this is a beautiful album. But as a whole album it's a tough listen due to how similar each song sounds

Cohen picked up the ball Dylan set down and ran in an entirely new direction, mixing his own sense of poetry with plain, simple instrumentation. It's a heady mix, and Cohen isn't the most skilled musician yet so it's also pretty similar across the board. But the songs are deeply intoxicating and alluring, threatening to spiral out of control (as indeed Cohen does purposefully near the end of the album). It's not perfect but it's a strong record and one worthy of being here.

Pretty solid

Will caveat that my review here is probably skewed by the fact I’ve had two Cohen records in two days, and I think that’s way too intense for anyone who’s not a massive fan given his style. I can fully appreciate Cohen’s influence, legacy and talent for Songwriting, and how much he’s shaped modern music, but this really was a challenge to get through. It’s not engaging enough, each song feels very samey and when that’s just plodding along with little backing music it proves increasingly challenging as the record goes on. Maybe I need to come back to this in my own time and try and appreciate it in isolation? Not an awful record but just not something I found engaging.

I will forget I even listened this within an hour of finishing the last song. It's not bad, but it's not good

Partially known. Poems are great but a melody now and then would be nice, too.

songs are beautiful but kind of boring for my taste

i dont like it . very boring

I'm from Belgium. Well 4 songs of this album (So Long, Marianne, Suzanne, Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye and Sisters Of Mercy) entered the Classics 1000 (Radio 1). As of today (or this year) two of them are still in the list (So Long, Marianne and Suzanne). I'm not familiar with any of Cohen his albums but I understand why. This album doesn't contain any bad song or any boring song. Really enjoyed listening to this album. I think i'm going to explore more of his albums very soon. 4/5

Ballads that grab you by the heart and don't let go. So beautifully soothing. Legendary voice too.

I love I love I love I love I love I love. I am Suzanne? Not a single skip.

Cohenmys

Yes he’s great at writing music and I want to love this album but I just don’t love it. The songs are just too similar for me despite the brilliant lyrics. I think I’m just not much of a lyrics ONLY person. His voice is also great in this.

(2/5) Kirklands Signature Bob Dylan. I was actually looking forward to this when it popped up but each droning ballad deeper into the album I got, the less I liked it. Cohen really loves his biblical references doesn't he? With a few exceptions ("So Long, Marianne" being the best) everything sounded really similar, with a single background guitar and then Cohen's poem-ey singing (with some strange meters I might add) drowning most of it out. The songs were too long and the last few tracks I dropped with a minute to go in each. This was disappointing. I really hoped for something better than this. I hope his later stuff gets better... Not sure I'm holding out a lot of hope though.

I'd always heard such great things about Cohen, but had never really listened to him. I think I liked it better that way. Just a more boring version of Bob Dylan. The droning monotony of one song blending into the next became more and more disappointing as every song overstayed its welcome. I didn't hate it per se, as it didn't offend or jar the senses, just really disappointed that an album I looked forward to when it came up on my list could fall this flat. It's a 2/5 that didn't convince me to give it a second chance or explore more of his work.

151. Songs Of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen (1967) 7.23.26 Variety: 3 Adequacy: 5 Listenability: 4 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 3 = 3.4 rounded down to a 3 INTRO Wow, we get the a Cohen album on the list just a few after the Jeff Buckley with Cohen's most well known song. Which isn't on this one. Or any of the 5 - count them, 5! - Leonard Cohen albums on this list. Dylan's got 7, so I guess here's some parity there? But even two of the Dylan ones are stretches in my opinion. Anyway, to get back on topic - Cohen is a dude who I've tried and failed many times to get into. I like a lot of his songs, but the handful of albums I've listened to have been very samey, utterly morose affairs ( I like my depressive music to also be danceable - when are we going to get some Bauhaus?) that kind of all blend together. Of the ones I've previously listened to though, ( it has been a LONG time) I think I might have liked this one the best? It has several recognizable songs, but we'll have to dig in and see if Leonard has grown on me or not. There are a LOT of noteworthy and very good covers of his songs, and I'll be offering up some of my favorite for as many tracks as I can manage. "For now I need your hidden love/ I'm cold as a new razor blade" THE TRACKS Side one "Suzanne" - A strong start with one of his best. A very pretty acoustic number that highlights Cohen's warm but detached vocal style. I know that Cohen gets a lot of praise for his literate and poetic lyrics, and that's not out of order I guess. I find that most of his stuff, which this is a prime example of, leans towards obscurity and metaphor ( often with a spiritual/ religious bent) which works fine enough, but isn't really on my mind as I'm listening. I don't think that well of meaning is as deep as some would have you think, but I think that it's great for another reason - it's all vague and open-ended enough for a deep dive examination and interpretation for those so inclined ( though I think any meaning they fish out is going to be WILDLY speculative) AND it provides just enough of a skeleton of a well organized, easily understandable narrative that you can half pay attention to the lyrics and assume it's just a straight up traditional narrative. That seems like a lot of work to be put into narrative fence straddling, and I appreciate it. It allows me to appreciate the melody, vocals and instrumentation without being distracted by the lyrics, which I think is the downfall of a lot of folk music. Cohen wants to entertain first and foremost, and if he can sneak some poetic nonsense in to let you imbue whatever meaning you want, then awesome. Long story short, I'm not going to be examining his lyrics too much unless something stands out. I could honestly care less about the lyrics in a song unless it's an explicit message song. We'll see how much of that there is here, but all you need to know about this one is that it's very pretty and has some unexpected chord changes that add a patina of darkness and longing sadness to the affair. Cover by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkIo7ipD1is&list=PL3xoFh_xaljFbwZV14rdkTeqO7wYK919q&index=14 Cover by Gregory Porter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PnHTLNRKWw4 "Master Song" - A whole song built around those unexpected chord changes. This time a much darker almost apocalyptic, medieval troubadour number that's just as pretty, but with some classical guitar ( maybe a flamenco influence?) work. This sits up there with something like Dylan's All Along the Watchtower as far as impenetrable, mystical, almost alchemical lyrics go, and the atmosphere feels both oppressive and romantic at the same time. The tremolo effect from the electric guitar and the Spaghetti Westernish accents add a ton of extra layers here for a song that instrumentally does not ever veer very far off the path. Awesome. Maybe my favorite track of his. Cover by John Bergeron: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89Cay9LFB-o "Winter Lady" - A delicate romantic ballad that also feels heavily influenced by that English folk tradition, so much so that I had to check and see if he had adapted or reinterpreted an existing song. Nope, all him apparently. A prefect example of how the man can mine quite a bit out of very simple ingredients. Cover by Nathaniel Rateliff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBL0zYWgFzQ Cover by Will Oldham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g90oBqeMtq8 "The Stranger Song" - More classical acoustic guitar playing here that opens like it was already playing in the room when we opened the door. This is another of his more well liked songs, but it leans just a hair too far into the self-serious for me, and doesn't offer enough of the dynamics that his better ones do. The vocal melody is there, it's just not very memorable in comparison. If someone wanted to do a Cohen parody, this one would provide an ideal skeleton for pastiche. Cover by Emmylou Harris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4shDJvXWXd4 "Sisters of Mercy" - More casual in his delivery, and with a guitar line that varies a lot more nicely, this is another lovely folk ballad in the English tradition, with an added nautical feel from the variety of instrumentation, including a mandolin and an accordion, along with some mechanical little clockwork noises. Beautiful stuff. Cover by Beth Orton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3pQairEUw&list=PL3xoFh_xaljFbwZV14rdkTeqO7wYK919q&index=6 Cover by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9P2kHsKM0k Side two "So Long, Marianne" - Side two opens with some more traditional folk, fiddles and even a drum! This would sound equally at home ( with slight adjustments) wafting out from the cramped stage of an English pub or an Appalachian bluegrass festival amphitheater. Easily the best playing on the album so far, and proof that Cohen is more than a one trick pony. Damn, now I want there to be a Leonard Cohen bluegrass album. Supposedly he played in a country folk and western band in his youth, and many of his songs have been notably covered by country stars... Cover by Courtney Barnett: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDSSbMqpUhY Cove by Cheshire Carr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5k0JFpZ7SQ&list=PLX6o3UDvULDpL2lWa168tHOjz_-tLlH9Z "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" - This one didn't work as well for me, and sounded fairly generic compared to the better tracks here. Not bad, but very middle of the road and not as much to set it apart from a lot of the folky balladry floating around the same era. Cover by Roberta Flack ( I like this much more than the original - all of these actually): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz38Vxkyow4 Cover by The Decemberists: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jicc4HnaNME Cover by Feist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfqCMLDLb8s "Stories of the Street" - This had a Spanish guitar flavor to it that was interesting, but the core melody left me a bit cold. The instrumention was the best part of this. And I could hear a bit of the influence from this on Beck's Mutation album. Speaking of... Cover by Beck: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvzFapYMAxA "Teachers" - the classical/ Flamenco guitar work makes a hard return here, and along with some very interesting and much more successful version of the sort of thing that didn't quite work for me on "The Stranger Song", but hits the spot here. I think the twangy almost middle-eastern guitar accents and much fuller vocal performance drive this one over the edge into a very pleasing result. Cover by Omnia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w6e-3228Zo "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" - Another fine enough track, that has a decent but pretty basic melody, that sounds as basic as any track on the album. The highlight was the whistled and wailing ending, which i think also had a recorder under it? Cover by Gregory Alan Isakov: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05B1O8Dl7F4 HIGHLIGHTS - "Suzanne" - "Master Song" - "Winter Lady" - "Sisters of Mercy" - "So Long, Marianne" - "Teachers" MIDLIGHTS - "The Stranger Song" - "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" - "Stories of the Street" - "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" LOWLIGHTS - FINAL THOUGHTS There was a lot to like about this album, and no real weak spots. As much as I really liked a good portion of this, there was plenty of unremarkable, if decent filler which sort of takes the shine off a bit. I like it more than I remember though, and thought there was a lot more variance in the mood and atmosphere than just the doom and gloom that stuck with me. Though there was plenty of that to be had as well. Not sure Cohen will develop into much more of a greatest hits compilation guy for me, but that remains t be seen. We've got 4 more to get through. At the very least though, that greatest hits album might be of the double disc variety, so that's a step up on most. There is a world where I could see this one growing on me enough to hit a 4 on some re-listens though. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - Drop those highlights and add the rest to the best of playlist! FURTHER LISTENING - John Wesley Harding by Bob Dylan - John Prine by John Prine - Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying by Lab Siffre - Townes Van Zandt by Townes Van Zandt - Desertshore by Nico - The Boatman's Call by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Letting Go by Bonnie "Prince" Billy

Leonard Cohen must've subscribed to the old adage that says if you speak quietly it'll make people listen. Lowering the volume, using silence, liberally invoking biblical imagery. Check, check, and double check. And the result is an album that feels a little like Bob Dylan on Ambien. I'm still unsure if that is a good or bad thing. I enjoyed some of the songwriting and I did sit forward and try to listen more. Also, outside of Suzanne, I enjoyed the back half of the album more than the first. Perhaps by then I was used to the rhythm of quiet guitar strumming ballad singing on all the songs. This satisfied one of my curiosities on this list. I was really only familiar with Cohen through covers of his songs, so now I've heard a few of them done by the original. I'm not sure I'll return to this album, its not got the energy for me, we'll see how the next Cohen album on the list goes. 2/5

Not my speed

Sorry I literally remember nothing from this album. Neither good or bad.

Not the best album from Cohen.

#60 Haunting, beautiful, and masterfully crafted for a debut album. Cohen's sparse, yet thoughtful arrangements blend perfectly with his incredible guitar playing and perfectly-imperfect voice. The lyrics are classic Cohen; full of poetry, vivid imagery, and metaphors covering his usual themes of love, loss, and longing, written at a level beyond anything else of its time. A week ago I said Songs Of Love And Hate was my favorite Cohen album, but after revisiting this one I can't pick a favorite anymore. Much like SOLAH, any song on this album could be considered a highlight, and I have trouble noting less than these five: Suzanne, Master Song, The Stranger Song, So Long Marianne, and One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong.

His voice demands to be listened to, but the album as a whole was a bit boring.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF ALL TIMES

calm, ballads and interesting lyrics. (2.5/5.0)

For me his finest vocal performance from this list with the best-known "Suzanne" and "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye".

So good. Listen on a quiet contemplative morning, when the plants have started dying, the ground is hard, and snow is lightly falling. Sublime.

I was a bit disappointed. I enjoyed the first song. But then it seemed to repeat for the rest of the album. 3 stars for songwriting.

Songwriting obviously immaculate, but stodgy instrumentation and Cohen's own lackluster voice keep me from loving this.

Day 341 Beautiful. I suspect it’s an album I’d have to be in the right mood to enjoy as much as I did today, but I found it absolutely lovely. Highlights So long Marianne Teachers

I liked this much more than the darker album. Very pleasant and good calming vibes. 7/10

I've never really listened to Leonard Cohen. Seems to be out of the NYC/Simon and Garfunkel type folk school, although he strums more than fingerpicks. I find his songs to be a bit boring. So Long Marianne is his best here.

Jew

That damn musky voice of his.

Album 259. Songs Of Leonard Cohen (https://open.spotify.com/album/2Aiv0ThDpFa7lqHphR6MN5?si=NMB9eRrZSHCG5KsjC_PQkQ) — Leonard Cohen (1967) Wow, I expected it would be good. But it's a wow for me. It's so chill, so beautiful, so poetic folk. Cohen's singing has the right amount of detachment and it makes everything much better. Al Pacino is getting the highest rating today. 5/5 Liked: — Suzanne — Master Song — The Stranger Song — So Long, Marianne — Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye — Stories of the Street

testing if i can hack jared's account

The first time I ever heard of this guy was earlier in this challenge with his “Darker” album. So hearing his debut was fun.

Beautiful

A little slow for my taste but did have some lovely songs. Suzanne and So Long, Marianne were the highlights. All the rest were nice but a bit boring and repetitive after a bit. Can’t see myself coming back

These certainly are the songs of Leonard Cohen, for better or for worse. I get the appeal, just I'm more of a music over lyrics guy so he just don't really do it for me as much as some other folks. Great lyrics, but I need some riffs or something. I dunno.

Just. Meh.

Big ol trubador vibes. This was the OG folklore. I am envisioning myself on the way to the renn faire

So good - he's very unique in the folk world where he can be unsentimental (no like flowers and sunshine bullshit) and also mostly concrete (no bob dylan mysticism bullshit). Every verse is like a nice contained story with some logic between lines it's not just a bunch of stuff that sounds good. Do I always know what he's talking about? No basically never. But by like the 10th time I listen to a song I'm like "ooooh he's saying he's sad". Stranger song and one of us cannot be wrong are just so good. He's really at his best when he's incredibly bitter and we get a taste of that but not quite enough - the 60s could tolerate only so much hate he could really only soar post-Manson. The music is obviously not why youre here for but it's pretty good? Like fits the vibe of the lyrics. No drums but he gets so much rhythm and energy from the guitar. The recording quality is pretty rough - feels like they recorded the parts one at a time onto the same tape or something? Like very copy of a copy of a VHS tape feeling. Awesome that it ends with him randomly moaning in a way that sounds like he's in the next room.

Kind of boring, but his voice was good and the songs were solid.

Leuk

Bien

A sweeter, more earnest version of early Dylan. Nice songs with a melancholy undertone. A relistener for sure. 3.5 rounded down.

Some of the most profound lyrics you'll ever hear accompanied by meditative performances. As you'd expect.

Like Dylan, only much better. The lyrics are still mysterious, but Cohen's words hit much harder for me personally. The meat of this record is Cohen delivering his poetry in speak-sing manner with some acoustic guitar and some minimal strings yet it is so haunting and beautiful. "Sisters Of Mercy" inspired the band of the same name, so I'm going to consider this an early goth record. I'm only half-joking with that statement, as the dark feeling this record creates clearly influenced that movement despite the genre differences. There isn't much variety on here, but the vibe it creates is immaculate. Don't let the album cover that makes Cohen look like a math teacher fool you, this record is brilliant!

Pretty mundane and nothing really interesting on this album.

no. how can i ever forgot this evil man? who sings about Jesus yet have Aaron’s blood flowing in his veins. maybe he is using new testament stories as a literary device and i don’t have the right to criticise him because i am a gentile, but i really think that it’s not kosher. as everybody knows that shall keep my stance as a cohen hater and i could say this is the most boring album of his that i’ve heard so far. although it is his debut but unlike my formulating reviews of debut albums, it’s not alright. main reasons of complaint are his delivery (as always), the arrangement (what the fuck is with the accordion? or whatever? on sisters of mercy and other instrument that panned slowly from the lest stereo channel to the right stereo channel during the second verse), and of course the annoying and loud ass female backing vocals during so long marianne. and when you add all those things together you got the most sleep-able music in the entire world. like i woke up at literally 6am cause i’m too excited about today’s world cup quarterfinal match in which england (the team i support) faces norway. and after listening to leonard cohen singing 2 hours after the match ended i was lying in my bed and realising that the most rational thing to do next is to sleep. it’s just this sleepy. also my mental state is like when cohen began shouting at the end of one of us cannot be wrong. it’s only 11am but i’ll take a nap anyway. mom said that lunch will be ready in 20 minutes. goodnight everybody. 2/5

I wouldn’t appreciate back then, at least I do now.

A pleasant singer songwrighter album. Well written and a soothing listen. 3.4/5.

Okayy

I've enjoyed the previous Leonard Cohen albums I've gotten, but this one is just boring. Basic, psychedelic inflected folk music. Feels like an album that rides and dies on it's writing and lyrics, and those aren't aspects I really look for in an album on the first couple listens, so this one is really falling flat for me here.

(Light 9/10) Leonard Cohen, Canadian-born poet and songwriter, world traveler and free spirit. Learning about this man is about as fascinating as his music. His first album is truly wonderous, his words sear into your brain as the music lends a helping hand in portraying the moods and atmospheres held within the words. Right off the bat I need to say that I wasn't a huge fan of the production choices made on some of these songs. Upon learning that it wasn't Leonard's fault and most of it was unfortunately beyond his control, I began to understand but still felt disappointed that his words were marred by some weird decisions (most notably on the songs Winter Lady and Sisters of Mercy). John Simons apparently had a different idea for the songs should sound, and the two were constantly at odds in the recording studio. As a result, the overall feel of the record is a tad disjointed, but I believe the lyrics and messaging of the songs above all else make up for the spotty production. "Suzanne" is an amazing song. Largely inspired by his real world friend of the same name, the song draws parallels to his friends worldly wisdom and comfort, to those of spiritual origin, namely Jesus Christ. The gently picked guitars and Cohen's voice work extremely well in this fashion and the song's sprawling nature is super easy to get lost in, and it's only track one. "Master Song" is a super intriguing tale, intentionally kept vague, about three persons. The Narrator, The Woman and The Master. Many meanings can be drawn from this song, but in my interpretation it sounds like The Narrator's relationship with The Woman becomes complicated as The Master (one whom The Narrator once shared a friendship or even a mentorship with) began using the knowledge gleaned from him to draw away The Narrator's lover (The Woman) and they begin a relationship behind his back, and when the relationship fails The Woman returns to The Narrator, whom he scorns after learning of their secret. That's just how I interpreted it though. Either way, the song is immense and very grim in style and presentation. The lyrics enigmatically portray the situation, and the very choice selection of words really makes you think. "Winter Lady" is a rather short song, presumably about a one night stand, and the feelings observed by such an encounter. This is the first observation of the production being a bit weird as harpsichord notes are plucked during a portion of the song, and they really pull you out of the lyrics and kinda shock you out of the song in my eyes. It's a fine tune, but pales compared to the previous two. Luckily "The Stranger Song" provides more profound cynicism as the subject of the song finds herself in constant fleeting relationships as the men that come and go are described as card dealers, and the song bounces back and forth between perspectives. It's rather dry song emotionally as one can't help but feel a certain kind of sadness followed by a stark reality that love and life is often this way. It's painfully realistic especially if one can relate to it. I love the sentiment behind "Sisters of Mercy" and the tale behind how the song was written, it's just that there's this weird clanking and random soundplay going on during the song that really buries Cohen's voice in the mix. It's unfortunate because the lyrics are so sweet and pure, describing his encounter with a couple of hitchhikers he helped from a snowstorm. He said it's one of the only songs he's written in one sitting too. The album's highlight for me is the song "So Long, Marianne". Lyrically describes a failing relationship between himself and real person Marianne Ilhen. The lyrics are wonderfully sentimental and despite the overstated production, still manage to create one of the most heartfelt moments in the entire record. The backing vocals during the choruses are an especially nice touch. To keep this review from spiraling out of control, I'll just say the rest of the album is especially great as well and even gets philosophical during "Stories of the streets" and "Teachers", before closing with the slightly humorous "One of us cannot be wrong". In which Cohen describes Nico, and his flame that her carried for her. It ends with chilling whistling as a pained Cohen can be heard writhing and shouting in the distance, creating a very lighthearted but still shocking way to end the record. And,....yeah that's Songs of Leonard Cohen. An album that seriously moved me in it's profundity and musical ability to turn great poetry into great music. I highly recommend it, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Nothing I could have appreciated back then, but I can now.

Like Dylan, Leonard Cohen is not for me.

Some tracks were more up-tempo than others once again another slow boring album.

Spiritual, horny, despairing, existentially and sonically sparse but intense. A whirlwind of emotions from a guy, his guitar, and some powerful backing vocals.

There is obviously a lot of art here, but it doesn't reach any strong heights. It's just consistently paced with some great poetry. I do think it pushed folk and lyricism for the time, but his later work is where he actually found the power of his voice, style, and created albums that stand up better today.

Lyrics fine but felt tortured listening to

Nochmal Cohen? Klar, das ist in Ordnung so. Die Songs auf diesem Album sind für die Ewigkeit.

Сара спремала челик Марко 1,5

That voice and the poetry. Suzanne is just a classic. Beautiful. As for the rest of the album, it’s all there. But I don’t think it’s nearly Cohen’s best. Drags a little. But again, still beautiful music.

Suicide music but at least this one didn't drag. He still can't sing

A dark album but really beautiful and moving. Easily my favourite of the Cohen albums that have come up so far

Can't explain it, but i feel like I joined a cult

very good!!

More dated folk Songs Of Leonard Cohen. His debut is slow and melancholy and rambles about lost loves. It’s not bad, it’s just for older folks - those that were too old for rock and roll. (2.23*s) We got over 50 years of music from Leonard, from debut to the last dance.

Songs of Leonard Cohen should be the only album to make the list for being his debut and his best. I liked the minimalistic approach and poetic lines a little more but still not that into it. His works are for late night fire talk or lonely exile. We best be done with this man...2.0 stars.

We've gotten entries from every other stage of Leonard Cohen's career so I guess it makes sense that his debut would be on here. While I have found a lot of his other albums pretty lackluster I can understand why the debut album of an artist who had a 50 year run would make the list. I find it to be another skippable early folk album but can see why people would enjoy it. There's plenty worse on this list, including from Leonard Cohen himself so I can't complain too much. A couple OK tunes and lot of other filler. When the list is complete I won't be coming back to LH. 1.55 stars

depressing ahh songs

Great and legendary songwriter. These songs are more like poems set to music. They’re all good, but after a whole album, they start to sound the same. A 3.

Another 10/10 album. I don’t usually love acoustic guitar, but this surprised me.

This isn't bad music, but just doesn't resonate with me it's unremarkable in the background and is ok but not great.

it's songs alright

3 - decent

Great songs. I do like this album, and Cohen got even better and better with time.

Much better than "You Want It Darker" -- just above the cusp of listenable. Not my favorite but didn't need to abandon this album.

Opnieuw mooi!!

Just kinda there

Sleepy folk music that is perfect for a Sunday morning. Some of the songs are monotonous but the album contains a few of the best songs he has ever written - "Suzanne" and "So Long Marianne", in particular. Solid, but not spectacular...perhaps something you hear before you die.

Fine, a little boring though emotive and poetic. Subdued Paul Simon.

I love Leonard Cohen and this was his debut.

No private session used for Spotify. This album was mellow gold and vintage Cohen. Sometimes when I listen to Cohen I don't get the hype, but with this one I do.

Kind of actually enjoyed his vibe, maybe a better Bob Dylan in my eyes if that was possible

Good but boring (to me)

The masterpiece of the Canadian lyricist, which is not grandiose either in lyrics or in musical complexity, but offers a great insight into young Cohen's state of mind. The arrangements are nothing extraordinary and his voice is not his forte but despite all of that, the lush imagery of concrete images provides a very tangible and evocative experience. 9/10 [KEEP]

fue relajante

me aburrí

leonard cohen has a voice that can't be imitated. -1 point for some ehh lyrics

2.5 ☆ not my cup of tea pero me gustó mucho So Long, Marianne y las background vocals que de repente usaba, También creo que escribe precioso.

Fuck. This one is great.

Iconic sad boi shit. For my money this is his masterpiece. I loved Songs of Love and Hate but this one is cozy, almost soothing. The lyrics and storytelling are unabashedly front and center, and the sparse arrangements give the songwriting gravity. Favorite tracks: Suzanne, Master Song, The Stranger Song, So Long Marianne, Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye, Teachers. 5/5.

Good, but a little too sad for me right now. I appreciate the lyricism, but after about 4 songs or so I'm pretty bored with it.

Not a leco fan

I enjoyed this a lot more than the 80s Cohen album I previously encountered from the list. If I had discovered this around the time I discovered Dylan in high school, I would be more attached to it.

Decent but don’t think I’ll revisit really

Folk music. Very Bob Dylan-esq.

Listened

Beautiful Love it, got into Leonard Cohen late, but never listened to this in one go. But I love it and it’ll go on rotation now Favourite track: so long, Marianne

A tough one to rate, as Leonard Cohen’s music seems to really polarise opinion. I liked some of the music - Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, Suzanne - and his early career voice was certainly also much better than I’ve heard on other later songs. However, as an album it can drag a bit in places and . So a low 3 overall.

Leonard Cohen's voice certainly did not improve with age, in this album his voice is still young and fresh, a big plus. He certainly could wright some song lyrics. The overall sound is not something I'm completely in love with, although I've heard the album before, as one of my sons has it on vinyl.

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.

Eh

I already loved Suzanne but I really enjoyed the whole album. I like an idiosyncratic voice and the poetry is very stirring.

Fairly ok, excellent voice!

I first heard part of this album when I went to see McCabe and Mrs. Miller. I was taken with how well his songs added to the darkness of the film. The poetry in the songs here is what I’m drawn to. It’s so insightful and beautiful. Great production, too.

Folk music up to this point was stupid for me, but the musical accompaniment and deep lyrics of this album amazed me, and made it clear that there is no need to bypass the side of this genre. I can’t say that after this, I’ll only listen to folk music, but I won’t ignore it anymore. I consider this album a wonderful opportunity to study this genre of music.

i feel like i’m disrespecting Piero Scaruffi

Mixed feelings about this one because of a past relationship that went sour; they introduced me to Cohen. I love the melodies but they are repetitive, essentially a base on which to build Cohen's poetry. A lot is lost without hearing the words, making this not so much a background album, but art to be experienced with one's whole focus. I'm a big fan of the sisters of Mercy, who took their name from the Leonard Cohen song, and the name of their early singles compilation, Some Girls Wander by Mistake (into the mess that scalpels make), from another song on this album. Reconciling Cohen and Eldritch's philosophies and music has been an interesting thought experiment.

Boring

Fav song: Suzanne

Poetic but not my jam

One of the most normal Cohen albums. Wasn’t bad. Very relaxing.

It's a bit repetitive after a while. 2.5

He's very good at what he is doing but thoses songs aren't really my thing.

Amazing how high his vocal range is here compared to future songs. So Long Marianne a standout track. Always loved the folksy dream-like qualities of these earlier recordings. Like hearing classic literature as music

This is better than a lot of the "guy with a guitar" from this era, but I prefer his later work. 3.5 rounded down.

If you like your songs to be filled with religious motifs and to not vary in tone, then boy, is this the album for you! 2.5 stars rounding up.

very unenjoyable for me. every song sounds the same and they are hardly musical at all.

I know the famous Hallelujah and You Want it Darker, so was expecting the gravelly voice, and disappointed he didn't always sound like that. However the guitar playing is extremely cool and the songs do sound good. Teachers is probably my favourite 3 stars

Sometimes his voice creates a great atmosphere (telling stories at the campfire) and other times it distracts—some of his songs seem to want a more melodic voice. Would happily listen to again but wouldn’t go out of my way for. Some tracks overstay their welcome and not a lot stands out, but So Long, Marianne was delightful. Rating: 3

Resonant.

4.5/5

Cohen’s “My divorce just went final” face above pretty much sums up this album perfectly. This is sad, womp-womp music nonstop for 40 minutes. This was my first time listening to Leonard Cohen; I did not get the impression that he is some kind of virtuoso songwriter as I have been told. This record was Dylan-style folk with depressing lyrics and, strangely, lots of religious references. I didn’t care for much of any of it. 2/5

Theoretically I should love Leonard Cohen. But his voice bugs me, and I don’t find most of the music interesting. I think if he had confined himself to writing lyrics and left the music and singing to other people I would probably be a fan. I can’t really see myself choosing to listen this again.

I liked this, though it did get a bit samey by the end. It’s a chill, soft and story driven folk album worth listening to but probably not worth coming back to

First song stands way above the rest! but I liked it

I’m not sure I’m a Leonard Cohen guy. I’m also not a Lou Reed fan, and there are similarities to their styles: lyrically focused; minimalist; esoteric. I appreciated that this earlier work would have fit into the of Vietnam and questioning and Dylan and psychedelia. But outside the context of that period I’m not sure this one holds up as well. My key tracks were the opener Suzanne and The Stranger Song, which was more melodic with the finger-picking guitar. This album, for me, is adequate but I probably won’t remember to come back to it again.

Random thoughts: * I'm not sure if I'll be able to fill out 5 solid reviews for Leonard Cohen albums. Some artists are way over-leveraged in 1001. Leonard maybe just needs 2 max. * Suzanne and So Long, Marianne are the standout on this one. * I will be a broken record on Leonard Cohen: just skip the albums and hit the compilation albums, The Best Of Leonard Cohen and More Best Of. I've owned these ones for a long time. Not sure how I even got introduced to them but I remember a phase post 9/11 where I listened to these a lot. Which sounds about right. * Leonard Cohen is downer music overall and you got to be in the right mood for it. * Anyway, appreciate Leonard but just go to the hits.

What a debut of an album. Haunting, beautiful, legendary.

Loved it, was so peaceful

A bit miserable but lovely lyrics

He can’t really sing . It’s just him and a guitar playing songs that all blend together . This just should not work but it does

You know that scene from Animal House where Belushi destroys the guitar? That's what I think about. Just seems pretentious.

another first listen. i dont think ive heard any of these songs before. another artist ive been meaning to check out for ages. really nice sound. i can see why this is so beloved. his voice is lovely. the lyrics are great as well. favorite tracks: Master Song, The Stranger Song, Sisters of Mercy, Teachers

Leonard Cohen raised me. His music, his poetry, his voice, his soul. Everything he’s written is to be studied and absorbed. My heart is full because it devoured everything this man ever recorded. This album is so beautiful and wise. Always happy to revisit it.

Really really good - not for every day but so soothing

poetic masterpiece

Sorry if this is harsh, I would’ve given it 2.5 if possible. But then 3 feels too high. I think its great background noise and peaceful but (controversially?) quite boring. Also a lot of the lyrics that sound like poetry actually mean nothing when u think about them properly. I dont have an example nor will i provide one. Also making the best song on the album the very first one is just a recipe for disaster

I stopped my chores mid-way through track three and decided I'd give this a proper sat-down, distraction-free listen. The songs weave together images and phrases that circle round ideas and imagined objects rather than depict them directly. But the circling is hypnotic. Or, as my mum put it: "the thing about Leonard Cohen is he was clearly a shagger and a cunt." And the amazing thing about his music is that this does come across somehow, not in spite of but in harmony with the ethereal beauty of the lyrics and singing. Some of my favourite similes and metaphors from Cohen's dysfunctional and creative brain: "your love is some dust in an old man's cuff who is tapping his foot to a tune" "there's a highway that is curling up like smoke above his shoulder" "your hair upon the pillow like a sleepy golden storm" "I'm cold as a new razor blade"

How can you not love this album? Third time listening in my life and it just keeps getting better. Such poetry written by Mr. Cohen. Suzanne is such a beautiful song, I remember walking in the snow freshman year across the smaller bridge right by Fresh listening to this song,

Not bad just kinda boring

5++

A classical album featuring two classics, in my opinion, and otherwise more of the same. It’s lovely music, so I’m giving it 3 stars…