Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Gillade det mer än jag trodde ärligt talat! Så svag för amerikansk folk, och man märker att texterna verkligen är lysande. Vissa låtar är så vackra att man bara drömmer sig bort

pleasant, interesting, feels calm and safe

I felt like I was listening to a talented storyteller. Really enjoyed this one.

Great songwriter

Enjoyed this more than I expected. Very Bob Dylan/Johnny Cash-esk, more peaceful and calming but staying true with slightly depressing and existential sounding lyrics 7/10

s.s., 1969 -> 4

Vrlo mirno, ambijentalno i ugodno uhu

Liked this a lot, probably more than I expected to. His singing is great and the lyrics are very interesting. This is one where I see the appeal and understand the inclusion here.

This was a great album. Some of the best songwriting I maybe have ever heard. I like the minimal instrumentation. It compliments the storytelling well. I had to listen to it multiple times to get a focused listen. It's worth being attentive for, and the whole album paints a picture of a man's genuine, dim, appreciative, and lost perspective.

This is so beautiful, from what little I knew of Leonard Cohen I had no idea it would be so heartfelt. Gorgeous stripped back songs that feel like a man bearing the painful parts of his soul.

I really enjoyed this album. Very cozy, comforting acoustic folk. It was the perfect soundtrack to being cozy inside on a cold winter day.

Deep, man, deep.

Favorite Track: Suzanne

I don't get it. The music is limited. The vocals are limited. Most songs are almost indistinguishable from every other. I have no desire to listen to the whole thing again. And yet, I like it. Why is it so alluring? Why am I giving it four stars? I just must be predisposed to enjoy this, against my better instincts.

Not too bad. Reasonably enjoyable but I’m not sure if I’d listen to it again.

To misquote Blixa Bargeld of Neubauten, it's not often that I want to listen to Leonard Cohen, but when I do, there's nothing else I'd rather hear.

Confession: I own this album. I've never made it through it. I think I maybe got through Side A once. It's just such a HEAVY album. Dude had pathos.

’ve heard of Leonard Cohen my whole life, but it seems like he’s been old my whole life. As a kid, you don’t want to listen to old people's music, even though classic rock is nothing but old people's music. I’m sure I’ve heard Cohen songs because they’re a got to for movies and tv shows. But I’ve never sat down and listened to a full album. Songs of Leonard Cohen is a full album, his first album, and it's kind of what I expected, but better. It really reminded me of Simon & Garfunkel and the folk movement of the 60's, the spare instrumentation and the song lyrics being more poetry than song lyrics. Each song tells a story, with some easier to decipher than others. For instance, The Stranger Song is about a time he met two women on the street who needed a place to stay and invited them to his aprtment/room. Sounds like a Penthouse letter, doesn’t it? While the two women slept in his bed, he sat and wrote The Stranger Song. It was finished by the time they woke up. Besides the incredible poetry in his songs, a lot of the music is acoustic guitars in a folk style of the 60s. In fact, Cohen actually wanted the instrumentation to be even more sparse, but the producer used strings and drums on several tracks. Cohen was furious when he heard drums. He wanted no drums used on this album, but I think it all works. If there weren’t other sounds to break up the acoustic guitars, I think the songs would get monotonous. I think this is an album you need to hear before you die. If you’re in the right mood, I can see this being your favorite new album. In fact, this is Fall music to me. It sounds like something you’d put on with a hot toddy and a roaring fire and watch the leaves or snow fall. If you’ve never heard Cohen before, this is a great place to start.

On one hand, Cohen's tunesmithing is best described as "uncommitted," and I can't tell whether he really *can't* sing or just isn't trying hard enough. Just like his characters, he has to make everything hard for himself. On the other hand, what characters! Cohen's poetry cements him as an heir of the Beats - tales of addicts, vagabonds, ladies of moral turpitude, boys who fell in with the bad crowd, all seesawing between depravity and ecstasy. No wonder this album has been a mainstay of bohemians (actual or aspiring) for half a century now.

Leonard Cohen is who Bob Dylan wishes he was. Usually I have a distaste for 60's Folk, but I'm extremely surprised that I enjoyed this album... 4 stars?

Amazing but after five songs it’s too depressing, gotta take a break

Some eerie folk, perfect even (if unnerving) for the winters night walk that I listened to it during. 4 stars

Leonard is an interesting guy. Great lyrics and very understated arrangements. Not something I would listen to every day but in the right mood it is very moving.

He's very good at what he does but not quite good enough here - not fully formed. Again, very good but some of the narrative tics reveal themselves like when you can tell when a supposedly abstract pattern repeats itself, breaking the illusion. Small thing but it took me out of the otherwise great work. Very of 1967 and also of any time at any point.

WOW

Leonard Cohen has achieved legendary status in the realm of folk music. This album is an excellent example of 1960s folk music.

I love Leonard Cohen, even though I'm leaning more towards his later material. Of his very early records, this, his debut - aptly named Songs of Leonard Cohen - is his best. It's not perfect; not all of the songs are equally good, but any album with songs like Suzanne, The Stranger Song, Sisters of Mercy, and So Long, Marianne deserves an above average rating at least. So this is 4/5.

En principio debo decir que me gusta más la música de la última etapa de Leonard Cohen, un estilo mucho más oscuro y blusero. Este álbum tiene una esencia más folk. Sin embargo me encontré disfrutándolo mucho. Tiene un energía muy relajada y melancólica, perfecta para el día en que me tocó escucharlo, una primavera fresca pero nublada y con lluvia. Las letras tienen una poesía más tradicional de la época (sobre amor y desamor), siendo que Leonard Cohen ha tenido su reconocimiento por escribir sobre contenido político y de consciencia social. La voz suena muy limpia y joven. Me gusta que no intenta impostar nada en la voz, en muy sencilla, y con el paso de los años simplemente la dejó madurar naturalmente. Insisto en que prefiero al Leonard Cohen en sus últimos álbumes, pero esta es una linda experiencia de escucha.

Romantic, meloncholy, moving. Lovely album but one I'm probably picking and choosing song to when I'm in a sad sad mood.

Contemplative autumn vibes - slow, nostalgic, and warm. Light a fire, pour a whisky or a cup of tea, and let time linger.

Fremragende debut.

This year (2025) I had a moment where I was really obsessed with the final track on this album, "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong". The lyrics are so manic and oddly specific that when I first heard it I had to play it again and I did over and over, and then I learned the lyrics and then I memorized the chords so I could play it and then I paused and thought "ok it's a good song but take your time bub". It was definitely one of my obsession songs for this year of my life. Usually I'd copy and paste some specifically poignant lyrics over into here but I think I'd end up copying the whole track because they are all good. There's a lot of storytelling on the album. While I love a good singer-songwriter, sometimes the focus on telling a story tends to be one of the facets that make me not love the genre and a reason why it's been hard for me at times to fully embrace acts like Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, and Leonard Cohen. In my opinion the hard part of this focus on storytelling in music is that it has to get so many things right for it to click with me. It has to be a good story of course, but it has to be believable too (I need to believe that there is some kind of true lived experience here, like it's hard for me to hear about a folk country songwriter talk about a hard upbringing when he grew up in a mansion), it has to be good enough that I want to go back and revisit (how many times can you watch the same movie before you want something new?), and it has to be musical enough that I get pulled in and it's not just someone talking over chords. Thankfully, when Leonard Cohen gets it right, he really gets it right, like on "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong". I'm pretty sad today even though I've gotten some great news over the past week. I'm moving soon and my usual sentimental self is starting to mourn the end of my time at the apartment that I've called home with my wife for over a decade, and today is the day where it's first hit me as I'm packing things up. This record was a really nice listen as I spent my day working / packing / reminiscing while I'm putting away random polaroids, random concert tickets, random trinkets that I've collected, and random memories I've made with friends in this place. This was a really nice accompaniment to today.

Impeccable lyrics, nothing to write home about instrumentally but it gets the job done

I really, really like Leonard's voice and delivery. The guitar playing is soothing and technical. Lyrics run the gambit from thought provoking to a bit try-hard. Fairly enjoyable listen.

Great album, didn’t love every song but appreciated the lyricism and melody to most songs.

I find myself bewitched by how much I've liked this album. Some songs are simply beautiful... And that's not a simple thing at all, to be fair. Some songs are not much interesting musically, but, as an overall, the album is fantastic. Most of the songs are a delight, with such precious arrangements. It's a really warm and beautiful album, for sure. Even if there are songs that haven't convinced me, I must say I've liked it a lot.

He’s going to bring you lyrics every time.

cool, calm and collected

Soft and pleasant.

Fantastic album. My first intro to Leonard Cohen's music was his work from the early 00s and it's just terrible. The poetry is there but it's incredibly hokey when paired with whatever budget instruments it sounds like he's using. But here, in his prime, he's fantastic.

Tykkään kovin Cohenin alkupään levyistä, kun niistä huokuu herran countrytausta yhdistettynä tällaiseen kivaan runoiluun. Ihan viittä tähteä vaikea antaa, koska kappaleita vaikea tulkita ja saada täysin tarinoista kiinni. Mutta jos vähän jaksaa tutkia tarkoituksia kappaleiden takaa, niin saa paljon enemmän irti. Lähes täydellinen levy omaan makuun. Ei mikään helppo levy kovinkaan monen tykätä.

Cohenin melankolinen ääni pääsee hyvin oikeuksiinsa, kun soittimia lähinnä käytetään tukemaan kappaleiden sanomaa. Haikeaa ja tehokasta.

I really enjoyed Suzanne and Winter Lady! This was a cool album.

Suzanne is a beautiful start to the album. A lovely atmosphere. There is generally a beautiful quality and solitude to many of the tracks, early on in the album especially. Enjoyed the folksy turn on So Long, Marianne bar the backing vocals. The Teachers was weaker though. All told a very good album, though maybe the less Leonard inclined would score it lower.

I need to be in the right mood for Leonard, but damn, when I am? I find that few songwriters match his prowess. 4/5

Good stuff

Cohen's music is unimitable. There's such a warm vibe that collides with a sense of drama and tension that only he can deliver so perfectly.

This guy heard Bob Dylan and told himself "Yeah, this guy really isn't depressed enough".

Et veldig fint og koselig album. Perfekt for høsten.

If only he could sing too

I could listen to So Long, Marianne every day.

There’s something about this that I just really like. Good guitar skills. The lyrics are good too. Fun and interesting and introspective. I saved a lot of songs "Suzanne" "The Stranger Song" "So Long, Marriane" and "Teachers" but I'm only going to rate it 4/5 stars because I don't think I would ever just throw this record on.

Not his best but still beautiful.

sehr ruhig, schön

Avskalat, inlevelsefullt och bra storytelling om man tar sig tid att lyssna på texterna. Suzanne och So long, Marianne (bästa låten) sticker ut och hade önskat ett par till av den kalibern, men en fyra åt det lite svagare hållet blir det oavsett.

Okay I knew I loved Suzanne and So Long Marianne, but That’s No Way to Say Goodbye and One of us Cannot be Wrong are amaaazinggg. I don’t know. Lyrically it’s almost too much to take in, and I like him best when he’s singing about love vs other existential topics… not a perfect five for me but I really love these love songs. “Walk me to the corner, our steps will always rhyme” 🥹

If anything, I'll leave this list a Leonard Cohen fan.

Bob Dylan from a more accessible time line. But not as good. Still good though.

Pretty solid

The album is like a dish that's too rich to eat in one setting. Here's some palate cleansers: The Jarvis Cocker radio show where he speaks with Leonard Cohen is quite good. Leonard has a dry sense of humor to accompany his wisdom. The highlight of the show, however, is Betty LaVette's version of Sleep to Dream. Check it out. Leonard Cohen's paternal grandfather was born in the same town in Poland - Suwalki - as two of my great-grandfathers (one Catholic, one Jewish, both fleeing Cossacks conscripting young men into the Tsar's army.) The area is known for having the shortest distance between Belarus and Kaliningrad. This chokepoint is of great strategic importance to NATO. My former therapist did a 10 day silent retreat where it turned out one of the other retreaters was Leonard Cohen. The experience of sharing space with one of his heroes without being able to speak to him had meaning which I have forgotten. Back to the record itself: so many good songs, taken all together a bit overwhelming.

That's more like it: low-key, tuneful musical accompaniment to chronic depression. This one has a couple of classics too.

It’s like a 3 or a 4. 3 if I’m actually listening to it and 4 if I’m trying to impress people. It's not as good as Madvillainy.

Very strong songwriting, haunting ballads, with some of his best songs.

Pretty interesting album. The lyrics are pretty poetic and conjure up some nice imagery. One that stands out is whisps of smoke looking like a highway. Music is pretty as well. Think what is the draw of this album is that that even if I don't understand what the lyrics mean, they make me want to find out. Also makes me interested in Leonard Cohen as a person as well, the context in which the songs are placed. All of that wouldn't really mean much if the music wasn't interesting which I'm glad to say it is while I am listening to it. Heaping a bunch of praise on this so think need to justify my 4 star rating, i think doesn't really have that wow factor for me. Quite a personal and intimate album and feel like if I related to it more or if there were stand out lyrics that put me in awe I would give it a 5 stars. Music as well while good also not really that interesting on its own to compensate for the lack of oomph power lol. But still good album and would like to look into the lyrics more when I have more time.

Soothing voice, interesting lyrics, somber delivery. Still a bit same-y through the whole album but did finish this one.

i see why he's so beloved! i might get this on vinyl. the music is all lovely and moody. the songs blend into one another for me in a sort of lullaby haze... a foggy night. overall very nice!

Getting this album after Tay Tay's 1989 gives me a bit of whiplash...I mean, I know this is thought of as a better album (a classic even) but can I say I enjoyed it more than 1989? Maybe not...but also maybe so. I dunno, man. I do know this is one of the albums I have from my mom's vinyl "collection" so it does hold a special place in my heart. And that's enough for me to round up. 3.5/5

A Canadian legend

Buen disco. Vibras tranquilas, tengo que volver a escucharlo prestando atención a las letras

3.7/chill vibes with good instrumentals. i like it

Len is so unique, he is a literally a poet, he uses his vocal limited as strengths. 4 Star.

Enjoyed this one a lot!

What a lovely album

8/10

yes

Nice and folky. A great poet accompanied by a steady timbre — it's an album experience that puts me beside a fireplace in a pub after a hike in the rainy, rolling hills.

Such a vibe and important artefact in music history

really nice!

Chilled if repetitive

I hadn't listened to this album all the way through. It was overall more spare than I was expecting.

4.3 oh leonard. for sure his best faves: suzanne, hey that's no way, so long marianne

Noen nydelige sanger her. Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne... Meget bra.

a great album - I should listen to it more! #albumsky #musicsky

Ugh. Leonard Cohen is such an amazing songwriter. All the feels on this one.

It's a great album, just not for now, or any time later, since I'm over my depression.

I can't wait to listen to this again and really absorb the lyrics. Perfect for a lazy Sunday with coffee, laundry, and a joint.

Un classique très agréable à écouter, mais néanmoins un peu monotone…

Never actually sat down and listened to Cohen despite reading about him for years. Praise warranted. This will be a great record for a long drive on a rainy day.

Enjoyed this

Lovely folk album, arrangements are beautiful and I love Cohen’s vocals. Need to relisten to fully digest the songwriting.

Hyvä albumi

Хороший альбом, гарні пісні. Мабуть лише Teachers не сподобалась.сподобалася

Musik zum Einlullen, aber ich fands deswegen nicht schrecklich. Hat sicher seinen Platz im Plattenschrank, aber man muss dafür auch in Stimmung sein

Molto bello. Non so se lo riascolterei tutto, ma pezzo per pezzo è veramente notevole. In più per me ha un grande valore sentimentale

musically it seems like they might as well have been improvising, but the poetry is good, and cohen has a good voice, so it actually works.

at times too monotone in my opinion but all in all a really beautiful and chill album

I like this album. The sounds are calming and I can see myself listening to it at a beautiful slow morning. But at the same time it is in a way predictible. Every song has the same whispery voice with some guitar accords in the brackground. Leonard Cohen is no men of surprises or new interpretations of what music can be. Dont get me wrong, I like his music, it warms my heart. But its nothing to hyperfixate about.

Almost hypnotic melodies with lyrics which make you work to uncover the layers of meaning

23/1089 - birthday album ☺️😅 really enjoying his vocals, the reverb on it with the instrumentals is so atmospheric. The Lana Del Rey fan in me is loving these first couple songs. The Stranger Song is great, the rapid guitar plucking in the background works so well will his deep voice and rambly lyrics over the top not a fan of the clock/creaking sounds in Sisters of Mercy but the guitar and Cohen himself sound good Teachers has a very nervous and unsettled energy which is enthralling This being a debut album is pretty wild, it doesn’t have that feeling at all in a positive way That was a pretty magical project and i can hear the influence it’s had on artists I adore like Lana etc the only reason it’s 4 stars and not 5 is that it had a section of songs from Sisters of Mercy to Stories of the Street that didn’t stand out/click to me faves: The Stranger Song, Teachers, Suzanne least fave: Sisters of Mercy 4 stars or 81/100

First album I liked of his tbh.

Nice album! Dylan-esque.

What an amazing poet/songwriter Was not a fan when this came out, I was 13 I rediscovered this lp in the mid 70s and had a big change of heart Listen to this and know what a wonderful poet he was We need Leonard Cohen today

This is my second Leonard Cohen album. I loved “You Want It Darker” and gave it 5 stars. I knew this would be very different from that record, and it surely is. Initially I wasn’t that into it, but after a couple of songs I got into the vibe. Listening on my AirPods helped, I think, to appreciate the accompaniment more than I would’ve otherwise, and I found it almost a hypnotic experience. I won’t rate it above YWID, but I do get the love for his music.

🥰

Suzanne is a good track Edit Apr 10 2026: 3 --> 4. I am growing to quite like Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen's voice is not very... Good. I hate to say it, but it's never clicked with me. On his final album, You Want it Darker, it worked in the greater context of that album. Here it just sounds... Fine, at best. But his songwriting is so beautiful that it makes up for the weaker singing. It's evocative, the stories are thoughtful and artfully written. You can tell he was a poet before turning to music. "So Long Marianne" and "The Stranger Song" are probably my favorites.

Leonard Cohen is a poet, and Songs Of Leonard Cohen is evidence of that.

love his voice

Quiet but charming. Goes places no-one else goes quite so well. Fs: Suzanne

Now I get the Leonard Cohen thing!

Basically a superior version of his second album which I heard first, he’s a great storyteller and the acoustic guitar works so well as background noise, I find you can either go deep into Cohens lyrics or just simply enjoy the tame sound of his voice with the music in the background, favourites: master song, the stranger song, sisters of mercy, stories of the street and one of us cannot be wrong. Overall, 7/10.

Loved this a lot, gorgeous tone, amazing song writer. I do firm understand its spot in this list and Cohen proves his ability on this album. It melts in the background and eases the soul, at least it did for mine.

Very beautiful, pensive, poetic. good for the winter months but not something i constantly want to listen to

Dad- 7 Mom- 8 Mike- NA Lori- 7 Michael- 8 Miles- 7 Cole- NA Avg- 7.4

Better than I remembered it. It felt underwhelming when I listened to it as a teen, but his world makes more sense to me now. There are some really good songs, although the arrangements are dated, and it conveys a poetic imagination that forces me to think about what he is saying

De superbes chansons à texte. Je connaissais déjà bien, mais une énième me fait réaliser 2 choses. 1) le hand picking style flamenco de Cohen. Très joli. 2) la monotonie de l'album. D'où le 4 étoiles. Dans le style chansons à texte, je préfère Dylan.

Du bon Leonard! Malheureusement je trouve l’instrumentation un peu simple sur certaines pièces. Ça donne toute la place à sa poésie, mais c’est moins pour moi. La meilleure clairement: So Long, Marianne. Aussi bien aimé Stories of the Street.

Muy agradable, es un género musical para mí delicado porque muchas veces me cuesta y se me llega a hacer aburrido, pero sin duda, Leonard Cohen era un genio y es una pasada de álbum

Suzanne

Total classic. Beautiful music and words

Cohen has always felt slow to me. Recently, I’ve been feeling slower than ever before. I enjoyed this a lot more this time around, but not sure I’ll revisit very often.

it's raining out and this album is perfect

Han er meget ikonisk for at have stille og rolig klavespil og guitar for at fremhæve hans stemme. Minder mig meget om Nick Drake. Han skriver meget emotionelle sange med stor følelsesmæssig dybde som man stadig kan resonere med i dag. Han har inspireret mange store artister bla bob dylan. også på tværs af genre. Jeg synes egentlig det er meget godt og rigtig hyggeligt at lytte til.

Not Bad. Most of his songs are mood songs for me, meaning I have to be in the right mindset to listen. But I do appreciate his poetry. Once in a while it is good for a listen.

Such a wild era of songwriting. Cohen is up there with the best

Poetry, yes. Music? Barely. Poetry to music? Yes.

Didn't enjoy at first, but after a few songs it set in. Gives Bob Dylan, saved a few songs, really made me realize how complicated music has become where this was just very simple with a nice emphasis on the lyrics.

I liked it! Had a “gather ‘round for story time with peepaw” vibe that I dig.

This is what I feel like people think Bob Dylan is. Yeah he's not the greatest vocalist, but the lyrics and atmosphere are amazing.

What if every Beatles song was Eleanor Rigby? Introducing: Leonard Cohen. He’s spinning yarns. The Stranger Song slaps. He’s getting some good lines in, surprising rhymes (often all I need to be impressed, because we’ve been rhyming in English so long now). Is every song about a woman he feels bad for? Bc if so fair play. A wet Bob Dylan? Stories of the Street is excellent, as is One of Us Cannot Be Wrong. GOD, do I like Leonard Cohen? I think I might you know.

I can be quite binary with my choices, I’m Sopranos over the Wire. Simpsons over Futurama. Beatles over Beach Boys. So out of the two verbose (Jewish) folk men of the 60s, I’m pure Dylan and so have just had no interest really in Cohen. That’s quite a surface comparison really, they’re very very different, but I’m quite surface subconsciously so here we are. I thought this was a Great album. The male companion piece to Joni Mitchell’s Blue (I’d say Mitchell is a better surface companion to Cohen. Canadian. Steeped in literary tradition. Stripped back.) This is a definite re-listen. It’s simple, it’s pure, it’s full of Longing oh my god. Maybe a better comparison is the musical Phillip Roth? This is deeply up my street. Will it stick due to my unconscious bias? Hard to tell. I don’t want to give it a 5. Maybe because it’s the hottest day of the year. One of Us Must Be Wrong is beautiful though.

Лиричный фолк под гитару

Masters Song is so good. I never really gave LC a chance before but this is a great debut for a poet.

Another one that reminds me of car journeys with my family. I know people sometimes struggle with his voice but I like it and I really enjoy the style of these songs. On the first listen I did feel like a whole album of music in that style is too much for me, but on a relisten I didn’t feel that at all - maybe one I just have to be in the right mood for. Fav song: So Long, Marianne - this is winning due to nostalgia, one we would sing along to in the car. I also liked Suzanne and The Stranger Song Least fav: Winter Lady

I really like Leonard Cohen, and this album was no exception. I love what he does with the harmony in his songs -- lots of unexpected chord changes and lots of spooky, cool-sounding atmospheres and stories told with music. I wish he was a more talented vocalist, but he is a brilliant poet, so that helps to make up for it. I listened to it twice. Four stars.

Loved this album from the Get Go! Funky bass and percussion will always win me over. A jet service straight to the 1970’s. Elements of the Caribbean mingle in the streets of Latina America and the American Ghettoes. The perfect combination for an all round sound of funky soulful reggaeish beats x

i was worried about this because i didn’t like the other two albums of his that we’ve had on this list. but this was great.

Great Songwriting

Some great poetry put into songs on this album by the wordsmith.

Tenk at så mange av de klassiske Cohen-sangan va å finne allerede på debutalbumet. Også litt overraska over at æ aldri har hørt på det her før, all den tid æ elska første Tom Waits-albumet og va svak for tidlig Dylan. Æ likte det godt nok til at det ikke e utenkelig at æ høre på det av fri vilje ved en seinere anledning.

Suzanne one of the best songs ever

Great shit

Really good

Pretty good. Makes me want to listen to more Cohen

folksy, old school, lots of dad songs

Great Leonard Cohen

Great collection of songs with brilliant lyrics.

Дебютний та перший у, так званій, трилогії «Songs…». Альбом що став взірцем мінімалістичної естетики. У його піснях - майже нічого, окрім голосу та гітари Коена, що змушує зосередитися на грі слів та його «гірко-солодкій» подачі. Співи Леонарда просякнуті тривожністю та меланхолією, а мінорна гітара тільки додає смутку. Це зовсім не той альбом який слухаєш «через музику», бо в цьому сенсі він є занадто стриманим. Головна його сила це звісно ж вірші Коена. В них ви знайдете образи розбитого серця, самотності, та купу релігійного символізму. Звісно, що найбільш «тріумфальним» серед трилогії є Songs Of Love and Hate, але саме дебютний альбом вважається найвпливовішим. Їм здебільшого надихались, та на нього орієнтувались такі зірки як Ренді Ньюман та Джеф Баклі. Ньюман навіть пародіював трек Suzanne, який також перероблювали R.E.M., а величний готичний гурт - Sisters Of Mercy назвалися так на честь 5-го треку цього альбому.

I wanna smoke cigarettes and read Leonard Cohen poetry please

What a debut. A total vibe. Utterly transportative. The music is kinda secondary to the lyrical narrative and that is a-ok to me....(And it heavily influenced Andrew Eldritch's The Sisters of Mercy, so....)

Good album, loved the voice and the guitar

I'm surprised it's taken 366 albums to get to Leonard Cohen. Hope we get some of his later stuff down the road, but this is a great album.

First time listening, quite a treat, Ingenious fascinating lyrics

Kinda samey.

A gorgeous debut by one of the great singer-songwriters of Canada, and the world!

This was very good for the time it was released. Love the triplet picking songs (The Stranger Song particularly) and the lyrics just seem more weighty than other late 60s artists. He has a deepish voice but nothing compared to his later stuff so I don't think Leonard quite has the same presence here as he'd develop in future albums. Would be happy to listen again but it's not a style I listen to a lot of, 3.5.

Thought this was pretty great. Cohen is one of the artists from this list that was a complete blind spot for me prior to starting this. I'll be back to this to listen properly but it's at least a 4

Classic but not my favorite album of his

such a beautiful mind

listened to again still brilliant poetry

4- Stars (10/15)

Glad to finally dig in to the Cohen catalogue. The lyrics are exceptional but I can’t imagine I’ll be adding it to my workout playlist.

Порой немного заунывно, но в целом можно включать изредка под грустное романтическое настроение. 6,5 из 10.

dylan of the darkness

I wasn't really impressed by this on immediate first impression, but it's really grown on my very fast. I originally thought this might have made this list just as a precursor to what Leonard Cohen would eventually release, but this does absolutely stand on its own! I do really love an acoustic guitar and vocal heavy folk album. Keeping it simple really lets small things be major highlights to an album, like his guitar plucking skills or lyricism (both of which are very good). The album never really blows me away though, which is something that I was really hoping and *wanting* it to do. It's incredibly consistent, with only the final couple moments of the final song really being noticeably not good. It also helps this style is in my comfort zone; my wheelhouse, so it's really easy for me to listen to. Favorite Song(s): Winter Lady, Stories of the Street

OVERALL: The lyrics are basically the only reason I'm rating it as high as I am. I don't really know what I was expecting, but I was a lot more bored than I was hoping. The songs are very beautiful, but a lot of them suffer from being very boring. Cohen also isn't the best at singing. Some of these songs took way too long, even though the album is only around 42 minutes long. The instrumentals were usually fine, but they were usually pretty boring. This album really shines in the lyrics, which are always good, and are usually great. Unfortunately, they aren't enough to carry the entire album to be perfect. They are enough to bring it from a 3 to a 4, so that's good I guess. SONG AVG: 7.45 PERSONAL RATING: 7/10 Suzanne: Very beautiful, and the lyrics are pretty good. It is kinda boring, and Cohen sounds very tired, but everything else is too good for me to give it anything lower. 9.25/10 Master Song: I feel like all of the songs are gonna be like this, objectively good but boring. Very good lyrics, and the guitar is kinda basic, but it also sounds okay and gives it a very eerie atmosphere. I also don't really like Cohen's singing that much, and it kinda drags on for too long. 7.75/10 Winter Lady: The instrumental is so far the best by far, but the lyrics are much more simple. It feels like an interlude, but is still pretty beautiful. 7/10 The Stranger Song: I don't know how I feel about this song. I like the instrumental, but it's very repetitive and becomes pretty boring after a minute. The lyrics are very good, but I feel like they didn't need to be stretched to be 5 minutes long. Other than that, I feel the same about this one as I do about the previous songs. 7.5/10 Sisters of Mercy: It's good. Really nice instruments, and the lyrics are obviously great. I feel like his voice gets covered by the instrumentals, but that's not too much of a problem. It also doesn't drag on for too long 9.5/10 So Long, Marianne: I haven't heard much of Leonard Cohen's music before, so I think this is what I was expecting. Really good overall, his singing is actually not that bad. Great backing vocals, great instrumental, great lyrics. It kinda drags on, but it doesn't really harm the song at all. 10/10 Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye: Okay, this is kinda mid. I like some parts of the instrumental, especially when it does the thing at around 1:50, but it's pretty boring otherwise. I just really don't like his singing here. I also feel like the lyrics are a bit worse and more simple than before. I guess it sounds good? 5/10 Stories of the Street: The last song but better. His singing is pretty bad, but the instrumental is better and the lyrics are really good. It's also kinda boring, but that's to be expected at this point. 7/10 Teachers: Good I think? The instruments bring a small level of intensity, but this feels so much like a filler song. I feel like he took a few leftover lyrics, slightly modified them, and tried to make them relate. The lyrics are pretty good, but everything is just kinda decent. 6.25/10 One of Us Cannot Be Wrong: What is happening after the last verse. Other than that, it's fine. Kinda boring. The one part where someone is moaning semi-melodically seriously brings the song down. 5.25/10

Fint å gjøre lineær algrbra til :)

classic album. suzanne is just too good

Hey thats no way to say goodbye is a special one to me. This album has good stories in it - much more meditative/meanery and is lyrically great! Yay

Gotta listen to this by a river ASAP

Sometimes I doubt this guy but this album ..... undoubted ever again

Really enjoyed this all around. Apparently I'm a fan now.

this is a great album. the sparseness of the arrangements is great in imparting a real clarity to things. probably not an album that I'm going to revisit a ton as I'm just personally a little less interested in this sort of folk thing, but a great listen for this project.

Didn’t finish but great lyrics from the ones I did. Marianne is a bop.

Definitely a Leonard Cohen album. I'm a fan. So long, Marianne was my favourite

Ethan has loved this album for as long as I can remember. Every time I hear "Suzanne," I think of him. Like the rest of the album, this song embodies a beautifully sad feeling. It is full of love but a touch of somberness, almost like the feeling you get when you remember you will never get a moment again, or a sort of nostalgia. That feeling is evoked for me time and time again throughout the album. It is the combination of humble instrumentation, his soft voice, beautiful lyrics, and fluttery backing vocals. Although I am not a fan of folk/spoken word adjacent music, I really appreciate this album. My favorite track was "So Long, Marianne".

Wonderful album

Somber and poetic. Melancholy, but so good, able to tap into something special.

Some very subtle, but complex instrumentation on this album. Dark, beautiful songs. A classic folk album without doubt. Favourite tracks: Master Song; So Long, Marianne; Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye; Teachers; One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Subtle, poetic and engaging. Brilliant as a debut album. Undoubtedly influenced generations to come.

Canadian Bob Dylan? Maybe Bob Dylan is the American Leonard Cohen

Mies ja kitara toimi hyvin. On sillä vaan upea ääni. Tykkäsin!

Tiettyyn fiilikseen oikein sopiva. Muutamassa kappaleessa pientä paikallaan junnaamista, mutta oikein hyvä. 4

Hieno albumi! Miellyttävä ääni ja kappaleet ovat tarinanomaisia kertomuksia. Huomaa että Cohen oli alunperin kirjailija.

Excellent debut. Leonard Cohen got wiser, and more haunting, with age but that doesn't mean he was a fool to start. I'm sure he'd call himself a fool to the end, though

Not as good grizzled end of his life Cohen, but I settled into it. He started his career in one style and never differentiated from it. And I like it. This really feels like a man telling the story of beginning of a lifetime, a lot of songs have the religious imagery he’s known for but there’s a lot of mentions of “you” or a woman, like a young man whos thoughts are always undercut by love or relations. Strengthened by his later works like You Want It Darker which is clearly the end of one. I may not know Leonard Cohens whole life story, but I understand it.

He’s alive this time! This is good. Goat lyricist, instrumentals ranging from bad to sick. This album started really sleepy and boring but it really picked up for me at Stranger song. That and sisters of mercy were so good. Everything after those two held my attention. Maybe I just need to warm up to Leonard when I listen to him, idk, the first three were better on the run back than I remembered. I like the death album more but this is great. I love the random instruments he sneaks in. It’s a high 4, I might need to re rate the death album a 5 and make this a 5 too. TBD.

I need to listen to Leonard more, this album was great and set a great mood.

Like a tamer, less experimental Simon and Garfunkel. Decent album but it didnt really stand out compared to others I’ve heard in the same “genre”

Not as good I as I used to think it was.

4/5, 2nd half of album was better me thinks

Very surprised by this! I’ve heard about Cohen for years, but was never interested in his music. This album is so nice and folksy, with deep and interesting lyrics. Some unique sound choices.

Fantastic record

Very good

Hypnotic album, flied by really fast

4/5. The highlight is clearly the lyrics, imagery is vivid and his voice feels young and naive yet experienced. The main issue is that Leonard kind of sticks with the same way of saying things which although can have a certain energy to it, it ends just being monotone. I respect the music arrangements, with some backing vocals or unique instrument. I think it's almost perfect but the vocals are not doing it for me. Best Song: So Long Marianne, Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy

Красиво, поэтично, вдумчиво.

-1 point for using my vocals at the end of One of Us Cannot Be Wrong without my permission??? His rotting corpse can talk to my fuckin lawyer.

Nice

Amazing album with consistency. Every song was at leats good and the lyrics are just on very high level. About 8.5-9/10.

Chill

æi, hata að ég elskaði þessa plötu. á samt skilið 4.

Beautiful, mournful songs, Cohen has a great voice. It's a petty quibble, but the songs are so consistently bleak... other singer-song writers can be more fun to sing along with.

4.2 As I read through the wikipedia write up there was this review "There are three brilliant songs, one good one, three qualified bummers, and three flaming shits." I think you could say that about a lot of the albums we review in this exercise. But I would disagree with that sentiment for this album, the bottom-end stuff I still think is fairly interesting and unique on their own.

a man that sing about life 8 out of ten

Instrumentals are simple but great. The singing is also good and not too obstructive. Favourite songs: Suzanne, master song, winter lady, sisters of mercy, so long, Marianne, hey, that's no way to say goodbye, stories of the street, teachers, one of us cannot be wrong. Goblins type music exactly. Overall around 8/10

An absolute masterclass in lyrical and musical excellence. But imagine the hubris required to think HE was the best person to sing his songs. Fantastic songwriting, suboptimal execution.

This is good, but I’m not sure if I like it. It’s depressing and I’m in the mood for depressing currently. Winter lady was very enjoyable towards the end of the song. Sisters of mercy is great. I’m definitely taking a journey with this album. I feel like I need to explore more to really get it. Now I’m on “hey that’s no way….” And I’m noticing a trend that a lot of times I don’t enjoy the first couple tracks on an album, but towards the end I’m all in. That’s happening here. I’m not sure if I require a warm up period or if that’s how the albums were designed? And just like that stories of the street lost me. 🤣

very much enjoyed

Can't go wrong with Leonard Cohen's songwriting

Cohen said about Dylan’s Nobel literature award:“To me, it is like pinning a medal on Mount Everest for being the highest mountain” Cohen can be second highest.

A solid folk album. I already knew "Suzanne" and "So Long, Marianne" and love both of them. They're still far and away the two highlights for me, but the other songs by and large didn't disappoint. That said, "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" sounds much too similar to "Suzanne". I know Cohen is more of a poet than a musician, but I'll be honest, I didn't dissect the lyrics of every song. I might explore them in more detail in the future. Fav tracks: Suzanne, Master Song, The Stranger Song, So Long Marianne

Great!

I really like Leonard Cohen and this was one of the better of his albums.

Terrific record. Another reason to love 1967!

A great debut album from a songwriting legend. A couple of duds but all in all an impressive album.

Excellent. Very good songwriting. The music is a bit the same. But overall very nice.

Absolute poetry set to pleasant music. One of Canada's finest. My only EXTREMELY MINOR gripe is the songs all sound about the same. But it's a nice sound.

Had heard the name but never any of his music. Highly enjoyable

Pretty great. Gets a little boring after a few songs especially since I wasn’t paying close enough attention to the lyrics. But he has a such a vibe

This gets a 4 because of So Long, Marianne. The rest are ok

Glad I gave it 2 listens, appreciated it more the 2nd time. Solid 4 stars nice slow sad stuff.

Good stuff, I like this Cohen geezer.

Ja mooi

I really liked this. The sparse arrangements really give his voice that much more impact. A lot of the lyrics seem a bit cryptic - I'd like to spin it again and listen more intently.....but didn't have the desire to replay immediately. 4.5 stars.

The deep voice and the gentle guitar mar for a nostalgic and tranquil album.overall,a very cohesive album but one major element I disliked would be the boatload of relegious references.

I loved this album and I love how Leonard Cohen has a very distinctive sound from any other artist who sings and plays an acoustic guitar. I feel that this album is not as eerie as 'Songs of Love and Hate', but it does present more of the beautiful melodies while having the same type of obscure lyrics (from what I could understand) Really good album

I’m more familiar with Songs From A Room, but this album’s really got the songs. I don’t know how anyone could write anything as good as Stranger Song. We truly didn’t deserve Leonard Cohen.

It must be Canadia week here at the 1001 Albums Generator. I got Alanis Morissette and Leonard Cohen twice this week alone. I liked this album a lot more than Songs From a Room. This guy gets the folk thing down pat. Not much to say, other than I wish he sang with more emotion like fellow Canadian folk singer/songwrite Joni Mitchell. 3.5/5 which means 4/5

Beautiful poetry after beautiful poetry. I don’t know why I had never really checked out Leonard Cohen before today but it was absolutely worth it. The Stranger Song and Teachers were absolutely beautiful compositions of dancing guitars and Leonard’s fantastic story telling.

Ok

goeie

Topp

Surprised that l liked this and would listen again, apparently i love weird melancholy. Low 4. Faves: the stranger song, sisters of mercy, one of us cannot be wrong.

I have other Leonard Cohen albums but not this one. I really like it! Will be adding it to my library.

7,58

Thoroughly enjoyed and will be listening again

Might like Cohen eventually ! I enjoyed this one, nice songs, lyrics and ballads

I love the melancholy of Leonard Cohen, always gives me such a sweet sad atmosphere to listen to :)

Initially it was all a bit too "samey-samey", however as the album progressed, the tracks started to differentiate themselves. Definitely a mood. I enjoyed the listen and would go back to the well again. Maybe I should start smoking… Highlight: Teachers Lowlight: The Stranger Song

Beautiful. Makes me feel things. Maybe too many things. That rare album that gets better and more engaging as it goes on too.

Nigdy nie posądzałem się o to, że męskie singer-songwriter mogą mi się podobać. Nie jest to gatunek, którego słucham. A tu nagle świetne noty dla Casha, Springsteena, a teraz dla Cohena. Słuchałem tego kilka razy i nie ukrywam, że cała płyta trochę się dla mnie zlewa, przez to, że utwory brzmią bardzo podobnie do siebie, niemal w pełni skupione na głosie Cohena (choć nie brakuje ładnych instrumentali, jak chociażby "Winter Lady", które akurat teraz leci, kiedy to piszę). A mimo to jest to album, do którego będę wracał. Nie tak często, jak do moich ulubionych odkryć z tej listy, ale na pewno raz na jakiś czas przypomnę sobie o piosenkach Leonarda Cohena i puszczę sobie w spokojny, ciepły wieczór taki, jak dzisiaj.

Classic album by the Canadian songwriting storyteller. Highlight song: Suzanne.

The Songs of Leonard Cohen is Cohen's debut, which lead to his remarkably fast path to stardom. He was a well established, famous novelist and poet before he stepped into music, and his poetic talents were central element of his successful musical career. Cohen's songs are somber, introspective stories, delivered in Cohen's deep monotone. The album opens with "Suzanne," one of the songs that helped make Cohen famous. Judy Collins included the song on her album, My Life, and encouraged Cohen to start performing.

Mesmerizing lyrics, stripped down production. I liked it a lot but a little too heady for me personally.

Gostei, uma vibe boa e um folk divertido

This album had most of the songs I liked from the best of Leonard Cohen. It can be a bit samey and the religious imagery is overdone, but I liked it.

Honestly kind of loved it. It was lovely.

Love this looooove it

He is the man of the power spoken word album.

A lot of song writers are called poets, and Leonard Cohen might be the most deserving of that title.

3/1089 - Voice is nice, not a fan of the lip smacking though. The yelling on the final song at the end was bizarre. Other than that, very nice guitar playing with tasteful orchestration sketches throughout. Overall an enjoyable experience.

Plaintive soundtrack.... early gold

Leonard Cohen is like is Bob Dylan was actually good. “So Long, Marianne” is one of my all time favorite songs, but there’s some other good stuff here.

Haven't listened to this whole album in a few years. "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy", "So Long, Marianne" are classics. Appreciated "The Stranger Song" and "Teachers" this go around. Listening to these songs back to back in an album does make them sound "samey" although that is a great sound- of Leonard Cohen's poetry and acoustic guitar. Just wished there was a little more instrumental variation throughout.

Bob Dylan but better

Beautiful album with songs that I don’t know that I could listen to often. The instrumentals were absolutely lovely.

Lenny always was a sad and old huh. This has all the charm of Dylan, with none of the nasally voice, so he's good in my books.

Mellan 4 och 5.

He’s good at what he does and lyrics etc just not my thing

Reminds animals

beautiful, poetic music. very country ish

Great songwriting and storytelling

Even when you don’t feel like it, you can’t help but be moved by the words and different chords

I love Leonard Cohen. He's like Dylan's less sophisticated uncle who may just be holding back to spare you some additional angst. I could listen to him for hours.

Just a great voice and sound. Didn't have as much time as I would've liked to give it a second listen.

Ahh I lost my review. It was some thing like this. His voice cuts through much like his piercing stare on the cover. This is a debut album?! Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye - this track has great melodies. The production isn't polish perfect but I kind of like that. Pretty close to a 5

Great list of songs by a classic word smith

Morose, but beautiful.

Calm; great lyrics; beautiful but not really my style. 4/5

Imperecedero, odiado según los años y las circunstancias. Fundamental

The kind of album I’d want to read the lyrics along to while drinking a beer on my porch on a rainy day.

I loved this album. Admittedly, it can get exhausting to hold the emotional space it demands, but when it hits… it hits. Simple, pretentious, heartfelt, cold, poetic, lonely and celebratory.

Started well. Good background music. Became a little samey after a few songs melody-wise. SOme songs were good though

The beauty of this one is in the lyrics. The arrangements are simple, intrumentally there is not much going on. But Cohen has a way with words that even if you don't understand them, they take you by the hand and drag you along.

goated stuff

Listened to before, a bit too quiet but the texts are beautiful

Less is more would have this album under it, it's very simple guitar and vocals with some extra accompaniments here and there but what really sells this album for me is just how well Leonard can carry a song simply through its narrative. I think that's what makes his albums so especial

Cohen is always enjoyable. His songs can sound very same-y sometimes, but it's more about the lyrics with him than the tunes.

Never listened to Leonard Cohen before aside from Hallelujah. This is a first listen Suzanne is fuckin beautiful. Beautiful lyrics and beautiful arrangement with strings and backing vocals Master song is alright. Nice upright bass, brass, and some electric guitar. Lyrics are pretty cryptic. Is it about an ex lover? Also it’s a bit too long Winter Lady is also pretty good. Nice flutes. Also pretty good lyrics. The Stranger Song is also alright. Seems like it’s about a relationship and it compares the guy to a card dealer in a poker game. I thought it was a reference to a drug dealer at first. I like that lyric about “some Joseph looking for a manger”. Kinda funny cuz it’s almost Christmas now. Sisters of Mercy is next. Very beautiful with accordion in the background. I’d say it sounds like a good band name but then I found out apparently a goth band from the 80s took it lmao. I like it a lot! Now here’s So Long Marriane. Another highlight of the album. This one has a full rock band backing him. Seems like he knew this was gonna be the big hit of the album. It’s real catchy. Reminds me of Fairytale of New York by the Pogues. Or In the Airplane Over the Sea by Neutral Mill Hotel. Next is Hey That No Way to Say Goodbye. Another good song! Also I think there’s some weird middle eastern instrument or a Jaw Harp in the background. And there’s the female backing vocalist again! She has a pretty voice Stories of the Street is next, and it’s about living in New York City. He doesn’t seem to like it that much. “Take me to the slaughterhouse, I’ll wait there with the lamb” Next is Teachers. It’s pretty good, has an oud in it and I think some tabla. Leonard Cohen is pretty angry in this song Finally is One of Us Cannot be Wrong. The guitar reminds me of Rainbow Connection. Again, amazing lyrics. Has whistling too. And some guy in the background drunkenly singing “LAA LAA DAA DAAAA” Pretty good!

Powerful lyricism that allows the listener to peer into Cohen's soul. "Suzanne" is beautiful. Fast and impressive guitar-picking (e.g. "The Stranger Song").

On the slower side but still quite good, on the second song atm and I'm liking it so far.

Suzanne Winter Lady The Stranger Song Sisters of Mercy So Long, Marianne Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye One of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Lyrics that are fun to think about, even if inscrutable at times. Been thinking about death a lot lately, for no particular reason other than getting older, and for some reason this album made me feel better about it - which I think is one of the best side effects of any kind of art. ‘Suzanne’ and ‘so long Marianne’ are highlights, but I like all of it and will be listening all day.

Really enjoyed this. My best take is that this will grow on me as I revisit Cohen is definitely a poet. The music seemed secondary, but not neglected. I felt relationships to The Velvet Underground (Nico’s vocal delivery is incredibly similar) and Paul Simons music here. So many love songs So long Mariane was my favorite tune.

Going from Van Halen to this was like I exited the freeway and my foot wanted to keep driving 80 through the suburbs. I tried to crack into this over the weekend and was viscerally bored. I finally found the space to get out for an evening walk (with the stroller and a beer of course) and this all made a little more sense. I won’t go as far as to say I “get” this, that would be annoying, but I appreciate it and I want to listen to this album and learn about it more.

A lyrically beautiful and complex album of well crafted songs. A bit samey sounding, but undeniably emotional.

The first Leonard Cohen album that I listened to was You Want It Darker?, his last LP before he died. The second album of his that I listened to was this one, his debut. Cohen died around the same time David Bowie did, and just like Bowie with Blackstar Cohens finale is a masterpiece. Several artists of this generation (Cohen, Bowie, Crosby, Dylan, Bob Weir, John Cale, Rolling Stones, just to name a few) have released some absolutely killer late career albums. Cohen’s voice in his debut is a lifetime away from the gravely, otherworldly baritone of his later years. Songs of Leonard Cohen is a relaxing, easy listen if you don’t take in the lyrics in. If you choose to focus on the lyrics, you could spend days or weeks analyzing each word and phrase. I’ve listened to this album 10 or more times in my life I think, and I’m not even close to absorbing the lyrics completely. He covers religion, sex, and probably some other subjects throughout. Suzanne is a great opener. So Long Marianne is another highlight. Musically and lyrically I prefer late period Cohen, but this is a fine debut from one of America's greatest songwriters.

The vibes are immaculate. I love the blend between singing and storytelling, and how everything feels uncomplicated.

Great album. I love him. 4

This was better than I thought it would be, but also put me to sleep while driving.

Nicht das beste Album von Cohen, aber trotzdem hörenswert

The big time songs on this are all-timers. The deep cuts are still pleasant, but they don't hit quite the same. Happy to return to this any time.

Hypnotic and tenaciously consistent, this was my first Cohen album and I disliked it for those exact reasons. But something just clicked this time around - listening to this in my room on this gloomy Saturday morning probably had something to do with it. I loved it all...the raspy, brooding vocal delivery, the flamenco-inspired, crisp guitar arpeggios that are nothing short of ominous, the enigmatic songwriting peering into the worlds of love and religion - everything about this album screams authenticity and all its elements feel soulfully weighty. I gave up trying to dig into the meanings of these songs relatively early on...if there's anything I've learned from listening to Cohen's albums, for me at least, it's that its alliteration-heavy and non-linear nature is best absorbed emotionally rather than cerebrally, on the first go-around at least. Y'know with an emphasis on how each song and its corresponding imagery makes you feel. I could've paused the album between each song and tried to dig into some of its meanings by running back through the lyrics, but the vividness of the ideas and almost dreamlike images were effective enough so that I didn't need to do that. And I think that's the mark of truly incredible songwriting. The song 'Master Song' especially felt like being dragged through some intangible dream state while a song like 'So Long, Marianne' has its meaning painted on its face which makes sense given it's the catchiest thing here. Instrumentally, it's all very consistent with every song being acoustic guitar-driven and fiery without a single drum in sight - my favorite being the playing on 'Teachers'. This is the musical equivalent of sitting in a dimly lit inn, with a single candle casting a faint light from across the room. It's so meditative and warm, yet undeniably unsettling and evocative.

A bit like Dylan, but with better instrumentation and lyrics.

Kaunis levy mestarilliselta lauluntekijältä. 4/5

I don't love his voice, but the melodies and songwriting are obviously great...even if I don't completely get the meaning of every song lol. 4/5

I wasn’t expecting this album. It was better than I thought.

Some classic songs on here and he was a legend :)

It has its moments, as all Cohen does. But this one feels a little stiff to me. Still a cromulent listen.