Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Alright album, very mushy but sometimes that's the best type of music
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.
Every song sounds the same and is equally monotonous and boring as the one before and one after it. Generous 2.
okay, kinda lowkey, not really the sound i look for a lot of the time
may be worth a relisten, just wasn't in a singer songwriter mood
A bit like Dylan, but with better instrumentation and lyrics.
Stick to wearing lame hats
Interesting, but not for me.
Tämähän on mestarillinen aikansa popfolk pläjäys! Toimittaa joka kerta herkkyydellään 5/5
Kaunis levy mestarilliselta lauluntekijältä. 4/5
I love me some Leonard Cohen. Always reminds me of a Smokey small bar.
Not my favorite by him. But good background on a cold day while you clean the house.
Classic folk stuff , always enjoy the genre even if I get 5 this week , I think I prefer an older raspier cohen… a notch below Dylan and Joni Mitchell, a mid level 3 .
Tiene muy buenas canciones pero creo que hay que estar en un mood muy específico para disfrutarlo. Me encanta la voz de Cohen, pero no me veo volviendo repetidamente a este disco. Está bien, pero siento que me gusta más Cohen de viejo.
A little boring for me. Can get a 2 Will I listen to again: 0%
I don't get the infatuation with Leonard Cohen.
It's been literal years since I have felt so emotional listening to an album as I feel right now listening to this for the very first time. I can only compare it to the first time I listened to Hunky Dory, my favorite Bowie album, during a dark time in my life. It's the same familiar feeling once again.
I despise the way that he stretches single syllables out for multiple syllables, makes it sound so jarring A lot of the instrumentals are nice though, and it's not all bad better than a certain velvety album
This music cured my insomnia. Leonard Cohen is a genius. 5 stars, bravo
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
Extra star for the 3 McCabe/Mrs Miller songs. They work great in that film, but less so for general listening.
Love a bit of Leonard!
Eh, it's alright. Better than the last Cohen album I heard. It just doesn't resonate with me the way it seems like all the critics seem to think it should. Not a fan of his vocal technique, it just sounds like lazy half-singing. There is a bit of inspired guitar playing which I was surprised to hear. He just sort of comes across as a haughty, elitist douchbag, whose girlfriends keep leaving him and he's all "It's not me, they're all the crazy ones!"
Very stripped down man with guitar. There was nothing particularly bad here but a full album of it gets a bit repetitive. Stand-out: Stories of the Street
It's overrated for sure. Some great songs, some forgettable. This is what pretentious people play in college to complain about how this city doesn't get them.
I wasn’t expecting this album. It was better than I thought.
Leonard Cogen just does not click with me at this point in my life. I find his music boring. Most music that’s just a guy and a guitar I do not care for.
This is incredible. I've been listening to it the whole weekend and I still can't get enough. I'll be definitely going back to it - I need to review all the little details in the lyrics. It's harder for a non-native speaker and yet Leonard Cohen was incredibly popular here where I'm from. I guess his music and poetry go really well with our sentimental nature. What I like about it: the minimalistic production (and yet plenty of little tweaks here and there to make it more interesting), the monotonous voice and delivery against the hard hitting lyrics, the female backing vocals on So Long Marianne, the masterful guitar playing and the the atmosphere of a poorly lit room with wooden floors overlooking a cold, freezing city. Just perfect.
Some classic songs on here and he was a legend :)
Dull as feck!
The chord progression really irked me in Stories Of The Street, especially the A - Am change. As someone who lives in Montreal and sees one of his murals from the office tower most days of the week, I should be more into the musical darling of this city, but I struggle to hear the appeal.
Musically good but, in my opinion, too boring, all the same songs that seem a single lament, is not really my genre
Not really my style, a little bit slow for my tastes. I could see myself falling asleep to this stuff though.
It has its moments, as all Cohen does. But this one feels a little stiff to me. Still a cromulent listen.
Jack off to lyrics by Leonard Cohen
Hmmm yeah I get it
This is an undeniable classic, although I'm sure it's too solemn and meditative for a lot of folks. I'm kinda there too tbh, but I still appreciate the artistry even if I'm rarely going to be in the mood to listen to it front to back. It's unique and poetic for sure, just not exactly "my thing" I suppose. A 4 it is.
pure valium.
Maybe has a place in its era. Probably bias, but not Leonard Cohen.. fan wasn’t my favorite.
Good album. Some great lyrics!
Akustisia tarinallisia kappaleita. Ei saa oikein kaikista sanoista kiinni. Ei omasta mielestä niin hirveen ihmeellistä. Parhaat: The Stranger Song
This is a pretty impressive piece of work. It's hard to classify, but it's remarkable how an almost poetry session with background ambiance music catches me so much.
Probably best listened to when in a certain mood. Good singer and some beautiful songs, but a bit too boring for a full album. I also think it's an interesting choice to end an album with otherwise good singing with what sounds like drunken shouting but what do I know...
boring sorry
Previously rated: Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5) ********************************** The guy is quite the lyricist, even though a lot of times it sounds like stream of consciousness stuff. I don't know if this is genius or just random nonsense: An Eskimo showed me a movie He'd recently taken of you The poor man could hardly stop shivering His lips and his fingers were blue I suppose that he froze when the wind took your clothes And I guess he just never got warm But you stand there so nice in your blizzard of ice Oh please, let me come into the storm Besides that, the man can't (or just doesn't) sing and the instrumentation is sparse. It's dull and tiring for the most part. I did like one song, "So Long, Marianne." It's got backup singing, some percussion, and it's actually a bit catchy.
For shame, I was about to disregard and skip this record since I felt I had already suffered enough from the croaking crooner. You hear one LC album where he must have swallowed a toad and a bucket of gravel - you've probably heard them all. Imagine my astonishment as I first heard the voice that was lost to time and cigarettes. The LC of 1967 had a delightfully light baritone voice and enchanting lyricism. He was a jester poet; if it were conceivable, Bob Dylan but without the absurd donkey warbling. Now I'm intrigued to find where Leonard's voice took a leap down into the Grand Canyon.
Beautiful. All my 5s have been 60s folk artists (Blood on the Tracks is a 70s album). But you know what, they’re all excellent. This one might be my favorite, it’s soooo good. Pretty and calm, with obviously stunning lyricism.
Still resonates after all this time. Nice production keeps the voice and guitar up front but with some interesting arrangements. You can tell that he was originally a poet, lyrics are amazing and full of allegory and metaphor (whichever is which) about personal love, religion and philosophy that keeps your head spinning. He has a fair handle on melody and musical phrasing even though he is primarily a wordsmith. An absolute classic! One of the great artists of all time.
There’s only one Leonard Cohen. Only one artist could make you want to say stuff like “is he the thinking man’s Bob Dylan”. Every song is a poem, and a good one at that. The music is authentic and intimate - and the mood is all Cohens all the time. Love it.
4.5 rounded up very plasnt:-) very fall highlights: suzanne, master song, stories of the street, one of us cannot be wrong (oct 14 2024)
beautiful
Very melancholy and pleasant. Think this is Kurt Cobain's Leonard Cohen afterworld. Sighing eternally. Sometimes, Suzanne is my favourite song. One long vibe. Brilliant.
I generally enjoy Cohen but I don't think I've listened to a whole album of his before (mostly it's been "best of" playlists). I didn't have a great time with this album today. "So Long, Marianne" is the only song here that I'm really enthusiastic about (a few others like "Suzanne" are alright). Seems to be a strong sameyness to a lot of the songs here.
I largely enjoyed this. On a different day I can easily imagine myself thinking "this was dull" and giving it a 2, but it worked pretty well for me today (although it was a bit dull). 3.6
There's is a time and a place for this record and a random assignment is neither. This is a mood record through and through.
Poetic af. Nick drake better tho
Tje rising of a dark grey star!
Loved all of this.
OK.
The simplicity of the music is hypnotic and allows the poetry to reach deep into the soul.
Deceptively simple, but its not
Loved the lyricism and the performance
Lyrically, it’s a 5. Musically, it’s a 3. We’ll split the difference at 4.
yipee!
It’s all the same thing over and over again
Best album ever
This is poetry, really good.
Superb as always.
I'm a big fan of folk music, it comes in the blood I think. My mom and her brother were a folk duo when they were younger, and my uncle continued to play bars until he passed. It's one of my favourite genre's in fact. Most of what I regularly listen to is at the very least folk inspired. I only wish I had listened to this album when I had the time to truly enjoy it, so I think I'll be likely to revisit one evening when I have the time to sit and enjoy. I loved this album. Everything about it. Leonard's voice hits the right spots. The minimalist guitar. An album of story-telling and poetry, often combined within the same song
Guitar playing: 4/5 Singing: 2/5 Vibe: 1/5 Overall rating: 2/5 I didn't particularly like this album, but I can appreciate that some people might. It's very sentimental, but me + folk music don't get along very well.
Leonard, I know that you're rightfully a Canadian icon, but this album is dreadfully boring. I know for a fact that acoustic guitar was not the only instrument that existed in 1967. (Yes, there are other instruments on a couple of other songs but the majority of the album is heavily driven by acoustic guitar.) This is another album I'd put on if I was having trouble falling asleep.
First song made me feel like I was in a movie. Absolutely transcendent. The rest of the album was alright.
Relaxed pretty music
Can’t lie I got bored listening. I can tell that it’s beautiful music but I can’t imagine myself listening again.
I only really know Leonard Cohen for "Hallelujah", and then again, I don't know if I'd really listened closely to his version. At least I thought he looked like Leonard Nimoy so I thought his voice would be deeper. I don't have much more to say except I enjoyed this album. I like the softer, solo acoustic stuff. The standup for me was Marianne, and I don't know what happened there at the end when he just started wailing. In the rotation for soft quiet morning music with sad lyrics.
Usually I hate talk "singing", but for some reason Mr. Cohen gets away with it, for me at least. This album still isn't amazing though. It was tolerable. One listen is good enough for me.
Absolute snoozefest. Basic guitar rhythms + pretentious artsy lyrics. The dude is barely singing.
Really beautiful, sad
Just beautiful.
4/5
Canada's answer to Bob Dylan. Only less talented and more boring.
A Canadian legend. Loved the poetry. Made me realize the musician Sun Kil Moon took heavy inspiration from Cohen, which is cool
Listened to this one on a long drive after a long day and it was pretty perfect. The poetry was fantastic.
Cohen hadn't quite found his deep silky smooth voice on this debut album.
Relaxing album to listen to, but maybe a bit too relaxing. It was nice as background music, but a little sleepy to just sit down and listen to. I love Leonard Cohen's voice and he's a great lyricist, but he has better albums than this. Great music for a relaxing coffee shop vibe, but not something I'd listen to every day.
Songs Of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen reviewed in the style of Leonard Cohen Songs of Leonard Cohen, a stunning debut, marked by soft strings, and words that cut through the quiet. Each song, a whispered tale of love, of loss, of things unseen— a voice that trembles but never falters, an artist already knowing how the heart bleeds. I’ve loved his later works, where gravel seeps into his throat, the years, the cigarettes, the bourbon— they tell their stories too. But here, his voice is crisp, clear as a winter morning, relatively untouched by time's slow erosion. I knew I liked Leonard Cohen, but I didn’t realise just how much I liked these songs until I sank deeper into them. They hit harder than I remembered, like an old friend whose words now cut cleaner, linger longer. There’s a weight to it, each note, each line, gently pulling you under, each thread a part of the web you didn’t know was being spun. No track stumbles, no moment lets the album down. It moves like shadows at dusk, slow, steady, inevitable— the kind of quiet that makes you listen closer. This debut— not just a door half-open, but a threshold to something vast, inevitably drawing me back in. Did/Do I own this release? No, but I should Does this release belong on the list? Yes Would this release make my personal list? I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this album as a whole Will I be listening to it again? For sure
It's okay, but the last minute of the album is just god awful, so deducting a star for that. Is that fair? Probably not. However, it was the artist's choice to have me listen to whatever that ending was and that wasn't fair either.
Pretty good. I haven't been super high on the other Cohen albums on the list but I found myself enjoying this one more than I anticipated.
Nothing I really enjoyed here. Was pretty laid back and chill but forgettable. Low 2.
Brilliant poetical songwriting. Everytime I get a Leonard Cohen album I always think, “He’s just better Bob Dylan”. 7/10
Solid album. I just wish there were more strings and Leonard used his range more.
Just absolutely amazing. Incredible folk music
slow
Simple music made to compliment beautiful lyrics - like sung poetry.
What a beatiful voice and beautiful album too. *Suzanne* and *Hey, That's no way to say goodbye* were already favorites and the whole album is in that same pleasant tone. The reason only reason that this album didn't get a 5-star rating form me is it can get a bit too sleepy for my taste.
I hadn't heard much Leonard Cohen before but this is a really solid debut album. Singing-songwriting at its finest. Simplicity reigns in it with masterful lyrics and chilled landscapes. I have the feeling I will come back to this at some point. I can't decide if I should give this a 3 or a 4.
I can't say anything bad about a man with such big sad brown eyes.
diese stimme! unverkennbar. die songs sicher einzigartig, gitarre und das „erzählende“ im gesang. mir gefällt der opener Suzanne am besten, ich habe das album aber wegen ferien nicht ganz gehört.
Was für ein Meister der ruhigen Lieder, grossartig!
really not my taste at all. Very bad talk singing.
3.5
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gentle and whispered folk music, mostly just voice and guitar. it's sweet, sincere... and honestly pretty emotional. all sorts of songs about being together with someone, losing said someone and being alone with yourself and your thoughts. many of the comments featured throughout each track on youtube is full of stories from people sharing their emotions and memories... this is clearly an album that speaks to a lot of people, and it spoke to me too. if you're moody and if you want an album that'll soothe you, give this one a spin. this album makes me feel nostalgic... bittersweet and nostalgic.
Songs of Leonard Cohen I had this album on CD, and I think it's the only Leonard Cohen album I've ever properly listened to, until we had You Want it Darker. It really is quite singular, with that similar feel and structure to each song, but I presume that’s the point - the simple and relatively unadorned backing and structures are to accompany the lyrics rather than being the starting point. Some great tracks though, I loved Suzanne from the first time I heard it, and of course Sisters of Mercy is an excellent track. Master Song is great and Winter Lady gets better with each listen. I love the rising and dipping sweep of So Long, Marianne (always wondered about the two female names and how they sound similar, Suzanne and Marianne). Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye feels a bit repetitive and also like Father and Son by Cat Stevens. I like the slightly different structure of Stories from the Street, with more of a jig feel with the organ. Teachers is a bit of dip before a nice finish with One of Us Cannot Be Wrong, again that rising and falling lament and again it works well. His voice really suits the songs and the playing, he doesn’t have great range but his tone and lack of flourish or ostentation complements the songs and the words excellently. It’s a great album - I’m not sure it’s quite top tier but it's close. I’ll stick with a 4. I really enjoyed revisiting it and it has reminded me to come back to it, and I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with it a bit more. 🍁🍁🍁🍁 Playlist submission: Suzanne
Never heard anything from him besides Hallelujah, this album was gorgeous although the lyrics were a little dense.
It was pretty sweet and soothing
Outright incredible storytelling. Leonard Cohen, one of the few exceptions to the rule I want to impose on this list of only 2 albums per artist. This album proves that this guy should’ve got the spot the Bob Dylan took in the pop culture lexicon
delicate and powerful
Not a fan
When I first heard this album I was hooked. Uniquely different…true poetry set to music. A renaissance troubadour of his time. Suzanne and Marianne loom large in music’s pantheon of inspirational women in song. This is dopey review but I dig this album
Meh
This album was really nice to listen to. "Suzanne" is the best song. Cohen had a lot of talents, singing and songwriting are two of them. The album could've done with a bit of variety. That, along with being a bit boring, is what prevents this album from being legendary. 4 stars for "songs of Leonard Cohen".
No instrumentation No vocal range
The issue with folk music for me is that I nearly always prefer it with more instruments/layers. The singer has to have amazing vocals and guitar playing for me to really like it stripped back (Elliott Smith for example). This album is a great example of that problem, his vocals are pretty good, guitar playing okay, but when there’s some backing vocals or more instruments involved it is really good. Therefore certain songs did stand out to me, e.g. So Long, Marianne. However the rest I found quite boring and repetitive at times.
Yeah it was nice, I’ve tried listening before I realised the fact that Dylan can’t sing in tune is exactly what makes his music more interesting to me
Great album, anything he sings sounds intruinging. It's a bit back heavy, but man once you get to "So long marianne" it's bliss the entire way through.
bruh no one warned me I was gonna need ear plugs
Classic! Not my every day listen, but great album
suzanne isch meeeega schön. super simple song aber passt irgendwie. master song baut huuere guet uuf d e-gitarre isch geeil wo ine chunt und d striicher au. winter lady au cute, aber nöd so guet wie die zwei vorher. stranger song sehr coole gitarre part. wenner lüter singt compressts irgendwie? uuh sisters of mercy? sehr cool produziert mit glockenspiel und so. so lang marian (reimt sich uf dütsch). seeehr geil do heter zum erste mol background sängerinne. huuere geile bass au. seeehr geile song. hey thats no way to say goodbye isch cool, stories if the street nochli besser, lieb wies uf moll abegheit und wieder vo vorne afangt. teachers meega dramatisch. meadgitarre suuuper.
Leonard Cohen my love einehalb jahr ide uk charts isch insane de hindergrundgsang isch huere schön vo suzanne find die recht reduzierte string super, tünd die ganz atmosphäre mega guet untermale winter lady isch jz nöd gad en banger d lieder sind echlii z lang minere meinig na sisters of mercy hani sehr cool gfunde aber was au immer das gloggespiel oder so isch findi chli ass hhahha d handorgle on se oser händ sehr cool so long marianne isch doch recht so es LIED sehr coole refrain und ah er isch eifach so cute stories of the street findi sticht wieder chli meh usse wieso? kei ahnig was frögsch mich teachers findi d gitarre mega, ich chegg nöd waser speziell macht aber egal WOW one of us cannot be wrong isch unglaublich schön de schluss tönt mite flöte zwar schräg aber poah isch das schön schwanke scho fest zwüsche 4 und 5
Storyteller / poet 100%. I can hear a little Lou Reed and Bob Dylan.
Love Leonard. So simple. Feels pure. He gets you on his wavelength.
A couple of standouts, but mostly it hasn't left an impression since I heard it on Friday.
Better than other Cohen we have listened to, but he just doesn't do it for me much. 2/5
Really good. This one grew on me and won me over by the end of the album. So stripped back and free of embellishment. If I imagined adding high flying harmony or additional textured background music, it morphs and shifts into other folk and folk-adjacent music I've enjoyed.
A triumph for weird lil guys everywhere. I feel like this is as good as everyone says Dylan is.
Real good. Nothing detailed. Wild how his voice changes over his career
I cannot stand this guy's voice, but the songs were mostly well-written and instrumentally well-performed. I just really don't enjoy his voice at all.
ok I'm getting worried about giving too many albums in a row 4 stars now
Some of these get just too far into singsongy folk for a 5 but it's a high 4 love my weird little guys
Good
Need to come back to this when I'm on a different vibe - first listen was not in the right mood.
This one has a couple really good songs but altogether it isn't good enough for me to love. All the songs sound a little too much the same I think. Still, I don't dislike it. The Vibe: Sitting in the rocking chair on your farmhouse porch at night.
Hipnótico, pero me gusta aún más su trabajo posterior.
Lots to dive into Couple songs I enjoyed alot Poetic
Leonard Cohen’s voice might have about as much personality as a wet sack of gravel, but you know what, I will concede it. The man can write some songs. Best song: So Long, Marianne
I think Leonard Cohen gets better as he ages. His songwriting is still very impressive but I liked the other two albums by him better than this one. This got a bit monotonous. Rating: 3
It was alright. Liked 2 of the songs on there. 1st and sixth track I think
Was a peaceful, serene listening experience. Very relaxful. But alot of the songs blended into eachother.
Kind of boring tbh. If Bob Dylan could actually sing, he'd be Leonard Cohen. I guess a lot of the appeal lies in the poetry of the lyrics, but honestly I can't make heads or tails of most of it. I feel like this kind of thing just goes over my head
Такое чувство будто я нашёл этот альбом где то в подвале и решил послушать, дикий лоу фай
A little classic old school
Fav: So Long, Marianne Least Fav: Master Song Some nice easy listening songs, enjoyed this more than I expected
An incredible collection of consistently emotive and intimate songwriting, bolstered by commanding instrumentation. It’s one of the most sacred and heralded singer-songwriter albums, and for good reason. It is one of a special select few albums where its lyrics can genuinely be held as poetry in themselves. A truly timeless piece.
Eher langweilig zu hören 2/5
Not exactly my bag, but you can tell the Cohen is firing on all cylinders. The production is well done, the composition is well done. He's not a strong singer, but it does not make much of a difference!
I really liked Suzanne and So Long, Marianne. But I couldn’t say much about the album as a whole.
poetic masterpiece that is very pleasant to listen to. High 4* from me.
Nice to listen to on my drive
Got repetitive at times but generally very good. Very similar to Bob Dylan
Very Bob Dylan Esque
What's not to like? It's Leonard Cohen and bangers
Didn't finish this but the B side is definitely more my jam. Cheer up sleepy jean! But the boy can write some nice lyrics. So long Marianne! I'm drunk in an Indian restaurant
LC is a yearning sad boy! but knows how to write a damn poem! nice stuff :)
Earlier Leonard with a less growly voice. Will fantastic, I’ve really grown to love LC.
Very nice, much better than expected and easier on the ear than Dylan.
Oof. This is my second LC album. It may have beauty, and poetry, but man does it drag. But I'm just 2 songs in. So let's see. Religious imagery, strike two. Ok, I finished. I'm sure some like this the easy I like Dylan's first album. Just not me.
Personally, I have always enjoyed Leonard Cohen's uniqueness. It's the sort of thing that I have appreciated more as I've grown older. In a way, this album is confounding and draws you into a strange place. On this recent listen, I found myself getting caught off guard by some phrase or an instrumentation element or some bizarre touch which only led to further listening.
This is not a folk album. It's it's own thing.
One of the Best Albums of all times. Soft and intimate. Pure Poetic bliss.
A good album, I liked Master Song and One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong the most.
I was expecting a much more depressing listen but either my preconception of Leonard Cohen is off, or it's based on later work once he's become old and sadder. Either way, I really enjoyed this; his songwriting and delivery are both excellent, understated but also grandiose. I'm looking forward to listening to more of his work and seeing how wrong I was to expect the worst.
Wack attack self important low energy bullshit
Ik heb hier geen anekdotes bij. Dit is gewoon mooie luistermuziek. Heerlijke composities die gemaakt zijn om lekker in het gehoor te liggen met een zangstem die er eigenlijk perfect bij aansluit. Waarschijnlijk vertelt 'ie nog goede verhalen ook maar als holbewoner is dat niet aan mij besteed. Mooie geluidjes klinken mooi, ooga booga. Ik zie in de reviews veel mensen dat het saai is, maar ik ervaar het eerder als comfortabel. Misschien staan er wat nummers op die iets teveel op elkaar lijken of gaat het album een track of 2 te lang door, vooruit, maar wat maakt het allemaal uit.
kinda boring
Interesting lyrics but the music is a little flat. It's not a bad album. Minimalist music with poetry. My favotite track was, "So Long, Marianne".
Some instrumentation choices were... interesting, so not as refined as his later work. But his songs still cut.
Poetically: 5/5 Musically: -5/5
Like a more biblical Bob Dylan when it comes to the surrealist imagery. Otherwise, this album stands out as a unique experience. The vibe is so calming while also somehow tortured. Each moment is so perfectly calculated, even as some lines leave you in perplexity, wondering if the onslaught of images mean anything at all. It’s crazy to think that LC spent months composing some of these tracks. These songs are like manna from heaven, perfect for a rainy day or a candlelit evening.
I was wondering if and when Leonard Cohen would appear on this list given the bias towards British pop. Glad to see him here. His lyrics are poetry set to music. Album features "Suzanne" and other notable songs include "Sisters of Mercy" and 'Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye".
Songs to sleep to. Really though Leonard Cohen is a great song writer but absolutely no edge to his music, but its not designed that way and its perfectly fine for it.
Really lovely song writing but I don’t think I’ll return to it. Not sure when I’d be in the mood for this kind of music
I can appreciate his talent as a songwriter, but I really don't care for his music. Too dreary.
Simple guitar, which fits his voice. Nice
you can hear his every wet mouth sound 🤢
It's not bad, but I didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. I think his voice is pretty basic, and the music itself sounds really dated. I'm not sure if he's known for being a lyricist, but the lyrics didn't really connect to me; I'm not sure if it's a generational thing or something else. I've heard the name for so long but never got around to listening to him. I have to say, again, I don't dislike the album, but I don't at all understand why it or he is so influential.
Songs like poems -- very much of the 1960s. Kind of a sad, melancholy album.
You’re not going to get me to say anything bad about the national treasure that is Leonard Cohen. First and foremost he is a poet and this is not an album of songs but of poems set to an acoustic guitar. He is a wordsmith and is obsessed with heartache and drugs. The melancholia is almost palpable and will sit with one for days. There are huge amounts of beauty in there, often there is with sadness. He’s amazing, and the prose is very good if his gift is not yet fully explored. Nothing sounds anything like the compositions of his older gravelly years, but on ‘So long Marianne’ you can hear the seeds that will blossom later on. I couldn’t listen to this daily but once every couple months it would be a great reset.
Every song sounded the same which was lame
Man, this album was great. I enjoyed every song, not a single miss on this album. It really reminds me of a mix of Bob Dylan meets Townes Van Zandt. The vibes were sombre, and I actually really enjoyed how almost nothing rhymed. I was so close to giving this a 5, but for me, it just is missing /something/ that I can't put my finger on. It's not a 'perfect' album. I am definitely keen to listen to some more Leonard Cohen, and hopefully a future album is deserving of a perfect score.
This was a nice listen. I found some of the lyrics just ok but the general vibe of the album is very cosy, good for headphones. Saved So Long, Marianne to my playlist.
Not bad
Live this record although it’s a bit depressing. Love him. Love his guitar playing and lyrics
This is a more emotional rating than most. Leonard Cohens been one of my biggest guys for a long time, and this album just as big. I've had many moments with this album, and I can't seperate those from my rating. If I had never heard him before now, I'd probably go 4 stars, but its a full 5 for me. Suzanne, Master Song, Stranger Song, So Long Marianne and One Of Us Can't Be Wrong are my favorites (and I love them dearly) Album cover: B+. He looks kinda goofy. Reminds me of the Lust for Life album cover but serious. Also the inner sleeve of the vinyl has a really cool catholic painting of a lady on fire. If it was that I would give it an A.
This was a nice album. It was very peaceful and pleasant to listen to. I think my favorite songs were the same ones as everyone else, "Hey that's no way to say goodbye" and "Suzanne". It was very samey by the end, but the 41 minute run-time made that OK. It felt like a combination of Simon&Garfunkel and Jeff Buckley? 7/10
What a motherfucker of an album. Boy's got couplets, stanzas, bars whatever the kids are calling them. And yeah I hear the "music to slit wrists by" criticism, but its more complicated - so long marianne is pretty triumphant for a break up song - it turns almost to a military march. Love his singing uses its limitations, and shows the same raw edge as his lyrics on Teachers and the gloriously unhinged outro to One of Us. Musically beautiful too - even when its just guitar bass and voice it creates momentum and menace. And there are perfect touches all over - strings, mandolin?, pan pipes, choir. It all combines with his pseudoflamenco cadences and pseudopiano fingerpicking to create something pretty amazing.
LOOOOVE LEONARD, and it's second time he has come up here, I think this is gonna be better than that white black album, also I know two songs of this so I kind of have high expectations. His voice is spectacular, and I know this is gonna have sadness all over it, but I still think I'm gonna like it. I'm also getting ready for the fact that songs might sound the same, but it's Cohen and I will nonetheless like them, but I will complain obviously. First song, I know this one, I remember chorus being catchy. He has a rather softer voice, compared to the older Cohen. There's vocalising in my right ear and violin in the left. I had a woman's voice repeating what he says in the right ear only. Guitar is melancholic, and that's the only thing that's playing. Lyrical delivery is good, but not unique enough. Violin really makes this song much better tbh. I thought this was a longer one. Quite a track, little versatile of him. Second song, I'm hearing a bass already with a dominant sound of guitar. It does sound the same as the last song. Lot of Christianity references and that's said without reading the lyrics. Now this is a much longer song. What a weird sound on the edge of my ears, kind of jazzy. He's barely vocalling, but he's not just talking either. Sorry, but hearing him say "you kneel for him to come" sounds dirty without context. OOOOH VIOLIN IN MY LEFT EAR WAS EXTREMELY GOOD, though didn't last long, same appearance in the right ear with different weird instrument. Song faded away at the end, but he didn't really stop singing tbh. Third song, what a short song. There's guitar on the left, but another one is playing in the middle, alsoo another instrument on the right, I have no idea of its name. I was mistaken about this album having good choruses, if they exist here, they're quite the same as verses probably. Sonically it's melancholic, but also good even though it's sometimes painfully slow. 4th song, rather upbeat guitar start, and that's how it's gonna play for the rest of the song apparently. Thing is Cohen isn't about the sonical part of the songs, while that part isn't bad it just isn't enhanced and has no interaction to the lyrical delivery, it's basically permanent wave. So the lyrics must be some sadness causing shit that I currently don't understand, I'll check it now ig. Told you, apparently this is based on some film, imagine you know that film and you connect yourself with this song to that movie, GOOD STUFF. I'll watch that movie I suppose. Overall tho it's about woman's and men's commitment. 5th song, soft start and somber guitar I hear. There is a caenival like sound on the left(Beatles vibes). This one is quite good sonically and HAS an interaction with the way he sings. Also that carnival has moved from left to right ear slowly, loooved that. I thought I've heard a woman voice here, but mistaken I suppose. Apparently he wrote this while he sheltered some two women who had trouble outside, and did the lyrics in one sitting, quite a wonder. Liked this one more than I imagined. 6th song, OOH now it makes sense, it wasn't Suzanne with the good chorus, it was So Long Marianne, this one. It's full of sounds already, and the chorus yesss it scratches my brain in a good way. Verses are also very well sang, the delivery of them I mean. Was waiting for the women to appear in the right ear, made the song much better. Another religion line. There're 6 verses in this one, just noticed. Also lyrically Marianne was apparently his friend and an ex-wife who was his muse and last time they met he didn't know it was the last. Guitar doesn't change how it's played at all I think. Quite a hit to me. 7th song, fuck I fully forgort to take notes. Nothing drastic happened and I was checking lyrics and it's about him having an argument with a blonde woman who he didn't wanna leave but that's the way it's gonna go sadly for him. This one's not as special sonically either I guess. 8th song, a different in a good way start. Idk what to write I'm out of ideas, this happens after a couple of songs that sound exactly the same and are relatively mediocre. I'm honestly bored of this. However, usually when this happens songs are usually just growers. Also this is a rainy day album for a sad day, wait a second his voice cracked, weiiird anyway, there's none of that happening now, and songs become sad when they are listened at least twice so I can't judge these songs well enough. I didn't expect more than this either (my first paragraph doesn't say otherwise, this was the high expectation I talked about). I wish he did more change to sonical part and sometimes sang less while that would have happened. 9th song, catchy start, upbeat almost. Verse-wise it's sand in a fun way, still a sad song though. Oh he cracked his voice veeery slightly again. He has muuuuuch better songs than this tho, another crack, idk what's wrong with him. He's too young to make really good music I'm afraid. I'll still rate this high though, I did say I'd complain so I'm doing that. 10th song, album was out in December?! Not a single Christmas song somehow(cohen-style obviously), he did mention Christmas metaphorically, but still. The song didn't give me material to sing about, TALK ABOUT LUCK HE STARTED WHISTLING AND SCREAMING(not really, more like unsexual moaning). Nothing special happened before. Just gonna review fully now idc... The album didn't have the touch of artistry I think, it didn't feel like an album, just some randomly written good poems that had the same guitar playing along, I don't love that. The last part was like so different it was giving "the album ended" but also I wish he did more than just that DURING the album. Despite all that, this is a grower album most likely and that's how Cohen does his albums anyway, they don't have to have an intro and outro it's not mandatory, and it's 60s, I can't ask for much. So this is a 4.5 album, I say that rating a lot, but I can't help it, it's definitely not 4, because I have a lot of time ahead of me and I'll definitely like it one day or another, I wouldn't do this if it was another artist, so it is a little subjective, but that's the point, I ain't a critic I am just describing songs' sonical and lyrical progress and judge them based of that, but Cohen is another matter, also I think I'm explaining myself so that my future me knows why I rated this high, not sure if anyone will ever read this. Basically definitely worth it, but he gets much better over the years, and somehow black and white album(the old one btw, I just remembered he has a relatively new one too) was slightly better than this.
I think I picked the perfect times to listen to this, first in the afternoon after work, then on a slow Friday. These songs were very easy to mellow out with, and I got to appreciate the lyricism here (the real highlight of the album) since I didn't need to focus as much on other things at the time. I am conflicted on how to score this though, these really only just pass as music, rather than poetry readings on audible. Cohen's voice is not unpleasant but you can tell he is not exactly trying to wow anyone with his singing and is letting the writing do the work for him. The only songs where I find he comes to closest to really singing are Teachers and So Long, Marianne (coincidentally, two of the better songs on here 😲) Similarly, the instrumentals are very basic and feel like they are only there to justify all of this being an album. But these simple tunes work because they don't overshadow the draw of the album, Cohen's writing. Highlights Master Song, Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne
Relaxed music with nice melodies. But a bit boring in the long run. 3/5
Nice songs. I’d never listen to a full album of this. But I see the appeal in each song. Aight.
I'm familiar with Leonard Cohen as a poet turned folk singer-songwriter, having heard "Hallelujah" before. This is his debut album, and I must remind myself of that because it's impressive how good he was at this early stage. There's something magical about Leonard's soulful low-register delivery, as he croons his way through songs of yearning not for love but friendship or fond memories. Likewise, his acoustic guitar work is spectacular, like on "The Stranger Song" where he pulls off some nifty tremolos. There is a contentious point with Leonard Cohen's early work in that they tend to consist of minimalist compositions. That is why his debut album is largely him with his guitar save for a few tracks with drum, bass, and background vocals. Could there be more involved to engage the listener more? Perhaps. But that said, this is still impressive with just his presence alone. If you are curious, give it a chance.
I knew "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" and "Suzanne"before this album, I like it for those quieter moments.. although he may be a more acquired taste based on his vocal style.
Once again the singer-songwriter genre is lost on me. I did enjoy more on the second listen through, but it just seemed boring to me - whether this was Cohen’s dry monotone singing, stripped-down backing guitar and lack of ensemble, or my own ignorance and lack of appreciation, I don’t know exactly. I can understand why people may both love and hate this album. Quality musicianship, but I think I just need more. 2.5/5
I'd listened to Suzanne before, but not the rest of the album. Boy am I glad I did, each track just about reaches the same level of quality as Suzanne which is incredible. Both the lyrics and the music are masterpieces in their own right, the sensation to me was like the bit in Ratatouille where Remy eats the Strawberry and the Cheese at the same time. Cohen is one of the best to ever do it. A lot of good folk music I find is generally well written but sometimes falls short in the instrumentals or the vocals, but Leonard Cohen and this album are a cut above. The magnificent finger picked guitar, solid bass in a few tracks, fun percussion in Sisters of Mercy and the angelic backup vocals in Suzanne. I feel inadequate just writing this piddly review about an album put together by a wordsmith.
i was neither too drunk or too depressed at the time of listening to really enjoy this album. it feels very emotional and im sure if i just went through a significant life changing trauma and had a bottle of red label it would hit different, but as it is i didnt feel like the intended audience and most of the tracks kind of breezed over me. still good sounding, just not my thing
This was a real slog to get through man holy shit what a boring fucking album. This guy seriously sounds like he has had too much sleepytime tea and he’s dozing off as he’s singing his gay little poetry. I sorta drifted through this until I heard a track that made my ears perk up and I was like damn! This one is kinda good but it sounds really different. Looked at my phone and Spotify had auto played a Beatles track. Overall I’m sure this album has some sort of musical merit but I have untreated ADHD so I fucking hated it.
Strange Coincidence I literally listened to this album for the first time on my own a couple days ago. An album where every Second Song is a Masterpiece and every third song is just alright or just good. Suzanne, The Stranger Song, So Long Marriane, and Teachers are insane. 8/10 Fav tracks - Suzanne, Master Song, The Stranger Song, Sisters of Mercy; So Long, Marianne; Stories of The Street, Teachers, One of Us Cannot Be Wrong Least Fav - Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
One of those albums you gotta listen to and not just toss on in the background. And I gotta say its a good one, Kinda sad too but also happy and some moments, this emotional roller-coaster hit me something different given I found out a friend of mine passed too. So overall this came at the right time for me. 4/5
Before Deftones and the Smiths, male boomers had to listen to this to fuck weird chicks. Leonard Cohen has famously said he doesn’t like making music and only does it so he can make money to support his weird artist lifestyle. This album, as well as Songs of Love and Hate, are best seen as Cohens poems put to simple instrumentals. It’s definitely not for everyone and it definitely lacks musical variety. Overall, it’s a good album the highlights for me are Suzanne, So Long Marianne and Teachers. I do prefer his later albums as a whole but the highlights on here are just as good as anything he made on I’m Your Man.
Lyrics are top-notch, he was a poet first and foremost. Musically not very interesting.
LP
it was fine. not particularly exciting, kinda chill. had a cool storytelling element to it that i liked.
Already biased towards it but it gets the first 5* after 66 albums. Love the mood, stories and harmonies throughout. Not an album for all moods, but have kept going back to it over the past days.
If you tell a good story in the most boring way possible, is it a good story? This isn’t my thing.
I like his lyrics, they evoke an image that hits home with me. Sadly the music was a bit too simple and instead of turning it into an intimate whole, it felt bare-bones instead. That's what makes it a difficult album for me. I like Cohen's voice, I like the lyrics on this album but as a whole I didnt feel as much raw emotion as I shouldve. That puts it in the middle-of-the-road category.
I am a big fan of Leonard Cohen. This is not the first time I've listened to this album. 'Suzanne', and 'Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye' are my favourites. It's not for everyone, and I could see how people could consider this generic 60s folk, but I like it, and I just think his lyricism is beautiful
Kids: "Mom, can have Bob Dylan?" Mom: "We have Bob Dylan at home."
I wanted to love this and just didn’t. I like his voice but I felt like he was just barely singing and was almost more chanting/speaking the lyrics.
Not that big a fan of his, and the songs here aren’t that great, but I liked a lot of the instrumentation/arrangements, which brought a 2 up to a 3.
Parts I didn’t like: -boring songs -inscrutable songs -feeling like I needed an MFA in poetry to even begin to care about the songs -no melody to the songs -asking myself “is a pop album supposed to be fun or memorable?” roughly half a million times -wanting to kill myself both from the songs’ content and their existence themselves, as songs -that one song where he fingerpicks an arpeggio while he kinda talk-sings? You know the one Parts I did like: -only 41 minutes! -based on that cover photo, Leonard cohen can totally get it -feeling like a saucy medieval boy -feeling like if I write some total pompous bs and also strum my guitar a little bit, I too can be a celebrated troubadour -“hey, that’s no way to say goodbye” and also like a half point for “so long, Marianne”
The first album by Cohen is certainly one of the best with all-time favourites like "Suzanne" and "The Sisters of Mercy". Cohen is a brilliant lyricist, a writer first and only then a musician. That makes him so great.
He sounds like what a kiss on the cheek from your grandma feels like. If I’m ever listening to this album randomly someone needs to check on me. It was v good though
was vibing at first, then every song sounded the same & i think this guy yaps too much. hallelujah or whatever he said
I’m never really been a big fan of Leonard Cohen, but found this album a bit more enjoyable than the other stuff I’ve heard from him . Kind of had to force myself to finish the album and don’t really remember much of it. I didn’t hate it and it’d be fine if I heard it the background, but not really going out of my way to listen to it and kind of just solidifies my idea that I don’t really care for Leonard Cohen’s music
Beautiful music. Loved it
Not his worst
4 Leonard Cohen albums in my first 270 picks. I don't know what I did in a past life to deserve this, but I am deeply deeply sorry.
must it come so cruel, must it be so brave?
This album is so chill it got me through a white knuckle driving experience without losing my shit. Good stuff.
Quiet Contemporary Folk. As described before a bit repetetive. Most well known song is probably "Suzanne".
very good
Je crois qu'il serait très honnête de dire que cet album est un classique de la folk mais qu'il doit prendre toute sa saveur grâce à une bonne compréhension des textes. C'est certainement les mots du poète qui me manquent le plus pour saisir la qualité d'écriture de Cohen. Il n'empêche que je ne boude pas mon plaisir à l'écouter !
Lekker rustig
Is this objectively great, as so many seem to think? Or is it maudlin garbage? Was Jack the Ripper a sixty foot sea serpent from Scotland? Did I take this job for a quick buck? We may never know the answers to these questions, every one of these songs sounds exactly the same, and they all make me want to drown myself in a pool. I'm only giving it a 2.5 because the poetry is pretty good.
Depression music.
unchanging songs that go on too long, the lyrics I think are what he’s known for, but to me it’s boring
I really liked this album. Specific tracks I liked: "Suzanne", "Hey, that's no way to say goodbye", "Stories of the street".
A strong 3. If the whole album felt as robust as the second half, if probably would have been a 4. But, the first hand was a little thin and one-note. I'm not sure if I'd heard any of Cohen's early work, but this would all slot nicely into a Wes Anderson soundtrack.
So much better than the last one of his we listened to. Genuinely very strong album. Enjoyed it a lot.
More LenCo, and this one is even better. Truly one of the greatest, most consistent albums I've ever heard. The guy just doesn't waste a beat. So Long Marianne is an absolute all time great. Thank you project.
An album my mum had that sort of sat there without me playing it for years until I slowly decided to explore some of the back catalogue. It's sort of brilliant, whilst also only understandable if you get that he's a poet not a musician and he's got his own kind of style.
This album makes you feel like you're sat on your own next to a lake on a hot summer's day sipping at a herbal tea
5/5
I do really like Leonard Cohen but I don’t love this album.
Not his greatest album but contains o9ne of his greatest songs, Marianne
This album feels like just one long hipster mansplain.
Pretty good.
Este disco merece las 5 estrellas, solamente con leer las letras. Leonard Cohen fue un gran músico y poeta. De este disco disfruto particularmente: Suzanne, Winter Lady, Sisters of Mercy, So Long Marianne, Hey, That's No The Way to Say Goodbye.
STANDOUTS: n/a OVERALL: 2/5; I certainly didn't ask for two Leonard Cohen albums in the span of two weeks
Bon p’tit gars de chez nous Perfect album. Watch McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
It's only ever going to be 5 stars for Leonard Cohen. I wish I'd been to watch him live. What a talent.
Never been a fan of Cohen. Some songs are ok but generally I've never benn able to connect to his music. This album is slow and for me not really interesting.
A solid offering of folkish melancholy. Leonard Cohen's voice has always been hit or miss for me, and this album is no exception. But I really appreciate the musical rawness and simplicity of the songs. There's something about just and their guitar that is so powerful despite being so simple. And this album captures that spirit well. Top tracks: Master Song; So Long, Marianne; Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye
I like this one a lot but it’s still probably a 4/5 for me as much as I respect Leonard Cohen. The lyrics are great but it’s lacking something for me.
Requires close listening, not casual.
¿Qué decir de Leonard Cohen? Un romántico melancólico empedernido. No porque todas sus canciones sean sobre parejas sino por el amor con el que le cantaba al desamor, a la frustración, al dolor de vivir en éste mundo. En éste disco está en una línea vocal similar a la de Dylan pero más cálida. Menos nasal y más triste, evocativa, que nos mece y nos relaja, dejándonos en trance. Ideal para escuchar de mañana. Puede ser para un paseo en una mañana fría, nublada, con una garúa ínfima o una mañana de otoño o primavera, fresca y con calidez: éste disco abarca todos esos estados. Ponemos en pausa el reto porque mañana entro en vacaciones. Nos vemos a la vuelta del viaje.
I've tried to listen to Cohen many times and every time I find it too mundane. I like Tom Waits, Bob Dylan and other "storytellers" but Cohen just doesn't hit the right note so to speak.
Have to admit, I thought that this was better than I expected it to be but still didn’t really enjoy it. Not my bag I guess.
Love me some Leonard but only listened to this album in full last year I think. Terrific stuff. Couple of all time gems on here.
Pretty decent for what it is, All of it sounds the same after awhile.
Ist mir etwas zu seicht.
Very peaceful album, nice and chill for background listening. Nothing too exciting nowadays but at least it's relaxing, so not too bad.
I like Leonard Cohen, but not listening to an entire album. Good songs generally.
Sleepytown
This guy. The epitome of writing nice poetry and pretty tunes and then just slapping them together regardless of how they line up. It always bothers me how his vocal phrases don't at all fit with the melody he writes. And don't get me started on rhyming gone with alone.
This was a gift for a Friday album. I immediately was happy to listen and knew I was going to come in with a higher rating. Cohen’s delivery is not an amazing vocal performance and he knew this; yet I love the distinctive and raw quality of it so much more than the mechanic/soul-less deliveries of others. Every song is a story. Suzanne is one of my favorite songs of all time but I don’t skip a single song on the album. For those of us who enjoy it, I think it’s something genuine that resonates with us. For me putting a Cohen album is emotional regulation: it’s comfort within his melancholy and evocations.
<3
Songs of Leonard Cohen defies expectations by offering more than just melancholy. While introspective, the album's emotional range surprises with moments of vivid storytelling and poetic grace. Tracks like Suzanne and Sisters of Mercy exemplify Cohen's ability to weave rich narratives through his profound lyrics and deep, resonant voice. Despite its strengths, the album can feel somewhat repetitive, with songs blending into each other. So Long, Marianne stands out as a poignant highlight, breaking the album's continuity with its heartfelt melody and sincere lyrics. NUMBER OF BANGERS - 1 STAND OUT TRACK - So Long Marianne
Alright
5.5/10
Young(er) Cohen rulz. It’s interesting how one world-famous song (not on this album) can overshadow a life-work. I was genuinely surprised, and had the same feeling with Urban Hymns earlier.
I was not in the mood for this, until I was. Fantastic album.
Some beautiful compositions in the most monotone and boring album you could think of. Too bad, because the songs are objectively good.
A master in his craft for composure, song writing and lyrical prowess.
I'm sure there's an interesting story being told here but I'm so bored by the sound it's hard to follow without mentally checking out. The most compelling song has to be Teachers as it takes on a darker tone and faster pace.
Enjoyed this one. Cohen has written some truly timeless music, and this album is no different. 4/5 Will listen again
Pleasant enough, but the lyrics are hardly 'Container Drivers', let's face it. Feels very self-indulgent, and I don't really find Leonard interesting enough to want to know that much about his love life.
More poetry than songwriting. Half decent stories though. It has a 'nice' classical, earthy feel to it. The voice can grate a little. I prefer later Leonard when he knew he was a parody of himself. A talent, for sure. But not an everyday artist to reach for.
Much prefer his later work.
This dude bored the fuck outta me back then and a few more times than that. I refuse to listen again. So no, 1 for me.
I avoided Leonard Cohen for a long time, believing the notion that his music was difficult and depressing. The first is simply not true - this is very easy to listen to, with a minimal approach to instrumentation and Cohen’s distinctive vocals. Whether it’s depressing is open to debate - these are extraordinarily intimate songs dealing with love, loss and deep emotions, and they may well stir memories of your own.
Still not a fan of Cohen, but I heard this album so often when I was a kid... still, it has almost all the flaws I find in Cohen's music, but it has So Long Marianne, so it got an extra point. Also, I had to check but yes, the gothic band Sisters of Mercy are called like that as a reference to the Cohen's song.
Excellent song writer
Lyrically unsurpassed.
It's weird writing this, but I like my folk a little harder than this. This is like poems with music behind it. I understand Suzanne and So Long, Marianne are the big songs from this album but those are two of my least favorite tracks.
There's a weird line drawn in the sand of the Singer / Songwriter genre that divides weird, folky pablum and the seedlings of an interesting genre. Leonard Cohen's 1967 'Songs Of' straddles that line with a good chunk in the former and a small minority in the latter. But songs like Suzanne and So Long, Marianne propel this album into the stratosphere and cue up the stage for the likes of Bobby D to fill in the holes. Cohen will go on to give us much better music, but here he's developing his niche for a good follow up. 3/5.
Grande disco de folk. Lembrou-me bastante a sonoridade do "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan", mas talvez com uma abordagem lírica mais cotidiana. Muito louco pensar a diversidade de ramificações da música popular em 1968: era esse disco na praça ao lado de um “Eletric Ladyland” ou o próprio álbum branco auto-intitulado dos Beatles. Destaco “The Stranger Song” e “Stories of the Street”, sonoridade me confortou no recorte dessas duas canções.
Not quite as interesting as the other Leonard Cohen album I had. Some of the music is a little repetitive.
He sucks.
godly
That was actually lovely! Favs: Suzanne, Winter Lady and Teachers
As a full time yearner who feels sick with nostalgia almost daily, I CANNOT listen to music like this. It's all "you were so sad, and your hair was so soft" cheers lad I'm crying now. I am happy to reduce my exposure to this music to hearing it on films during sad montages. Tracks I actually liked: - So Long, Marianne - Teachers
Va ganske kjedelig
Pretty good, I am just not the largest fan of singer-songwriter stuff, so didn't really appeal to me
I liked the weight that Cohen's voice has on a lot of the tracks. The guitar playing is excellent and I like the choice of restricting more instruments to certain tracks as I feel like that gives those tracks more weight
Enjoyed this more than I thought, would listen again
algunas canciones como Suzanne son algo monótonas, pero es agradable de escuchar si estás en ese modo de paz, pero no es algo que escucharías con amigos. pero me gustaría destacar la canción stories of the street, que no irónicamente me gustó bastante
i love this album, might have become a fav
Cool lyrics, well writte, a bit sad
Correcto
Really pleasant, cool writing and narrative.
Wonderful storytelling + reminds me of my dad
One of the great songwriters in history.
Given his voice, it is difficult to listen to Leonard Cohen's songs back to back but as background music I wouldn't complain. Of course the lyrics are phenomenal but it shows why his songs in different hands are so striking
Excellent!
One of the great troubadour songsmiths. I would probably give any of his works 5 stars without needing to listen. But this is the first album, ad his early minimalist style really emphasizes the lyrics and core of the music. Beautiful, fragile, and powerful.
The guitar talent present in The Stranger Song is just awesome. This has lots of the elements that I like about Simon and Garfunkel.
Immaculate songwriting perfectly complimented by minimalist production.
The listless talky singing and meandering incidental music overwhelmed the enjoyment of the occasional interesting lyrics.
I made it to sisters of mercy before running out of steam. Very dad rock.