Songs Of Love And Hate

Grated on me after a bit, sorry Leonard

Brilliant.

Leonard Cohen rules. Avalanche is an all timer.

Also songs of Beauty and Pain Cohen is still one of the best storytellers.

I really do understand why people might not like Leonard Cohen, but I’m a lyrics-forward listener and he’s a lyrics-forward songwriter, so it always works for me.

Where Lenny hit perfection. Sparse and very importantly no Jew's harp in evidence. He's become very confident in his voice here, which makes his lyrics come alive.

My favorite Leonard Cohen with "I'm Your Man", a close second. Such a great, powerful album.

Fantastic. Cohen sounds like a poet, and I like his singing far better than Bob Dylan's (sue me)

Previous to this I’ve only listened to various ‘Best of’ compilations, so some of this is familiar and the rest is completely new. There’s always that tension in Leonard Cohen’s songs, they seem simple on the surface, naive even, but then the lyrics are beautiful poetry. I always wonder if he was a much better singer than he let on, performing the drunken troubadour, or if talent was outweighed by ambition. An album of contradictions, just as the title says.

I knew Cohen leaned toward the somber side but SHEESH, this album is bleak. Love the sparseness of this record. Stripped down arrangements with that deep, haunting voice just sitting on top of them. For most of it he's not really singing in a technical sense but that almost works better here. Lyrically there's a whole world in these songs and you can just hang out in it. Very much my shit. Favorite tracks: Avalanche, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Famous Blue Raincoat, Joan of Arc

one of my favorite albums of all time. favorite tracks: avalanche, last years man, love calls you by your name, famous blue raincoat, and joan of arc.

Un autre 10/5.

Le beau leonard avec sa belle voix grave. Préféré celui-ci à son debut album, mais I'm Your Man reste mon pref. La toune d'ouverture est bien bonne, bien déprimante. Bien aimé Diamonds in the Mine quand il commence à se fâcher et perdre le calme dans sa voix. Et Sing another song Boys, en live au contraire de tout le reste.

beautiful

Back to back LC. Writing is just so good

Wild listening to this back to back with I’m Your Man. I’m giving this a 5, but only because I’d probably flip the ratings. Or maybe both are 5’s? Just amazing range writing

Lovely and sad. Avalanche was my favorite.

I'd never really bothered with Cohen. I now realise I am stupid

Leonard Cohen war und bleibt eine Legende. Markante Stimme, sparsame Instrumentierung, Inhalte zum Nachdenken. Zeitlos!

I love Leonard Cohen, I love this album. Definitely deserving of a listen.

pocos discos hay con tan mala vibra, 5/5

more leonard cohen. an artistic venture on his part, the title of the album is literally. songs of both romance and despair are equally featured in this record. i really like how emotional the whole album is. the way he sings and how he draaaaaags his vocals perfectly embodies that emotion. out of all people that this platform has introduced me to, cohen has been one of the standouts. i dunno, i like the melodrama.

As a first experience to Leonard Cohens work this is incredible, his voice is so emotive and his lyricism is so precise. Incredible album

This is my first time listening to Leonard Cohen, both in the project and in general. And it has probably the best lyrics I've had since I got Bob Dylan(albums #9 and #16). The soundscape is far better than Dylan, trading annoying vocals and harmonica for a spare baritone and guitar, almost reminiscent of Johnny Cash. It's extremely spare and bare-boned, with an intimate atmosphere that differs vastly from most other records. To listen to this album is an experience like few others. It's not the kind of album that impresses through big choruses or heavy riffage or jaw-dropping solos; it demands you read into the lyrics as poetry, for they are basically poetry sang over spare guitar and occasional strings/piano. This is not an album to be played constantly; it's one to sit down with and really take time to listen to. And when you do, I suspect that you will be rewarded with an experience like few others. That is one of the many markers of a great record, and the one that gives this greatness.

An amazing album, I don't know how I went this long not listening to this! I loved it!

You can see why so many artists cover his songs. Full of emotion and excellent songwriting. Interesting lyrics and hooks. Great album.

ça eat dsl

more like songs of love and love.

Depressed. Visceral. He never fails to drag you into the depths with him, where all men are equal.

SHOWSTOPPING

Sing another song, Leonard.

I wasn't really in the mood to listen to this today, but still amazing and slightly unhinged in places. 8.9 Fav track: Famous Blue Raincoat Least fav: Sing Another Song, Boys

Damn! Why did I sleep on Cohen for so long!!! This is just plain beautiful. What a songwriter! 5/5

Mislim da znaš da mi je ovo jedan od najdražih albuma uopće

Leonard you bastard why did you evade me for so long

Beautiful

I like Leonard cohens guitar playing. Always beautiful but still simple

Such a gem. Love the haunting combination of Cohen’s lyrics and delivery. This album features most of my favorite tracks from him, one of his more varied and eclectic albums and not a miss on here. 10/10 Favorite tracks- “Avalanche” “Diamonds in the Mine” “Joan of Arc”

call me sabrina carpenter’s ex because I be jacking off!

One of my all time favourites

Lucky you if you’re getting to hear this album for the first time. I wish I could again. By the time you get through listening to this record you feel like you need a priest or a therapist. It album made Cohen’s reputation, as a songwriter and specifically a depressing songwriter, but listen carefully and you find it’s not depression so much as depth and complexity. The reputation for miserablism is more an artefact of the delivery, the lived-in low baritone voice and the minimalist arrangements rather than the subject matter. Alongside Joni Mitchell’s Blue this is one of the great ‘bleed into the mic’ albums of all time and it kind of makes you wonder what was in the water in 1971.

Oh my, it does not get any better. Thank you

I finally Listened to the whole thing as a whole and I got to say this is quite frankly my favorite album of his I've heard so far, probably will be the peak of his albums for me. This is to me it has the perfect ominous feel for his voice and and the way he plays. except6 for the the children's Choir, it doesn't really have a lot of the strange intricacies he seems to have in some of his Productions, like where he puts in weird things like Mouth Harps... But even the Children's Choir really worked for where he was going with this. I think a lot of it has to do with Bob Johnson's production. I think this is really a fantastic album and probably the first five star album I've given for an album I had not heard before this project 10 ★★★★★

Gorgeous, but very dark album. Not my favourite Cohen, but still 5 stara

master piece

Es ist ein düsteres, poetisches Meisterwerk, das die Tiefen menschlicher Emotionen auslotet – Liebe, Hass, Einsamkeit und Sehnsucht. Es ist kein leichtes Album, aber eines, das sich tief in die Seele eingräbt. Die Songs sind minimalistisch arrangiert, oft nur mit Gitarre und Cohens unverwechselbarer Stimme. Die Texte sind literarisch, fast wie Gedichte, die von gebrochenen Herzen und existenziellen Fragen erzählen. Es ist ein Album, das nicht tröstet, sondern herausfordert – und gerade deshalb so kraftvoll ist. Das Highlight: “Famous Blue Raincoat”. Dieser Song ist ein emotionaler Höhepunkt des Albums. In Form eines Briefes geschrieben, erzählt Cohen von Verrat, Vergebung und der melancholischen Schönheit vergangener Liebe. Die Zeile „Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes / I thought it was there for good, so I never tried“ ist ein Paradebeispiel für Cohens Fähigkeit, komplexe Gefühle mit schlichter Eleganz auszudrücken 😊.

Impeccable

Uf

𝘚𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘵𝘦 feels like Leonard Cohen sitting in a dimly lit room, whispering his secrets straight to you. The arrangements are bare, almost fragile — just guitar, a few strings, and that unmistakable, weary voice. It’s a dark record, but not in a dramatic way; more like the quiet ache that settles in after the storm. 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘵 still stops time, and 𝘈𝘷𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘦 sounds like it’s carved out of stone. It’s an album that hurts a little, but in the most beautiful way possible.

Nada a dizer, génio!

Beautiful! I love love loved diamonds in the mine, hadn’t heard that one yet

Great album!

Probably his best

Classic masterpiece

Love them all

For better or for worse, this isn't a product, this is art, and so it can land very perfectly or not at all. I can hear later singer-songwriters productizing this style for wider consumption, and by doing so, cheapening it *coughsufjanstevenscough* Within 2 songs I thought the album would quickly overstay its welcome, but, damnit, if Old Legs here ain't grown on me and I enjoyed it till the end. I can imagine this to be something to dive deeper into, with the lyrics in hand. The music does its job while being a little too predictable, yet has flashes of genuinely creative moments to spice it up, which in my opinion is a recipe for 3-4 review. But the experience is ultimately mostly carried by the lyrics. Considering that most albums I've heard on this project so far had throwaway lyrics that bordered on the laughable, this is a very welcome change, and that alone pushes this to 5 for me.

One I already know and enjoy a lot! I went through a phase within the last year where I listened to this album nonstop, so this was a treat.

Lots of words - some of them will hit

This is one of my all time favourites. Every song here is perfect. Especially „Let’s Sing Another Song Boys“ is awesome.

Leonard Cohen was one of the artists I discovered through this site. This must be his third album to appear here, but since the first, I've come to appreciate this man's work and talent. He's become one of those artists I never tire of listening to.

Cohen is a treasure chest of priceless and precise lyrics that do an amazing job of evoking an emotional response... assuming that one is listening to them. This is not album to have playing in the background, this deserves to be listened to and contemplated on. "Joan of Arc" "Avalance" and of course "Famous Blue Raincoat" are my favourites on this album.

Fantastic album. All songs sound so amazing and poetic. I wish I was half as beautiful as this album.

Untouchable genius.

Albsolute classic, his best.

Cohen is truly one of the greatest songwriters to ever life. Every song is a story. A masterclass.

Superb

A real blast from the past. Uni days revisited.

There's dark and then there's Songs of Love and Hate, it's an intense listen and not something that can be enjoyed casually. It's hard to put a star raring against this album without diminishing it in the process. I've just read a few of the reviews peoe have left for this album and it seems to be one that provokes strong responses from everyone who hears it which I think makes it worth anyone's time to hear it at least once in a lifetime. I also didn't know it was possible to listen to Famous Blue Raincoat and not be stopped dead in your tracks but apparently some people think it's awful.

The great Canadian poet; he’s got so many great albums, but this may be his peak.

Flawless melancholia. Genuinely cannot believe a man this brilliant ever existed.

Love it

Masterpiece

The world feels different while listening to Leonard Cohen. Everything makes more sense and less sense at the same time. Everything is bigger and smaller. That voice, those lyrics, the music, all so very needful, all so very hypnotic. I'm at some bar in Manhattan nursing a Gibson Girl when Leonard Cohen walks in, he looks at me and half smiles, nods and walks out of the bar, I put my cocktail down and follow him to the end of the world or his flat, whichever comes first. When was the last time a song made love to you?

Every time I listen to him I like him more! I especially appreciated Diamonds in the Mine. I don't usually like his voice much so I looked up some cover versions and no one gives the song the feel he does.

Expected the dreariness to put me off but if anything it give his words more gravity. Some beautiful poetry and overall a pleasant surprise

I to jest Cohen, którego kocham. Mistrz słowa i atmosfery. Autor najsmutniejszej piosenki na świecie (Famous Blue Raincoat). Jego głos brzmi jakby od tysiąca lat patrzył na krzywdę i żal. Każdy dźwięk jest przemyślany. Ma czas by wybrzmieć. Ta płyta nigdzie się nie spieszy. Snuje swą opowieść z mozołem, nie idąc na skróty. Kocham. 10/10

Poetry, plain and simple. Evocative and eerie and beautiful. One of Cohen's best for sure, and on every listen I pick up on a new thing to love about it in the lyrics and arrangements. People may trash his vocals but I've always found his voice soothing, and the backing singers are exquisite. A stirring record with no skips

Emotional masterpiece nobody in the history of music has combined poetry and song this well before and I doubt anybody will ever again, absolute classic. Shoulda had sex by the 1975 tho

Again same as yesterday

Diamonds in the Mine is so weird. 5/5 anyway.

This is a great album. I want more time to listen to it. The opener avalanche and famous blue raincoat are the best that any singer-songwriter has to offer. This is an improvement on his debut, but I guess Cohen didn’t agree saying that it was overproduced and a failed experiment. I disagree and give it a light 5/5. I could spend time with Leonard every day

Leonard Cohen's back! It's been like 3 months since I got my first album of his, Songs of Leonard Cohen, which I feel is a good wait for an artist like him. It gives enough time for me to not feel tired of hearing his music, but it's just close enough for me to have that album still be somewhat in my head for me to compare the two. Comparing the two albums is kind of a Nevermind/In Utero situation for me. I personally don't believe that either of the two Leonard Cohen albums I've heard thus far are objectively better than the other, but I have a personal preference. In this case, I think I actually prefer Songs of Love and Hate. Obviously, many of Songs of Leonard Cohen's best elements are still here 4 years later, but arguably better. The instrumentation is still solid, but I think I actually like it more here. The overall atmosphere of this album is a bit angstier than the melancholy of Songs of Leonard Cohen, with a song like "Dress Rehearsal Rag" showing this off excellently. There's even some energy on a song like "Diamonds in the Mine." Cool! Cohen's singing still does its job quite well. I like it. Of course, as is the case with any Leonard Cohen album, the main focus is the songwriting, which is just as phenomenal as ever. If Songs of Leonard Cohen is the more cohesive album from a musical department, Songs of Love and Hate is the more cohesive album from a lyrical standpoint. A lot of biblical and historical references on this album here. It provides interesting things to think about. The writing here is somewhat vague, but still deep. I love it. If I wanted to, I could try to analyze these lyrics for quite a while. It is poetry after all. Overall, Songs of Love and Hate is another standout release from one of the greatest songwriters of all time. I love it. 5/5.

Kæmpe inspiration for alle musikere der har brugt en plade til at dykke HELT ned i deres mørkeste tanker. Nogengange skriver man bare lige sang om Joan of Arc's ægteskab til den ild der brænder hende ihjel og slutter den med "myself, I long for love and light, but must it come so cruel and so bright?", og så kalder man pladen for Songs of Love and Hate for der er jo en kærlighedssange på. Ekstremt start-70er album. Famous Blue Raincoat er den bedste sang fra 70erne.

Genuinely masterful.

La voz de Cohen llega muy profundo. Desgarra, duele. Y transmite su dolor como pocas voces. Fascinante.

I’m not entirely sure what to even say, as even thinking of ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ as an ‘album’ seems to undersell and cheapen it a bit. I guess what I can say is that the first fifteen or so minutes is one of the most extreme and remorseless runs of music i’ve ever heard. It’s so suffocatingly tense that even most black metal is outstripped by Cohen’s stark and ultra intimate brutality. Listening to ‘Songs of Love and Hate’ is like being within touching distance of Cohen in a dark candle lit room; his glare never once leaving your eyes as he sings directly at you. Such are the insane degrees of his effortless charisma; Cohen manages to go from sounding menacing and vengeful to like someone who has felt more than any other human being has felt before, without seemingly doing anything. When anyone else attempts this, you can always see the workings out in the margin. That is not the case for Leonard Cohen. I have no idea how he managed it (and at such a comparatively young age as well) and yet somehow he did. He was not like us. Listening to this is a frightening, moving, humbling and quasi-religious experience. It flaws me.

This has been the first Cohen album I've gotten that I really enjoyed. The guitar on the opening track pulled me right in. I've never owned any of his albums but this one might change that. Highly recommended if you're looking for a singer songwriter album.

Just so great

Leonard Cohen rules, he’s maybe the only public-facing Canadian to ever be as cool as Americans can be. This one is so unglued and evil sounding. Diamonds in the Mine is one of the raddest songs ever. I think The Future remains my favourite, but this is a close second.

Does this guy know how to party or what?! That is if the party is a self-reflective journey into an abyss of alienation brought on by a lifetime of fleeting connections and bitter resentments spurned by star-crossed love. I guess this is yet another party I'm the last to leave.

Can't go wrong with Leonard Cohen!

Oh so great!!! Banger after banger here.

what a gorgeous album. will return to it over & over & over again. thank you for having come down to earth for us, leonard cohen.

Every song is a selected gem and a piece of art. Perfect!

My god, this is haunting and beautiful at the same time. I've really never listened to Leonard Cohen, and I'm not exactly sure why because this is right up my alley. The whole album has this poetic folk thing going on. Cohen kind of does the understated talk-into-the-microphone type of singing which for some reason always seems to work for me. The lyrics are a bit bleak, but in like a realistic and not wildly overdramatic way. He does this very aggressive choppy guitar thing throughout and there's backup singers on a lot of the songs (which is one thing that's a bit hit or miss for me) and it all kind of adds up to this slightly unsettling feeling throughout. And I'm still not exactly sure what's going on in "Famous Blue Raincoat", but I'm still reeling a bit after hearing it. Was it about him? He "signed" his name at the end, not sure I've ever seen that done before. Leonard Cohen is definitely a bit of a downer here, but good music should make you feel something. This made me feel something. This feels like one that needs an immediate relisten or two to fully grasp, but my gut says I love it. Favorite song: Famous Blue Raincoat Other: Avalanche, Last Year's Man, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Diamonds in the Mine, Love Calls You By Your Name, Sing Another Song Boys, Joan of Arc 12/3/24

Leonard Cohen. Beautiful. Is there a better song than Famous Blue Raincoat?

Love "dark Bob Dylan". Famous Blue Raincoat - great song. Love the whole vibe, perfect for fall and Halloween.

I forgot how much I freaking love this album. Love it x 100

I love love love this one. Famous Blue Raincoat is one of my heart songs. It is the best PS3 Singstar song for my vocal register. So many memories, mostly of people groaning when I chose to sing it again. And again. "Did you ever go clear?" The rest of the album is stellar too. I just want to day drink. By myself. And read some Bukowski. Why do I love sad songs so much? I must have some issues. Sincerely, L. Lerner

Beautiful. Just brilliant.

Fantastic album - I feel like it really represents well it's concept.

a canonical album for me. listened to this so much c. 2011-2012. and it's still fantastic[ally depressing]

Arguably one of his best albums and one of the best from any songwriter. That first track with first lines! But of course also the later tracks. Joan of Arc for example is another great one.

Leonard Cohen is such a singular voice and musician. Everything about this album is perfect, haunting, and beautiful.

Ayo, this thing fucking cold, made my heart as still as a pond in heaven.

Exquisite.

Weird

Perfection 5/5

This album really hit, especially in songs like ‘Avalanche’, ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’, and ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’. ‘Dress Rehearsal Rag’ especially is just so dark and hateful. Honestly, probably my favorite of his albums here. It’s also weird that I got all of them in the first half of this project.

Music for drinking alone.

Exceptional

Lovely, lovely, lovely Leonard. The voice is so rich and sonorous, it's like a lovely mug of something hot with booze in it. This is a truly great collection of songs, with Raincoat the standout. Listened twice through back to back and will do several more times in the coming days.

Well, he got me again. Last time we got a Leonard Cohen album, I mentioned the weight of a life long lived bearing down on me, but that doesn’t apply as much here – he was only 36 at the time of making this album. By comparison, that’s rather short. However, the allegory I wrote of seeing music as art in that classical sense still applies rather deeply here, to me. This is an album of poetry, and while it’s not an album of a life long lived, it is an album guided by experience, hope, heartbreak, and a bit more. In a way, it feels like the midway point; obviously, he couldn’t have known that at the time of writing and composing these, but so much of what guides his spiritual belief in You Want It Darker is present here, without the life stories that lead to their definitive definitions in that album. To cut to the point, I’m rather shocked at the quality of these lyrics – I’ll still need to dive more deeply into them, but the imagery present here simply paints a picture that I still don’t feel like I can fully articulate, appreciate and comprehend. In terms of the instrumentals, I’m at least glad to hear a slightly lighter overall sound on this album; there’s some brighter instruments spread throughout that keep this from feeling overwhelmingly dreary. I could keep trying to go on, but I just deeply, deeply enjoyed this. It’s a damn good album, and I’d be a fool to give it anything other than a 5.

Beautiful.... can't say I understand what the poetry is about

The opening track is definitely my favorite leonard cohen song. There’s something hypnotic about the way he finger picks and his lower croon. Bob Dylan esque but his own folk style. Lots of great choir, string work, some extra guitars from time to time. Good record.

Legend.

I've never had a particular desire to figure out what Leonard Cohen is all about - yeah this may have changed today. Because I should have. Because Greatness. What a beauty. And that's me listening to this album in between my daily chores. Totally saved for a quieter moment when that children's choir gets to *really* grab my heart. Rip it out. File under #1: what I love about doing this project. Ooof.

I should probably read all the lyrics. Nice listen regardless. I feel more cultured & smart now

i dont know what you think ive done

Leonard Cohen's poetry is always wonderful to listen to. When it's part of his best collections of songs it's truly something special. Listen to this album, then listen to it again.

Dress Rehearsal Rag and Avalanche holy shit

A haunting, thought provoking piece. Amazing.

Not exactly a passive listen. Well worth the effort of making time to hear it properly though, every bit the equal of Dylan but without the annoying harmonica. Love the subtle and delicate instrumentation, really lets the lyrics shine

Very interesting stuff

Cohen’s best work. The album where his poetry and the music come together and make something sublime. Every song is captivating, Cohen uses his limited singing range creatively to great effect and the expanded arrangements embellish without overpowering. An absolute success

To be honest I wasn’t familiar with Leonard Cohen until now, and I’m really enjoying him. Once this album was done, I moved to another one that was in his discography, and I think it’s fair to say that he’s my favorite folk singer as of right now.

Easily my favourite Leonard Cohen album, I hope it’s yours too.

This felt transcendent today. It was overcast and at the end of a week long break with the family. I found myself listening multiple times to songs like famous blue raincoat and love calls your name. Lovely album that feels like a lifetime listen.

He's kindda sad, right? Great lyrics, great melodies, back when Cohen could actually sing. The album with Avalanche, Last year's man, Diamonds in the mine & Sing another song boys. This was always going to be an easy 5/5

I looove Leonard Cohen his voice and style iss insanely good. I only know one song from this album, but I'm sure this is already one of the best albums I'll listen here. It'll be sad, and I'm not sad, so I might not like it rn, but Cohen is too familiar and nostalgic not to like him. First song, fast guitar start, that is still going on with Leo's singing. This is quite an early era I think, so his voice is less raspy maybe. The lyrical mastermindness is a lot here, plus apparently this is based on a poem with almost a same name. And this is God talking as someone said. His vocals are unique too. Second song, no upbeat guitar, but it's still there blantly. There was no pause between the singing that lasted long. He's vocalling every word like Rufus. I was right there is too much singing here, even Cohen thinks so. It's melancholic in a not boring way. I heard the children at some point, ohh again they appeared, love that touch. They're humming now. Third song, much more upbeat guitar strumming than in the last song. He also sings faster, but not happier. Apparently this album didn't sell well, after Suzanne same vibe was expected, I think this one lacks something, but it's not bad. Children again, but they last very short. Songs are quite long, which is good, but they may be repetitive at some point, still his voice never gets boring. Fourth song, fun beat I see. Another instrument appeared, actually there're two other than guitar. Finally women appearance vocal-wise, they always make the vibe much better. This is the first song with a real chorus I suppose. He does this almost angry voice emphasis at some points. Fifth song, this one's again slow and sad aand shorter than usual 6 minutes. I don't like this one as much. Ohhh violins came into play. Guitar is making the same sound I think, I mean different from in the last song, but almost same in the first song. Violins volume increased, but they're gone now. Lyrically I used to dvelve into the songs, but now I'm lazy, though I'm not doing anything else, I just prefer to enjoy the artistry, which is quite a lot here. Sixth song, one of the known songs by him. His voice echoes. Oh women appear with the "da-da". Lyrical delivery is good here, just before the first verse finishes. I agree with that man in the comments that this is a rainy weather album while being cozy in a bed and looking out the window, the main character with a bit of sadness. I didn't know he said "sincerely, L. Cohen" at the end. Seventh song, he talked as if this was a live album. Upbeat melancholic beat. No good delivery, tho there is a little guitar progression at some points. Oh there was a baaad vocal at the end. It sounded quite same as the other songs. Except how it started, plus I don't know lyrics, so can't be sure how good this is objectively. The end is singing "lala", but loud and accompanied by the women. It got slower and less loud, but I guess the last two minutes is this going on. I actually like this part a lot. Ooo a clapping at the end. Eighth song, he mentioned Joan of Arc in the previous song. Same vibe, but I hear the women vocalising. Yess another lalas with him and the women. I love that part it fills the song, and it's his style, buut verses ain't giving, without context it's just a bunch of yapping. There's also his echo sometimes ahead of his or after his singing. This was what I expected in a good way of course, I have yet another album for when I'm feeling down. Obviously this is a 5 star album, that I will come back to in order to make this one of those nostalgic albums that get me back in time when I listen to them in the future.

Started listening to this album on a dark rainy morning, whilst driving to work. It absolutely added to the depression of the situation. Definitely not something to listen to if you're in search of happiness. However, if you want to mong out to some good music, I definitely recommend it. I will listen to more in the future. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

An "avalanche" of stellar compositions, striking moods and darkly poetic lyrics. That album opener, bearing the name I've just put between quotation marks, is probably one of the most dramatic things Leonard Cohen has ever played, thanks to its obsessive acoustic guitar arpeggios and minor-key-yet-majorly-cinematic string orchestrations. No wonder Nick Cave covered it by the way (in a quite disturbing "punk" fashion). On the "literal" other side of this great record, "Famous Blue Raincoat" is certainly one of the most heartbreaking melodies the Canadian songwriter has ever written, which is saying *a lot*. And in between (or after) those two cuts, "Avalanche" and "Famous Blue Raincoat", a string of gems: "Last Year's Man", "Dress Rehearsal Rag", "Love Calls You By Your Name" and "Sing Another Song, Boys". In the middle of the dark, dark beads making up that necklace, the ephemeral moment of levity the mock-reggae and out-of-tune lead vocals of "Diamonds In The Mine" supposedly bring to the whole affair sticks out like a sore thumb at first. But listen closely to the lyrics and the raucous voice of Leonard, here in a rare exaggeratedly expressive mode, and soon you'll understand that there's as much passion in this cut as there is on the other ones. The apparent self-deprecatory façade is here so aptly translated to the music itself, you could easily blink and take the whole thing as face value. But the lyrical and musical posture found here also betrays an awareness of the deeper pains that lie behind such a "play". And make no mistake, that pain is the same as the one found in the seven other songs. An avalanche of high art indeed. Number of albums left to review: 286 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 316 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 175 Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 231

Makes me want to get Robert Mitchum's Night of the Hunter tattoos on my knuckles. An all time great album from one of my favorite songwriters ever. Last Year's Man ++++++++++++++

Love this album, it's always been on of my favourites

Verry dark-grey - it's Leonard Cohen. You have to love him or hate him. I love him!

“That’s a funeral in the mirror/And it’s stopping at your face.” Is one of the hardest song lyrics I’ve ever heard in my life. Fav: Avalanche, Dress Rehearsal Rag Least Fav: none

Cracker

This album is quite strange. I feel like I shouldn't like it nearly as much as I do. The songs are simple, and LC's singing is serviceable but is almost spoken word in its delivery. The songs are incredibly sorrow and dense with allusions that mostly go over my head. Even still the songs still found a way to deeply connect with me and I am excited to revisit this album to understand some of the references it makes.

If Songs of Leonard Cohen presented Cohen as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, then Songs of Love and Hate reinforces that idea Favourite tracks: Avalanche, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Love Calls You By Your Name, Famous Blue Raincoat, Joan of Arc

Pissy early Cohen with great backing arrangements.

Cohen sure found his niche in melancholy music. It can be really refreshing to hear.

GOAT

Beautiful album and Famous Blue Raincoat is one of the most mesmerizing song I've ever heard, I had to stop what I was doing, sit down for a minute and listen closely to it. Masterpiece.

Not my favorite Cohen album, but even so

This is Cowboy music. Delightfully simplistic in its approach. A voice, a guitar, and a stringed instrument. In the same vein as Bob Dylan in that it is a story told through song, but this is better. I am pretty sure he is one of the bears from the Country Bear Jamboree at Disney. The stringed instruments add an emotional presence that at times is overwhelming in how it affects the songs tone. This album would be best listened to sitting around a campfire gazing up at the stars. 9/10

Really good

Even having some familiarly with Leonard Cohen, listening to this album absolutely floored me. Every song is a world unto itself. The imagery is vivid and tragic and beautiful. There just isn’t a songwriter like Leonard Cohen.

A poet

Love a bit of Lenny

First time listening to any Leonard Cohen and I am on board the hype train. He is pretty dour but I don't think that necessarily translates to a depressing time listening. I like his strange slap guitar playing and his thoughtful phrasing. The backing vocals usually cut through just enough to lighten things or break the sound up enough to keep it interesting. Famous Blue Raincoat was my standout.

Diez estrellas

Leonard Cohen's third album and second with Bob Johnston builds upon his previous 'Songs from a Room' resulting in an album that is much more textured and full sounding. These songs are contemplative, bleak, and inhabit a world that is feels very lived in. It is one of Cohen's most emotional intense albums, but it retains its focus throughout result in something that is completely unified. It is beautiful and austere and will stick with the listener long after it's finished.

Cohen gets dark. Cohen gets good. I'm not sure if it's his best album, or just in the top 3. Man of phenomenal talent and gift.

Really appreciate how distinctive his voice is. Tonally I feel like this album is diverse

Love. Hate. Sex. Christianity. More sex. A raincoat. 5/5.

L. Cohen could have used up the entirety of the record telling knock-knock jokes for all I care, as long as “Avalanche” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” were featured. Fortunately, he doesn’t. Nevertheless it wouldn’t have altered my score significantly. What an emotional ride.

Moody AF.

je me suis pris une averse en meme temps c'était de mise

9,5/10

I love Leonard Cohen. So this is an easy one.

Loved it

As a fan of poetry and songwriting, I have always been drawn to Cohen's ability to craft lyrics that are both profound and deeply personal. The music on this album serves to elevate the poetic lyrics and give them a punch. The melodies are simple yet haunting, and the arrangements are stripped down, allowing the focus to be on the lyrics and Cohen's unique vocal style. What I find particularly compelling about this album is how it has become more important to me as I have aged. When I first discovered this album, I was in my late teens and was drawn to the melancholic yet beautiful sound. But as I have grown older and experienced my own share of love and loss, I find myself connecting even more deeply with the lyrics. The songs on this album are timeless, and Cohen's view on love and loss speaks directly to my soul. Overall, "Songs of Love and Hate" is a masterpiece that has stood the test of time. Leonard Cohen's ability to craft profound lyrics and his unique vocal style make this album a must-listen for anyone who appreciates great songwriting. It is an album that has influenced my taste in music and will continue to be a source of inspiration for years to come.

Think Leonard Cohen might be the biggest revelation in this list so far for me. Fantastic poet and really emotive voice. Didn't enjoy this quite as much as "you want it darker" I don't think. This was more Bob Dylan esque I think. Which is no bad thing! I think his voice gets better with age too. Think the highlights were avalanche, diamonds in the mine, famous blue raincoat and Joan of arc. At least 2 of my 5 star albums now mention Joan of arc!

My favorite Leonard Cohen album. The songs are universally excellent with lyrics whose imagery is vivid and palpable. The melodies can at times sound similar from song to song but that's a minor criticism when the quality of lyrical content is this extraordinary. 5 stars

Awesome album. Mostly chill and kinda dark.

Great guitar work and melodies. Odd but interesting lyrics. Vocals sound like they took one take and said that’ll do.

Diamonds in the Mine is unbelievable. He starts off with a sardonic, Dylanesque voice. But it finishes with this coarse shouting. Try and ignore that if you can. The whole thing is just ridiculously brilliant.

A classic

I didn’t think I was going to like this album, but I was blown away. Leonard Cohen has an amazingly powerful voice and the backing music complements him perfectly

Love Leonard Cohen, but admittedly I 'm not a frequenter of his albums, and there's plenty I've left undug. Including this, so this was welcomed. Avalanche is just an incredible piece of work. Unsettlingly atmospheric guitar and strings, gripping songwriting and delivery. Anyone unaffected, by this, I don't understand. Last Year's Man is as mournfully beautiful as Avalanche was unsettling. The vitriol in Dress Rehearsal Rag! It seems pointless picking out further individual tracks, they're all of such high quality. Obviously, Famous Blue Raincoat, well, words can't express. Cohen at his best outstrips Dylan, and he does so here. This is the best album this project has presented to me in quite some time. Glorious.

A écouter pendant qu’on est ni dans un haut ni dans un bas

This is poetry Leonard Cohen, what a songwriter, what a poet. This man could write a song that makes you feel something. His voice is so unique, so dark and dramatic. The lyrics are true poetry that hits you so deep. I knew of Cohen before this projekt but im so glad I got the oppurtunity to really dig into his music

Legendary singer/songwriter and solid album I hadn’t heard before.

Happy to have heard this and definitely need to go back to it again.

Bob Dylan of Canada ;) Excellent compositor, deep music - good for your soul. CLASSIC

hell yeah, Leonard Cohen is GOATED 10/10

Brilliant album - great songs.

Classic LC album (certainly his first four are all 5 stars and this is number 3).

Most of my exposure to Leonard Cohen was from the Natural Born Killers soundtrack and newer stuff. This album is incredble and definitely makes me want to dig deeper.

masterpiece

28th July 2022 Listened in the morning and finished the morning after. Full day at the second river. Poet Cohen. What a joy.

FIRE FIRE

Oh, yes. Well, this was predictably great.

Love it!

The perfect album to begin a heroin addiction to.

I love you, Leonard. I hope you're fairing well.

Vraiment un classique intemporel, texte et musique, un chef d’oeuvre 5

esse n tem como

Amazing

Excelente.

Downbeat, sparse, that voice...a classic, best listened to at 3am after a fair amount of Old Fashioneds. Avalanche and Famous Blue Raincoat are highlights but everything is just pure quality.

Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld

Excellent - a personal; favourite

5 stars

Amazing obviously

Yet another perfect album. Like many others I became aware of Leonard Cohen through the movie Pump Up the Volume and Nick Cave. I though this album was a compilation at first as it has a number of my favourite Cohen songs on it

Beautiful

God.

Love Leonard. 5/5

Kolejny folkowy album o ktorego pojeciu bym pewnie nigdy sie nie dowiedzial, gdyby nie listowe losowanko, songs of love and hate to trzeci w bogatej dyskografii, bo az 15 studyjnych nagran, album Leonarda Cohena, ktory tworzy swoje ballady po angielsku, jak na kanadyjczyka przystalo, jednoczesnie nie brzmi on w ogole jak kanadyjczyk, nie chodzi mi o uzywany jezyk, czy wymowe, ale o kontent tworzonej muyzki, bo ostatnio tyle nawiazan biblijnych w tekstach slyszalem u Dylana, a nie wydaje mi sie zebym mijal sie z prawda okreslajac Cohena kanadyjskim Dylanem po przesluchaniu tego materialu, bo tak napakowanych kontentem lirycznych tekstow ciezko szukac u kogokolwiek innego, dlatego takiej plyty nie da sie przesluchac raz i o niej zapomniec, bo zawsze znajdzie sie inne spojrzenie na sluchany kawalek w zaleznosci od posiadanej wiedzy lub materialow pomocniczych, bo genius jest tutaj dobrym wsparciem dajacym drogowskazy w ktora strone mozna ciagnac interpretacje, tytul dobrze oddaje zawartosc ktora mozna znalezc w srodku, sa piosenki o dwoch bliskich sobie uczuciach milosci i nienawisci, nie tak oczywistej jak na wyjcach panterowych, ale o nienawisci czy tez milosci do samego siebie, swoich slabosci, opowiadanych podczas kontemplacji golenia, ktore jest zaproszeniem do slaszowania swietego mikolaja po kablach, a to tylko jeden osmiu kawalkow, wsrod ktorych brak jakichkolwiek zapychaczy, po zwikowaniu pana Cohena troche sie wyjasnilo skad tak mocno odcisniete sa tutaj motywy biblijne, pomimo obywatelstwa kanadyjskiego jego przodkowie maja mocno litewsko zydowskie korzenie, na tyle mocne zeby byc jednym z ojcow zalozycieli kanadyjskiej rady zydow, wiec czuc tutaj mocny wplyw wychowania wsrod ortodyksyjnego judaizmu, co do strony instrumentalnej plyty, to jak przystalo na muzyke folkowa dominuje akustyk Cohena, na kolejnym planie najmocniejszymi akcentami jest pianino Johnstona, ktory byl takze odpowiedzialy za produkcje materialu, a jest to ta sama osoba ktora nagrywala z Dylanem, Byrdsami, czy chcby ostatnimi Waterboysami, kolejny raz zrobil on swietna robote, bo album oszczednie uzywa zasosbow instrumentalnych, jednoczesnie nie jest ani surowy, ani nie odciaga uwagi od glownego dania plyty czyli kontentu lirycznego, skoro muzyka rokowo folkowa jak u dylana, to nie moglo zabraknac akcentow harpy ustnej, czy okazjonalnego banjo, no i traka z elektrykiem, trzeba jeszcze wspomniec o backujacych wokalach, ktore dobrze zostaly wplecione na produkcji, wiec jesli wokal Cohena leci na obu kanalach, tak zza jednego mozna uslyszec backujace szepty lub nawet cale chorki, w tym jeden dzieciecy chor, wszystko jest, wsrod 8 kawalkow znajdzie sie takze jeden zapisy wystepu live, to jest sing another song, boys, bedacy przedostatnim trakiem, dodajac na plejke kawalki ktore musialy sie tam znalezc dodalem polowe plyty, numery 1, 3, 4, 8, jak na 44 minuty materialu, czyli dosc standardowo album na dwie strony vinylaka to chyba plyta ktora ktora mozna sluchac calkowicie wyrywkowo, a i tak bedzie sluchalna, a jednoczesnie stanowi przemyslana kompozycje biegnaca jak wykres oscylografu z swoimi lowami i nastepujacymi po nich downami, no i jest to kolejny swietny argument za teza, ze narod zydowski wydaje na swiat najlepszych bardow naszych czasow

A drunken affair

На ютубе есть такой музблоггер, Руди Аюб. У него был скетч про то, как играть музыку «с чувством», в конце которого его просто заставляют брать одну ноту и плакать на протяжении всей песни. Это, в принципе, описывает моё отношение ко многим музыкальным попыткам в «душевность». Но здесь ситуация повернулась совсем по-иному. Иногда действительно достаточно только акустической гитары, немного струнных, немного пианинки, немного бэков и полного боли голоса. При абсолютной «немузыкальности» подобного направления иногда оно достигает своей цели — передать сырые, живые эмоции и погрузить слушателя в густую прокуренную атмосферу. Каждая песня выросла во мне с повторными прослушиваниям, создавая этакий мрачный вязкий бэкграунд для углубления в свои мысли. Иногда даже появлялись ассоциации с более поздним периодом творчества Скотта Волкера, что, без сомнения, один из лучших комплиментов для музыканта. Особенно хочется отметить Sing Another Song Boys — концовка просто невероятно волшебная и эмоциональная. Ну и, конечно, Dress Rehearsal Rag — беспросветная суицидальная сюита, отдающая вайбом самых тёмных летовских песен. Ну и интересные гитарные пассажи в Avalanche и Love Calls You By Your Name сразу привлекают внимание. В целом Песни любви и ненависти идут в коллекцию альбомов, к которым я возвращаюсь редко, но когда возвращаюсь — получаю несравнимый балдеж. 5/5

Наконец сразу сразу веет лёгкое дуновение того, что слушаешь что-то подлинно охуенное. Лаконичные атмосферные аранжировки, харизматичный вокал. Вероятно, и тексты дохуя умные, жаль, не понимаю, а читать лень. Вероятно, именно в этом альбоме были подняты темы, что позже получат развитие в альбоме Фэйса "Hate Love", который я также ожидаю увидеть в рамках изучаемого нами списка. По звучанию альбом напоминает лёгкие "неосновные" треки Pink Floyd в альбомах The Wall и The Final Cut. В Diamonds in the Mine вокальная партия интересная, почти что протопанк. Самого напрягает, что ставлю одни тройки и четвёрки. В Famous Blue Raincoat нехило залип, можно уже за неё пятёру ёбнуть.

Great!

Wow this was a nice surprise

Magnífico álbum

The third installation of the Songs... series, Love and Hate sees Leonard Cohen take a massive step forward with an intensity and vigor that had not been noticed on prior records. Gone was the softness and gentle mingling, in was vitriol and venom. If there is one album of his that is worthy of digging into first, Love and Hate will take the cake.

Probably Leonard Cohen’s best album probably

Damn man cannot sing for shit but he can write a fn tune and a half. Kinda what I wished Nick Cave sounded like.

- you who wish to conquer pain you must learn what makes me kind - the skylight is like skin for a drum i'll never mend - there's a funeral in the mirror and it's stopping at your face - the river is swollen up with rust cans and the trees are burning in your promised land - shouldering your loneliness like a gun you will not learn to aim - you're living for nothing now, i hope you keep a record - she will learn to touch herself so well as all the ship sails burn down like paper - i long for love and light but must it come so cruel and oh so bright? fave track last year's men

Leonarc Cohen is probably an acquired taste, luckily it is a taste I have acquired. It’s the type of music I put on when I am home alone, dim the lights, pour myself a few too many whiskys and contemplate life.

A very pleased and interesting folk album. His voice and intonation is unique and the writing is excellent.

It's great, but where's the "In Dub" version?

Mooi…

Diamonds in the mine features growling so that's cool. 3.7/5

Avalanche - 5/5 Last Year's Man - 4/5 Dress Rehearsal Rag - 5/5 Diamonds in the Mine - 3/5 Love Calls You by Your Name - 4/5 Famous Blue Raincoat - 5/5 Sing Another Song, Boys - 3/5 Joan of Arc - 4/5 Average score: 4.1/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Cohen is a poet and I love his rich baritone voice. His voice isn’t as good here as it gets later in his career, but it is still gorgeous. Seems to be really channeling Dylan on a couple of tracks on this record. Such a warm record that envelopes you. It’s dark and sad and devastating and beautiful. Not the pinnacle of Leonard Cohen though, so only giving it 4 because I know there’s another level out there.

I’ve been reluctant to listen to Cohen. Probably because I like Bob Dylan so much, and can plumb those depths endlessly so why add more esoteric singer/songwriter stuff. The first couple tracks I was like, okay I get it riding the curtails of Dylan, but from then on he goes to some places Dylan doesn’t. Cohens more art poet and he stays in this lane while Dylan is chameleonic. I really liked it, the plotting cyclical guitar under droll vocals, and goes wild when he wants to. I couldn’t decide if I liked the child choir thing, it felt a bit dated.

Some of the most amazing lyrics ever written.

I'm not sure how Cohen's voice simultaneously sounds good and bad. I hate speak singing, but there are songs here where it isn't bad and others where it's annoying. There are great songs on this album and a few I don't care for. I'm just really not sure whether or not I like Cohen, but the great songs are more great than the bad songs are bad.

Some really solid songs here and some meh ones. I do think a whole album of Leonard Cohen is too much, but I really enjoy him in smaller doses.

Good, but not my favorite Leonard Cohen

His poetry is fabulous and I like the guitar work across the album. And, yeah, I like bleak music. I’ve listened to enough of Cohen at this point to appreciate his youthful voice and understand what makes him special as a songwriter. His work still isn’t something I’ll just throw on, but if I’m lonely at home and it’s raining I could see myself revisiting. Could really, really do without the children’s choir.

3,5

"He's gonna get us! He's gonna turn us into vampires, and we'll all be dead, and yet still alive... like Leonard Cohen!"

Very cool to listen to two albums by the same artist almost 50 years apart. This one was good but I liked You Want It Darker a little more.

I like Leonard Cohen a good deal, but it is strange to me that this is the third Leonard Cohen I’ve come across in 1001. 1, or maybe 2, Leonard Cohen records probably would’ve been fair enough representation. I wouldn’t say he’s quite at the level of “if you’ve heard one of his records, you’ve pretty much heard all of them”, but apart from some different instrumentation on his various records, he does remain pretty consistent with himself. All that said, I do like this record a good deal. Lyrically rich and kind of somber in tone, Songs of Love and Hate appeals to my cynical and depressive side, just like all the rest of his records I’ve heard. It does help to be in a mood for it though. 7.8/10

80

Phenomenal song writer who sounds like a dying cow, his songs are better sung by others

I liked this a lot and I've not really listened to Cohen before

Overall: 7/10 I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with Leonard Cohen. I love his poetry and his views on life but I'm not a big fan of his voice. He's written some absolutely incredible songs (a couple of them on here) but even the ones I enjoy I don't exactly love. I appreciate this for what it is, and I agree that everyone should listen to it, but it's not something I'll be coming back to for a while. This is quite possibly my most negative 4 star review. Fav Song: Joan of Arc

Should be called songs of boredom and depression 3.5/5

4/5. That Leonard Cohen guy really knows how to tell a story, huh. This album sees Cohen going much darker and moodier than his first few albums. The guitar playing is simple, as is the singing. and that’s intentional as the main focus is the words, the stories being told, which tracks considering Cohens background as a poet. For me, the best song here is “famous blue raincoat”, a song that’s formatted like a letter and seems to detail a relationship that’s crumbling due to an affair while also painting imagery of Cain and Abel. Essential folk record In my opinion.

ich mag es sehr gerne, moody und slow, ähnlich wie johnny cash i guess, das was ich erwartet hab

I’m a sucker for anything by Cohen, and this isn’t an exception to that rule

1. "Famous Blue Raincoat" 2. "Dress Rehearsal Rag" 3. "Joan of Arc"

Comin' out hot! Leonard is very intense here. I love it. This is definitely one of the top uses of a children's choir ever. Like they're a gang in the shadows behind the man.

I was familiar with precisely one Leonard Cohen song before listening to this album, and it isn't even on here. What is on here are 8 tracks of depressing story songs with sparse instrumentation and Cohen's unique rasp of a voice. It shouldn't work for me, but for some reason it absolutely does. "Last Year's Man," and "Joan of Arc" are the highlights for me, but every song works as an ode to mankind's despair.

Enjoyed a lot

Best Song: Famous Blue Raincoat. Cohen's writing is so honest and strong here that the song feels epistolary. The guitar is wonderfully but minimally played, only giving more room for Cohen to breathe. Worst Song: Diamonds in the Mine. My enjoyment of Leonard Cohen is inversely proportional to how mainstream he attempts to sound. I don't want him to sneering and snarling like Mick Jagger, doo-wop-ing to a family-friendly folk chorus. I want him weird and unconventional and articulately sad. Overall: One of Cohen's finest albums from his youth. Despite the title, the album feels far more full of love than hate, as it contains a sort of optimism even in the face of that melancholy strain that runs through much of his work. "And let's sing another song, boys. This one has grown old and bitter." I feel like this lyric shows the youthful earnestness of the album best. Let's not worry if things get sad. It's okay, we can always sing another song.

Pretty good and cozy

Last Year's Man Dress Rehearsal Bag Famous Blue Raincoat

Lindo

I didn’t know I would like Leonard Cohen Burt I do

Campfire sitting, whisky drinking type of album

Great folk album here, I was always a fan of Leonard Cohen for his ability to convey emotion through simplicity like Nick Drake. Plenty of amazing songs here

LC is such a powerful poet and has a huge emotional depth.

I liked this one. Solid songs and a good use of his voice.

The Avalanche rullar in som en smygande jordbävning. Trots nedtonat komp väldigt kraftfullt. Cohens begränsade sångröst låter redan här uråldrig som klagomuren. Mycket stark inledning på skivan. Bra låtar här är även Last years man, Sing another song, boys och Joan of Arc. Men det hade inte skadat med ytterligare någon Diamonds in the mine, en mer uppsluppen ovh stökig låt som bryter av.

En fin samling sånger. Mest hat och en liten del kärlek. Ibland blir det obehagligt mörk som i Dress rehearsal rag. En oerhört stark låt, men inte något man kan lyssna intensivt på allt för ofta utan att börja tvivla på om det finns någon mening med något överhuvudtaget. Soundet är avskalat. Men till skillnad mot gitarrplinkare vi tidigare lyssnat till vet Cohen precis hur man fyller ut soundet med lite blås, en kör, smygande stråkar eller en subtil basgång. Alldeles utmärkt i Love calls you by your name, där blåsen förmedlar en känsla av hopp precis på det rätta ställena.

This is now the fourth of five albums in this project. I took another look at my previous reviews. They were much better than I thought. There was the rather fundamental rejection of the cerebral, intellectual singer and the surprised realization that I liked the music more than I expected. It was the same this time. Maybe, ultimately thanks to this project, I’m becoming a fan? 4/5

Excellent album but damn is it moody. Doesn’t blow me away like his debut did, but the songs really are top-notch. Must-listen #312.

I used to claim Cohen was better than Dylan. I’ve since learned I was wrong. Dylan is in his own league, Cohen is incredibly one note. But god damn i always submit to the melancholy of Cohen. When it hits right, like in one of Cohens absolute best tracks, ”Famous blue raincoat”, there’s no denying his sad exalted genious.

I thoroughly loved this

Immediately the guitar sounds amazing and his voice is deep and soothing. The guitar is acoustic and has the quick strumming rhythm reminiscent of Spanish music, making me think of Pierce the Veil. There is a string accompaniment in the background of "Avalanche" that is just perfect. We'll see how the rest of the album goes, but the first song is great. Wiki calls this Contemporary Folk and that feels right, it's mostly just him and an acoustic guitar. Not sure if the full album will be for me, but "Avalanche" is an absolute stand out so far. The full album was not my style, but "Avalanche" is a 5 star alone. Might do 4 for the album as a whole though.

He’s so good.

I veer towards the melancholy and this is a masterpiece of melancholy. His hoarse bark of a voice nestling in the slight but intricate arrangements. And of course the words are the heart of it, little jewels of sadness and fury. The greatest example of which is famous blue raincoat which is a top five song for me

Very good, definitely got intense. I liked Famous Blue Raincoat most

What a great songwriter.

Need to explore Leonard Cohen the artist more

3/2/26. Really impressed with this one, glad to dive more into Leonard Cohen! Very unique voice and storytelling with the perfect instrumentation to back it up. I'm guessing this is where Cameron Winter got his inspiration for Heavy Metal.

Obviously, very good. Not quite my favourite of his but it ticks all the Leonard Cohen boxes.

Good lyrics, good guitar, great voice. Nice listen.

Avalanche - 4 Last year's man - 3 Dress rehearsal rag - 4 Diamonds in the mine - 4 Love calls you by your name - 3 Famous blue raincoat - 4 Sing another song, boys - 3 Joan of arc - 3

# Album Name: Songs Of Love And Hate # Artist: Leonard Cohen # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: A good album. I love a bit of LC after discovering him on this list. A mellow chilled album. Never really moves out of fourth gear. Just cruising a long the highway. # Top Tunes: Avalance / last years man / Dress rehearsal / Joan of Arc # Would I listen to it again? Yes

4⭐️/5 02.12.2026

no el millor que te però leonard nunca falla

Not so sure about the “Love” bit

Leonard's poetry is moving in its simplicity. His storytelling and vocal abilities are undeniable and he uses them in a really masterful way. The instrumentation is acoustic but sharp, sombre and dramatic - in a good way. It's really appealing and it's very easy to see why.

Famous Blue Raincoat is one of my favorites, but this one does feel like a bit of a drag listening to the whole album, even though I like the songs individually

Laughing Lenny. This sure isn't background music. It's a fascinating journey through each track, where it's going the first listen, looking for meaning afterwards. I can see why this might not be your thing but I enjoy the journeys, and he is some of the only poetry I can follow. 4 Star

awwwwww shit. look who it is. no other than the legendary canarian asshole, mister leonard cohen. you tryna sing me some song about love and other songs about hate? sorry but due to a series of unfortunate events there's no love in me and what remains is only hate. let's check out what the fuck do you have in your bag... em, "Avalanche". Nick Cave covered it twice and said that the song changed his life. he even wrote about how he first heard the song in his book, The Sick Bag Song. For him its a song that shelters him from the blazing Australian sun and cover him up in the darkness. but i just dont heard anything that he heard from this shit. maybe the australian sun has melted his brain. are you trying to cover me under these thick snow using your guitar appargio? i am indestructable and radiates heat. and the string crescendos... why are you canadians all so enthuastic in crescendos. but it bores me. i havent seen anything that nick cave seens in this song. but actually its not shit either. i kinda get him what he means about the "darkness" part. but can you stop croaking like a fucking frog? and next, "Last Year's Man". still croaking. still flat. still filled with weird religion references. still as plain as white bread. although i love white bread. and who the fuck would consider a children's choir as a good idea to put in the track, like, i just dont understand. following up with "Dress Rehearsal Rag". i get the self loathing in the lyric but why you sound so funny, especially when you are singing the "four o clock in the afternoon and i dont feel like very much" part. you need to sound more depressive. you need to sound more painful. wheres the pain, old ass man. a long way down the downward spiral but its so unserious. it even dont sound like a downward spiral. try harder, boomer. the poor kids are singing on this shit too. you are doing child abuse. also, Mr. Cohen, why are you doing country on "Diamonds In the Mine"? you should know i am probably the number one hater of country music. stop your annoying speak singing. its damaging my mind. and i find myself a failure while listening to "Love Calls You By Your Name", because im just impossible to describe why it is boring. its just purely boring. *sighs* ok... "Famous Blue Raincoat". i have to consider it as the album's highlight cause i just can't not do it. during my "the phase" i sang this in the year end karaoke party of my high school, before my brother become my killer. im sad and thinking of the past. but if event didnt happen ill still have this flaming hate toward you. and look whats going on? trying to lighten the mood with "Sing Another Song, Boys" while still sounding as desprate and dreary as ever? another huge L for you, Leonard, as L is the initial of both "Lose" and "Leonard". and i... don't even want to talk about "Joan of Arc". it sounds like an exact carbon copy of every other song on this album so what applies to the other songs could also be applied here. it sucks. too long don't read: i dont think i actually hate you but yet, this is indeed really fucking mid. some bonus brownie points for how you managed to make me love some of the songs and hate the rest, hence the album name. Now so long and godspeed, mister cohen, before I had the chance to dig your grave and violently assault your fucking corpse. Sincerely, (my pen name) 4/5

Avalanche, famous blue rain coat, sing another song Boys stand out songs, few songs sound samey so minus a star

Vilka melodier han får till med det begränsade omfånget! Nära på en klassiker. Stark fyra

hauntingly beautiful

Album 1013 of 1089 Songs Of Love And Hate - Leonard Cohen (1971) Rating : 4 / 5 As I’ve said before, I love the space Cohen occupies - it’s less about hooks or melodies and more about the experience of sitting with the music. When I give this a 4, it’s coming from a completely different mindset than rating something like Born in the USA the same. This is about atmosphere, mood, and reflection. The title says it all. These are songs of love, hate, despair, doubt - all delivered in Cohen’s unmistakable, haunting baritone. There’s a quiet weight to every track, and while it’s not an album you casually throw on, it rewards the listener who’s willing to slow down and live inside it for a while. This one didn’t disappoint at all. It’s somber, intimate, and emotionally honest - the kind of album that doesn’t demand repeat listens but naturally invites them. I know I’ll come back to this one.

klassiker

Total classic from laughing Lenny

A good one, but a bit depressing

A good story teller and some nice opening tunes. Did feel like I was going to fall asleep while listening at,times.

Hands down his best album imo. Famous blue raincoat I think is fucking brilliant work. Sincerely L Cohen gives me chills. Love this shit

Some rly pretty songs. I’m slowing down… so slowwwwwwww

Surprinsingly good

I liked this as much as I liked other Leonard cohen albums we have listened to. It was beautifully told and sounding. He has a mesmerising voice that really puts me in a trance.

Found loads of depth here, enjoyed it as much as the other Cohen record we’ve listened to. Plenty of interesting stories.

Edito comentario. El anterior decía que en un día no había llegado a darle bola a las letras pero que ahí había algo. Ahora confirmo que lo que hay es increíble. Me voló la cabeza. Oscuro y misterioso, pero sin perder la poesía ni lo directo. Quiero meterme en el mundo Leonard Cohen ya. Bajo dos puntos porque musicalmente no me conmueve. Pero es increíble. 8/10

Mostly stunnung

I like

7/10

Leonard Cohen simply writes great songs. Sometimes I’m not in the mood, but when I am, there’s nothing like them.

Deep. At points, impenetrable and trivially obscure. Musically more complex than the sparse palette suggests. Interesting and emotionally satisfying

Beautiful. Never had the chance to listen to a whole Cohen's album. At times repetitive and not really my genre, but 2-3 amazing songs (Avalanche, Famous blue raincoat, Love calls you by your name) alone deserve 4 stars...

Really liked the dark vibes, reminded me of the acoustic mid era Swans output

leonard cohen said he wrote this during a period of deep and prolonged depression. it sounds like it. 4 stars for accurate advertising.

Not as strong as his debut album. It is still a great work of songwriting.

I think this is a great album. I think Cohen's songwriting is getting a little darker and more interesting here. You can definitely hear the influence on people like Nick Cave. I do wish some of the arrangements were more fleshed out, but there's some great stuff here. Highlights for me are "Avalanche", "Famous Blue Raincoat", "Dress Rehearsal Rag", and "Diamonds in the Mine". 4 stars.

Solid album by really unique artist. Includes few classics and introduces bit rockier side of Cohen.

lovely

Dour, depressing, but devastatingly beautiful. But please god, no more Leonard Cohen on this list... this is the third album now..