Songs Of Love And Hate

Heavy

Like a smooth whiskey on a cold winter’s night. 4/5

Good

Either I've grown and changed in the 11 months I've been doing this project, or I've developed something akin to Stockholm Syndrome for this variety of folksy poetry recital. Either way, I actually enjoyed listening to this album!

Not my fav LC album, but still pretty decent

Like

i love me some Leonard Cohen

Oh Leonard, you sing like you're holding my hand

bello

I’m a sucker for this style - acoustic guitar at the core, with orchestral accompaniment layered on top. It adds gravitas, a weight that tugs at emotions and makes every note feel monumental. There’s a reason Cohen is so often quoted: his music aches with his soul, dripping with raw feeling. This album in particular captures that balance of intimacy and grandeur. The arrangements amplify his words without overshadowing them, leaving you with the sense that every song is both deeply personal and universally resonant.

Puts you in the sort of daze you may find yourself in during a funeral. Musically limited, yet inexplicably alluring, the weight and wit of the lyrics and the tone carry what would be forgettable songs if brought to existence by anyone else.

I like his later work better. You really have to pay attention to this music for not sounding all the same (with the exception of “Diamonds in the Mine”) I guess lime everybody says the lyricism is pretty great but with the delivery being as it is, it requires quite some focus. Legendary material nonetheless.

If I sat with these lyrics for a while this would probably be even better

Another gloomfest from the master of mournfulness. It’s stark and intense, and his anger at times rasps. The sound is heavy and almost oppressive at times. Cohen’s lyrics are as potent as ever, sometimes sarcastic, sometimes passive aggressive. I really enjoyed this album from my first listen.

It was not bad. I may have to listen to this one again when I’m sitting down with a drink in my hand and feeling really bad about myself.

The album starts off with an oppressive atmosphere which opens up as it goes on. There's a solid variety of sounds and styles within this, all stitched together with Cohen's idiosyncratic vocal delivery. A top listen. He does sing about Joan of Arc a lot, for whatever reason, though.

Душевный поэтичный альбом, меланхоличный Коэн

Cohen is probably the best ever at telling vivid stories. Avalanche and Famous Blue Raincoat are masterpieces and there are many other great songs. I do feel Songs of Love and Hate to be a bit slow to lesson to for a full album. Still if you heard some random guy cover any of Cohen’s songs at a random bar, you’d think holy fuck this dude is amazing 8.5/10

Songs of Self-Loathing would be a better title. I have listened to this for years and relished the dark and depressive atmosphere of its songs. A huge influence on my own music, songs like ‘Last Years Man’, ‘Let’s Sing Another Song Boys’, and ‘Joan of Arc’ have a very special place in my heart. Unfortunately, I don’t think the record is perfect, but it is an early stand-out in Cohen’s music career.

Я небагато слухав Леонарда. Цей альбом раніше, здається, мені попадався. Текстоцентричний з досить мінімалістичними стильними аранжуваннями. Я б його залюбки послухав на касеті.

Leonard Cohen är ju helt fantastiskt och verkligen i en klass för sig. Ganska jämn skiva, härlig att lyssna på men inget som kräver ens uppmärksamhet egentligen. Men bra!

Heerlijk. Leonard Cohen heeft zo'n tijdloze stem die je altijd en overal raakt. Famous Blue Raincoat is en zal waarschijnlijk altijd mijn favoriete Cohen nummer worden. De rest op dit album is bijlange niet zo tijdloos als dat nummer, maar dat is natuurlijk ook moeilijk. Ik heb toch een aantal nummers opgeslagen. 4.1

Enjoyed it.

Devastating

Já é o quarto álbum do Cohen que pego na lista, e toda vez me impressiono. De fato, ele foi um dos melhores cantores e compositores de todos. Toda música dele é pura poesia, e neste disco ele realmente domina seus pensamentos com cada linha. As canções são poderosíssimas. Mas, isso não altera o fato que Folk não é minha praia totalmente. Não salvei nenhuma das canções daqui, e esse não foi meu disco favorito de Cohen até agora. Mas mesmo assim, não consigo dar uma nota mediana não, é um ótimo álbum que te prende inteiramente. 4/5

The album cover looks like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. His ominous monotone "singing" with the backup chorus that comes in every so often is a great combination that adds a spooky element to this album. Not really sure at all what to think of this album. It is not something I would ever choose to listen to or will probably ever listen to again. But it was such a well done album with just mainly acoustic and string instruments and the back up singers. Hovering on the 3/4 line but I think it gets a bump up because of the impressivness.

A few songs in and I think this is my favorite Leonard Cohen album we've had so far. Can hear the raspy voice in some songs and definitely adds to it where as in some later works its a lot like listening to Tom Waits voice. Specifically really loving Love Calls You By Your Name, with the guitar strumming and orchestra. Real brooding and moody but has a glimmer of hope to it. Enjoyed this enough to give a 4. Still not the biggest Leonard Cohen fan but my guy caught me in the right mood.

7.5/10 This was nice, but hardly a laugh a minute. You’re not fooling anyone with your children’s choirs, mate, this is pretty bleak in places. Love it when he deplore the snarl, a somehow more cynical Johnny Cash. Never heard anything like the first verse of Joan of Arc - simultaneously hearing the lyrics at two different speeds is cool and disorienting. Best: Man of the Year

Enjoyed this. I like Leonard Cohen even though it's not my normal vibe. 3.5/5

I remember not really enjoying this when I've listened to it in the past, but I enjoyed it today. I think his vocal style and sound might benefit from repeat exposure, and I was also feeling a little yelly today myself.

I only knew Leonard Cohen from Hallelujah and I was definitely blown away by this. So smooth and melancholic. A collection of beautiful songs.

Downer, songwriting Joan of Arc Famous blue raincoat

Not my favorite Cohen album, but obviously still great because the man was a genius.

It certainly won't make you cheerful, but it is excellent.

Pretty impressive songwriting

once of the greatest songwriters of all time. 4.5

smash 4-/5

Mysterious and evocative. Probably my favourite of his early classics.

"Avalanche" is one of the greatest songs ever made. The rest of the album is pretty great too.

Very deep, moody, and atmospheric singer-songwriter. Nothing too complicated musically but his guitar playing has a nice quality to it, and the strings are used sparingly to add heft to certain parts (e.g. in Love Calls You By Your Name where they come in and out). This list has certainly helped me appreciate Leonard Cohen more, similar to Tom Waits. This is quite a dark and depressing album so I don't think I can give it 5*. He's growing on me as an artist though

Enjoyed it Standout songs: Avalanche Love Calls you by your Name Famous Blue Raincoat

mag ich

Not too bad. I like his others I think better, but it was a good listen,

Melodic, sad, and makes me want a cigarette.

Lyrically Leonard Cohen is up there with the greats, some of the compositions felt a bit boring or missing that "next step" musically for me.

Turns out I'm an early Cohen fan, but not a later Cohen fan. The king of the nylon string dirge. I totally get why folks wouldn't like this, but I like rain, overcast skies, and Elliott Smith, so it's no surprise that I do.

Sublime, early Leonard, simple arrangements gravel voice poetry.

I liked this more than I thought I would. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

Fantastic album!

As someone who only really knew "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen this was an interesting look into what kind of music he makes, and it honestly wasn't what I expected. And I kind of like it. A lot of the tracks on this album builds up to be very angry/passionate and that just really worked for me. Maybe it's because recently I've heard a lot of 60'ies stuff where it seems almost a crime to show passion in your voice, I don't know Standouts Last Year's Man Dress Rehearsal Rag Diamonds in the Mine 4/5

And there are no diamonds in the mine 😔

I liked this more than the other Leonard Cohen we did - it got a bit abrasive at times which was a pleasant surprise.

Just change the name to Songs of depression and hate. Lenny was in a deep funk here - but as always it's lyrically beautiful.

Excellent

Avalanche is so pretty

Schöne Gitarrenbegleitung

He’s back. I think I just really like Leonard cohen. I don’t have a lot to intelligibly say about this one. Just like it.

Very good album. Best Leonard Cohen album from a compositional perspective yet. I really liked his use of backing vocals in subtle ways. I've noticed it on his other albums, and it is a really cool quality of his work. Healthy 4/5

Not something I would have ever listened to on my own. Glad I did

This isn’t my favorite album of his, but I love him. You really have to listen to the lyrics with him, and doing so rewards the attention.

Famous Blue Raincoat kunne godt være mit yndlings Leonard cohen nummer. Virkelig dejligt album

They'll never reach the moon, at least not the one we're after.

I didn't realize how much of a piece these early albums were. This one the production remains simple and clean but doesn't really soar like the first two. Some nice touches though with the strings and the occasional drums or steel. Anyway he's still writing some unbelievable bangers. Love when he draws his voice out on I think sing another song boys. And somehow corny and cool with Sincerely, L Cohen

Третій альбом Leonard Cohen, що багатьма вважається найкращим альбомом цього фолкового музиканта. І він насправді не є простим для сприйняття. При тому, що з музичного погляду, тут все максимально зрозуміло - "різка" акустична гітара + трохи простих оркестрових аранжувань, взагалі нічого складного, проте головна потужність цього альбому полягає в його ліричній складовій. На момент старту своєї кар'єри як музикант, Cohen вже встиг видати 2 романи та вже мав репутацію знаного поету. І цією поетичністю просякнута кожна пісня, можна навіть сказати, що кожна з них відчувається як невеликий вірш. Вірші ж у Леонарда доволі "своєрідні" та абстрактні, хоча і без особливо складних конструкцій, але знання англійської все ж знадобляться, щоб їх зрозуміти, бо гра слів тут також присутня, а у таких речах перекладач, на жаль, не допоможе. Що ж стосується "наповнення", то як ми бачимо із назви - це пісні в яких любов межує з ненавистю, але ця межа настільки розмита, що часто зрозуміти, що є що - неможливо, а ненависть тут здебільшого спрямована на самого себе. Тому осягнути усе це "головою" у вас навряд чи вийде, і єдиним способом "осягнути" цей альбом - це просто "відчувати" його сенси, які передає нам монотонний, але при цьому тендітний, вокал. І відчути його насправді не буде складно, в плані емоційності Леонард постарався також і його вокальна подача тут просто неперевершена. Ти дійсно відчуваєш як він "роздирає" свої рани, які вочевидь, досі болять. Звісно, головним "бенгером" альбому, безумовно, є Avalanche, що показує нам внутрішню боротьбу та самопізнання, але не менш важливим є останній трек - Joan Of Arc, що символізує прийняття долі через поетичний, але при цьому моторошний, образ Жанни д'Арк, яка у момент свого спалення - веде розмову з вогнем. Якщо спробувати порівняти "почерк" Леонарда з іншими відомими музикантами, то першим на думку, безумовно, приходить Боб Ділан, проте це тільки перше і, вочевидь, хибне враження.

Хорошая музыка, вкатило

Quelques trucs très cool, d'autres un peu moins. Dans l'ensemble, ça respire quand même la dépression nerveuse.

Not sure how I've missed out on this album for so long, but I really enjoyed it. Iconic voice. Great songwriting.

LC is a great songwriter and story teller. It's not like I'm going to throw this on in the car, roll the windows down, and crank it - but it's undeniably good.

Avalanche 3.4 Last Year's Man 4 Dress Rehearsal Rag 3.4 Diamonds in the Mine 3.3 Love Calls You by Your Name 3 Famous Blue Raincoat 4 Sing Another Song, Boys 3.6 Joan of Arc 3.5 Score: 3.525

I like Cohen more as he gets older. You Want It Darker got a 5 from me. This album is less interesting to my ears. That said I would still take this over about 800 of the other albums on this list. 3.5

Tvö frábær lög, nokkur ágæt Cohen lög og svo einhver sem hefðu alveg mátt missa sín. 3,5

For me, this hovers between a 3.5 and 4. It's very good songwriting, as Cohen is known for, but it doesn't hit for me as it does for other people. I think the live track towards the end is a bit distracting, production wise, but, again, there is no denying the songwriting and his ability to write such poetic and effective lyrics.

a beautiful work, from the first couple of songs i was already excited to receive more of his albums in the future

Hienoimpia Cohen-levytyksiä! Mukavasti tämäkin vinyyliltä 4/5

Tämä on Cohenin alkupään levyistä epätasaisin, mutta silti huippuhetket on aivan huippuja. Helppo nelonen siis.

As I do respect the folk, americana music, a little too slow for my taste. Going to listen to the first track as I have never really listened to a Leonard Cohen track other than the popular one. I know he is a legend in his own right and has a cult following, just not my style of music to listen to. 4-stars because he is a legend

Absolutely adore Leonard Cohen. Beautiful and poetic album as always.

This was a beautiful record. I loved all of it. Especially the songs with the choir behind him. I need to listen to this again and pay attention to the lyrics too

A really good album, I liked Avalanche the most.

Dark, nostalgic, and a good sound... Perfect sunset...

When I was young I'd have rated this an easy 5 stars. Now I find a bunch Cool but not Moving, and that is somewhat sad. When I was... 18?.. I was so fascinated by the guitar in Famous Blue Raincoat, and Avalanche. There's more songs that are kinda unhinged than I remembered. They're fun. I think there's something juvenile about Cohen's lyrics and music, not in a bad way, and in a way that takes more effort to write about than I feel like in today's review. Unlike a lot of other usefully juvenile music it's not embarrassing to hear later in life. music: appreciated. (⌐■_■)

Musical poetry

I really liked the mysterious and dark sound of this album, which makes it a really unique experience for a songwriter record

Incredible songwriter. I wasn't a fan of the other two albums I've had of his so far, but this one clicked with me more. Instead of just being grumbled poetry these felt like more fully fledged songs with poetry.

Leonard Cohen says: "I want that evil shit. Play a devious one." Bob Dylan could never. Really good. Biggest criticism is that some songs are a bit too long for their own good. Three albums remain.

great songs from a great artist

Uno puede quedarse escuchando cualquier disco de Cohen durante horas y horas. Esa voz es eterna, las letras, su recitar... imprescindible. Sobre este Songs Of Love And Hate pocas dudas hay de lo bueno que es. Se tata de un disco con canciones antiguas, justo antes de entrar en una etapa depresiva (influenciado por las muertes de Hendirx y Joplin) que lo llevó a Israel en la guerra del Yon Kipur... Contiene clásicos como Avalanche, Joan of Arc o Famous Blue Raincoat que es una de las mejores composiciones de Cohen (que se lo digan a Leo sayer...), por cierto el impermeable es el Burberry que llevaba puesto el propio Leonard desde hacía más de 10 años. 8 temas, cuatro por cara, en apenas 45 minutos. Una obra fundamental. Otros discos de 1971: Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV, Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? David Bowie - Hunky Dory, The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers, The Who - Who's Next, Don Mclean- American Pie, John Lennon – Imagine, T. Rex - Electric Warrior, Sly and the Family Stone - There's a Riot Goin' On, The Allman Brothers Band - At Fillmore East, Nick Drake - Bryter Layter, Can - Tago Mago, Black Sabbath - Master of Reality, Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story, Carole King - Tapestry, Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate, Paul and Linda McCartney - Ram, Funkadelic - Maggot Brain Flamin' Groovies - Teenage Head, Faces - A Nod Is As Good As a Wink... to a Blind Horse, The Doors - L.A. Woman, The Beach Boys - Surf's Up RORY GALLAGHER - Deuce, NINA SIMONE - Here comes the sun, IKE & TINA TURNER - Workin' together, BADFINGER - Straight up ,Jethro Tull - Aqualung, Janis Joplin - Pearl, David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name, Pete Dello and Friends - Into your ears, Santana - Santana III Gene Clark - Gene Clark/White Light, Van Morrison - Tupelo Honey Joni Mitchell- Blue, Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson, Elton John - Madman Across the Water, Al Green-Al Green Gets Next to You, Kevin Ayers – Whatevershebringswesing, Sixto Rodriguez - Coming From Reality...

Very good!

To me, this album is sort of a melting pot of everything I love about music - sort of like a Nick Cave/ Bob Dylan blend of styles and some unreal guitars. I’m actually such a fan of this - well done once again

3.5 Not my fave Leonard but a good one

Day302 - i wish i could put words together like leonard cohen

So sad but I love it.

ha s gfühl avalanche hani schomol ghört. die aggressiv melancholisch gitarre isch super. schööne song. uf last year's man schniidet sini stimm richtig iih und er het sid chörli debii. super. er so religion bueb. dress rehearsal rag au wieder aggressiv cohen. sehr cool, s isch afoch nöd mini musig. er isch extreem guet im bilder zeichne mit wörter. hui chinderchörli macht au öpis irgendwie. d gitarre isch so ungestüm irgendwie. diamonds in the mine isch chli reggae? aber besser als reggae well nöd so viel reggae. ok finds nöd so cool, passt irgendwie nöd. love. alls you by your name passt wieder ehner, aber ha s gfühl de song hani scho paar mol ghört. ok nai de döt woner de titel singt isch synthi und s schwillt bitz ah da isch cool. famous blue raincoat isch jo uuuuhuere schön holy shit. chan öpis. mega geile text mega athmosphäre er spielt sehr geil gitarre. song another song findi sochli semi stimmig vorallem viel LAAALALAAA und so muss des? joan of arc wieder seeehr singerede vom leonard, hani gern. nomol lalalaaa time. okay demfall lenny (läääämmmmy). ich glaub da isch e vieri. e sehr klars aber au nöd viel meh.

COHEN DU SCHO WIEDER??? poah avalanche isch uhuuere guet vlt echlii z lang last year's man für mich typisch cohen, de chinderchor findi nöd guet und jaa, bis jz sind lieder eifach chlii z lang ja kein fan vom chinderchor diamonds in the mine sehr cool und andersch! ouh famous blue raincoat isch sehr cool wennd backgroundsängerin innechunnt, ischs fast scho creepy bro was la la la la cohen?? wie meinsch okk s lalalala bide joan of arc passt um einiges besser, iwie ischs es extrem schöns lied hmm bin sehr verwirrt, uf de einte siite findi hets es paar vode beste lieder vom cohen dadruff (avalanche, famous blue coat), glichzitig sind d lieder echli unnötig lang und de chinderchor und s lalalala het für mich NULL passt. wird glaub trz es 4i, au wenns ok isch für mich wenn nüt meh chunnt vom cohen

Loved it lyrically, not fond of it sonically. I want to love Cohen so much, I just don't.

Favourite songs: Diamonds in the Mine, Avalanche, Dress Rehearsal Rag Least favourite songs: Love Calls You By Your Name 4/5

The greatest songwriter in his prime. Poetic, dark, entrancing. Intimate at times, grandiose at others you never feel far from what Cohen is trying to convey

Quality

It was a pleasant surprise. As it is not my preferred genre, I never expected that I would enjoy listening to this album. The best song in my opinion: Avalanche

It’s crazy how influential this album was. I hear so many future artists in it like Nick Cave, Tom Waits, REM etc.

Nice

Lovely

Bob Dylan-esque

solid album. leonard cohen's songwriting is pretty great (not a hot take) and in general, this album has a very purist folk production style. i liked the songs and the production, but i felt like the mostly bare bones production didn't do much for me. it adds to the vibe and focuses on the songwriting but i don't know if i enjoyed this crop of songs enough for me to fully appreciate the focus on them. i'm fairly new to leonard cohen in general and do like what i've heard so far. i could see this one growing on me with time.

Pretty Leonard Cohen-y.

Very intriguing, I can hear where Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds have taken a lot of inspiration from this. Loved Diamonds in the Mine, quite unhinged. Will def try to revisit 👍

Excellent guitar, but his voice was at times quite meh

I like Leonard Cohen's albums more that when I was young. I rate this quite highly, and I think it will repay closer, more careful listening.

Well, this is the second Leonard Cohen album I've listened to on my journey, after hearing Songs of Leonard Cohen. My feelings towards this album are about the same as they were for his debut, if not more. There are some improvements from Leonard's first album. He gets more abrasive in his vocal delivery on some songs, accompanied by more female background vocals. His guitar playing has improved, incorporating more syncopated patterns such as on "Avalanche". The lyrics invoke more historical and cultural references in the context of relationships, such as the lament of Joan of Arc's burning at the stake on the closing track or the small allusions to Scientology and Christian biblical readings on "Famous Blue Raincoat". The only track that seemed a bit of an odd inclusion was "Sing Another Song, Boys" but that's only because it was recorded live at Isle of Wight Festival and was not recorded in the studio like the rest of these songs. Ultimately, Songs of Love and Hate showcased that Leonard found his pocket and refined his sound. It's certainly worth a listen if you're curious.

What a pleasant, yet, melancholy surprise! These are quintessential funeral songs.

My first dive into some of Cohen's earlier catalog was a very introspective experience. This album is soothing and comforting, yet brooding like a lone candle at the corner of the room. Immediately the finger-plucked hypnotism of the guitar backed by the chamber instrumentation of the opener 'Avalanche' puts me in a trace, one that I'm in up until the very end of the album. There's not a cumbersome or aggressive moment on this album - it's all so chilled. Even when the strings or backing vocals come in, they make sure not to topple over the precariously constructed sonic foundation that this album is built on. Cohen's writing can be quite daunting, given how dense and layered it can be. There's no way I can pick up on the meanings behind all these songs upon first listening without flat-out looking them up. Still, the images and portrayals of isolation and yearning are beautifully captured in songs like 'Avalanche' and 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. This album really showcases Cohen's talents - and in the large sea of folk writers from his time, he manages to come through on this album with such a uniquely dark sound.

Usually not a fan of singer-songwriter, unless they have a great band backing them. But I need to start reading these lyrics immediately, cause they hit.

ee good? It is not the type of music that I would listen every day but fine, a good recomendation anyways thank you

Really different with semi poetry reading mixed with acoustic guitar. More like an open mic night than a music album.

You know what you’re gonna get with Leonard Cohen. This isn’t my favorite but still quite strong.

A great album by a great artist.

insistent and demanding, dark and rich, packed with tension and love and lust

Quite haunting opener, “Avalanche”, but who knows what it means. “Last Year’s Man” works, largely based on trings and kids choir/backing vocals. “Diamonds in the Mine,” despite its mocking (then sneering, then growling) vocal, lifts the mood a bit, which speaks to the deep, dark shadows of the first few cuts. “Love Calls” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” are mostly great. Can we talk the Canadian Dylan point? Just how accurate a comp it is. And not faint praise at all. Inscrutable lyrics of boho life and religious symbolism. Awkward, borderline unpleasant voice. It’s all here and then some. But not sure how's the better singer actually.

unfortunately not my favorite of Leonard Cohen's, but I'm listening to "Avalanche" again and still just thinking "goddamn".

Classic Len

Simple tunes with thought-provoking lyrics, and a unique voice to help sing them. 4.5 rounded down to 4.

I wasn’t completely in the right headspace to take this album in, but I could tell it was some poignant and powerful poetry

Kan et album smage af noget? Dette smagte i hvert fald af røg, whiskeys og mørkebrune møbler.

I enjoyed that

Leonard Cohen's depressing voice makes me smile. Another great album from him.

Yes....

My mans is sitting in a stool and bending 90 degrees over his guitar playing this album

Un Cohen plus vivant et investi que celui qu’on connaît des dernières années, qui exprime toute une gamme d’émotions avec une bonne dose d’ironie. La chanson Famous Blue Raincoat m’émeut aux larmes à tout coup

Deceptively simple, but he is great.

The 5th (!!) Leonard Cohen album. Been a long time since I last got an album of his and I enjoyed this one. Maybe it has been so long I forget that I found him passable but this one was fun.

As always, Cohen doesn't miss.

After a few days of feeling absolutely zonked out, it’s really nice to see Leonard Cohen as my album for the day. I didn’t recognise any track titles before listening, but they’re all super cosy here. His voice, as well as the comfy guitar playing, makes for a very nice experience. It’s easy to recommend this one to anyone.

Leonard Cohen is a lyrical genius, just amazing. Listens: 1 Rating: 4

I got goosebumps as soon as “Avalanche” started. What a haunting, gorgeous song. I had never heard it before, and it may now be one of my all-time favorites. The good songs on this album are really, really good. I don’t think they all quite meet that benchmark - not enough to be an instant 5 stars - but still an excellent album. I look forward to hearing more of his work. (Maybe I’m being too stingy with my 5 stars here.) Favorite tracks: Avalanche, Love Calls You By Your Name, Famous Blue Raincoat

favourite song: diamonds in the mine maybe the strongest 4/5 album i’ve had

This is a pretty good singer-songwriter style folk record. I had already listened to Leonard Cohen's final record before he passed so it's pretty fun to hear something from 45 years before. Some songs on this record reminded me of Johnny Cash and some reminded me of Bob Dylan. Overall, it was a really enjoyable record.

Master lyrisist and great poet, music sounds like a frog who has just found himself in the middle of a large city and cant find his way back to the fields. But find beauty in a park pond and the wildness of the people.

Not bad, not bad. A bit chin stroking and smoking gauloise. Dissertations have been written on this I expect.

Es muy difícil hacer un mal disco con semejante voz.

Leonard is a poet, not a singer. But it takes someone special to do his songs Justice so really he’s the best man for the job. Diamonds in the Mine is the most punk song that’s not a punk song. Songs added to Spotify: 2 (somehow I didn’t have Famous Blue Raincoat already?!)

Swag

Lovely vibe to the whole album. Calmed my chaotic morning down exactly how I needed it to be! Will listen again very soon 4.2

I love and hate old Leonard. He’s such a poet, but not much of a singer. He clearly needed a therapist though.

Как и с не таким давним Дэвидом Берманом, альбомы этого парня даются мне сложно, и требуют многих прослушиваний с джиниасом наперевес, и полного внимания. Интересно музыкально, ярко (в контексте) исполненно. Лучшая песня - Sing Another Song, Boys.

Good stuff

Pretty good stuff. The voice itself is a bit of an acquired taste.

Love me some Leonard Cohen

He's such a wonderful storyteller.

I always heard how good Cohen was and this album is showing me what people mean. Avalanche is beautiful and powerful. The album doesn't stay at that same space the whole time but this is a good listen.

Great soundtrack to this overcast day. The lyricism is captivating. At a 44 minute runtime there isn't enough time in the 24 hours I have to dig into this. Avalanche is the stand out track for me. Famous Blue Raincoat also very good. With more time I'm sure the tracks that felt a little more awkward would grow on me.

Leonard Cohen has a way of adding importance and gravity to every song. So much depth and emotion in these tracks. Even the jaunty “Diamonds in the mine” gets dragged into the mud when he begins to sing. He certainly sets a mood!

Better than average. probably 2nd best of his I've got so far.

Too much uniform to be perfect, but very good stuff

4++/5

Bloody love a it of Leonard Cohen. Never listened to a full album before, just the odd single here and there (including the original and best Hallelujah). Will definitely be doing a deeper dive into some more from the sad lad. Simpsons reference: Yes

Something about his voice is just incredible. I have to be in the right mental place for his lyrics, but when I am.. wow

Just what I needed to hear today

Leonard Cohen te envuelve y se queda contigo. No es mi disco favorito, pero es excelente. 4/5.

Leonard Cohen is someone I feel like I should know about and I don't really so I'm interested to see how I feel about this. This is kind of big and bizarre and sad. It reminds me of Tom Waits if I didn't hate Tom Waits.

Great Leonard album.

I like Leonard Cohen much more now than I did in my youth. Late night and a bottle of red wine listening for me.

Poetry

Quite dark, acoustic/folk.

Unconventional, but these songs tended to become more beautiful the more time you spent with them. Started as a 3*, ended as a 4*.

Favourite track(s): Avalanche; Dress Rehearsal Rag Opens up slow yet intense with Avalanche and Last Year's Man taking up speed with Dress Rehearsal Rag. Still, Diamonds in the Mine sticks out a little too much and while the other tracks are solid Cohen, they don't stay around quite as long as those on Songs from a Room. I like how Joan of Arc cakls back to Last Year's Man, but it does not seem like good closure to the album. A lot of criticism, yet I can't give Cohen less than four stars - I just keep on listening.

Even if you don’t like Leonard Cohen, he’s kind of a four star floor kind of guy.

avalanche, famous blue raincoat and sing another song, boys

*GUY WITH A GUITAR ALERT* Listening to this in bed made me feel like Leonard Cohen is singing me bedtime stories(compliment). Faves: famous blue raincoat. 6/10

It’s sad bob Dylan with a lot of different musical ideas but a heavy emphasis on vocals

I love some well written, cryptic lyrics. Big fan of the discordance between the backing vocals and leonard cohen just fucking screaming at us in diamonds in the mine. Iconic.

Schön traurig

Beautiful, haunting

At points I played a game called can I guess the next rhyme and I did pretty well

thank you leonard for famous blue raincoat

Need to spend more time with the lyrics because during both listens I only processed a few at a time but I'm giving it a tentative 4! Not all of the songs hit musically/instrumentally for me but I enjoyed something in each song

More I hear from him the more I want to hear from him.

I can really appreciate the beauty of his poetry. One of the things that I consider while rating albums is replayability. This isn’t something that I would normally listen to regularly. But I think it has a significance to it that is important to American culture. I really didn’t like the “Diamonds in the Mine” song, it was abrasive and annoying.

The music itself was good but the words and Leonard Cohens voice got old really fast. The overall message was good as well, tackling different, difficult topics.

very folksy, and I now understand why he was so revered

I like his dark brooding music a lot

wasnt familiar with cohen, enjoyed this

Leonard Cohen to me is like if Bob Dylan took a couple vocal lessons. Obvious passion in his lyrics and instrumentation overshadow the slightly dissonant vocals.

I thought Bob Dylan learned how to sing 😅

Mr. Cohen is one of the greatest songwriters of his generation. Probably Top 10. The songs are all beautiful and keep me interested. Love the all of it. Wish there was some more excitement to it, but I’ll take what I can get. 4/5

Though it was acoustic I really enjoyed this album. Honestly it was just long enough

I found the rough darker sound refreshing for the decade

Soulful, like a more angsty Bob Dylan. Leonard Cohen is going to be contentious, but I enjoyed it a good amount.

Right?

holy god.. no.. yahweh... shut the fuck about talking about bob dylan comparing about to master leonard.... loenard the legend... muutama haisuli paska tässä albumissa mutta kyllä mestari toi sen takaisin, kaunista paskaa.. ruoanlaittokontekstissa kuunneltu...ei ehkä sovi.. matkailubuffi tulisi tästä... onneksi OBJ. famous blue raincoat

bnrautiful lyrics

Suitably dark and wistful given the album title. Cohen's songwriting is once again wonderful and considering relatively scant instrumentation the moodscape is rich and at the forefront of each song.

Amazing. Raw. Very emotional.

My daughter asked why old Lennie couldn't sing properly. I winced and tried to explain how iconic a songwriter he was. I then played Avalanche again and she kind of understood a bit. That said... beyond the amazing songs, they do start to sound the same.

the rainy day influenced my score here but i also appreciate Leonard Cohen normally

I would drink a cup of Cohens vocals if I could. All the songs here focus on simple beats and let the lyrics and vocal performance step through into the limelight. If there were more songs that I could go back to and want to listen again it would bump up to a 9 for sure. Also no diamonds in the mine actually made me cry laughing while I heard it. 8/10

Отличный альбом

You really need to be in the right head space to listen to a Cohen album and today, I was....Just a hauntingly beautiful record from start to finish.

Interesting, mysterious songs. Some good variety

Literally going to shit and piss and cry from this experience. :,{ The album maintains a level of very intense melancholy despite the limited instrumentations which i find very admirable!

Pretty good Little sad little guy Diamonds in the mine is crazy Famous blue raincoat and avalanche are pretty solid

Very depressing and angsty. Like the choppy simple acoustics it highlights the vocals and lyrics. Fav song: Famous Blue Raincoat.

Okay I like the guy, but back to back gets a little much. Still good songs! but not "Diamonds in the Mine" though, I didn't like that. Man was just screaming. But Joan of Arc was good so that compensates again.

Excellent songs and lyrics, very nice. Diamonds in the mine was pretty odd though, what was that?

If I could give 4.5 I would this is much more distinct and intriguing than his debut. His voice is a beautiful constant instrument throughout and he layers it on top of forays into hits at other genre. Rawness keeps it from being a crooner album.

Experiência musical envolvente e emocionalmente impactante. Especialmente devido à combinação de eco e reverberação que ressalta ainda mais o estilo vocal dele e cria uma atmosfera misteriosa e intensa.

Different but very cool

I came to Cohen late. I found his music dreary and depressing, dismissed it completely. But why would someone in their twenties, grooving the the Mondays, the Roses and Suede be interested in this boring old fart. And then I heard "A Bunch of Lonesome Hero's". Had no clue who it was but I was captivated by it. To my surprise it was that boring old fart. And that is when I got curious and went deeper. Songs of Love & Hate isn't his best record, but there are many to find.

I'm someone who never paid much attention to Cohen outside of Hallelujah, so this was an enjoyable listen.

The last album I heard of Cohen's I wrote: "It's a quiet album, something to play late and night and have a cup of tea with right before you go to bed. Not exactly the best bedtime album, but there you go. I don't know if I would listen to it (except for maybe "Suzanne") because it does get rather depressing." This one is not as depressing, but it is more somber. There's a little bit more maturity in these songs, 4 years later. "Songs of Love and Hate" does pretty much encompass everything, doesn't it? I think my favorite song off of this was "Diamonds In The Mine." It really had a soulfulness that I was not expecting. The guitar in the background really did it for me. Of the two albums I have heard so far, this one is much better. Definitely one I would listen to again.

After Cohen's debut album came up on this list and I fell for it, I went out and listened to more of his work. I think his debut is better, and more trailblazing or novel. But his incredible lyrics continue, and when he combines it with his soft plucking (apparently, his "chop") - like on Avalanche or Famous Blue Raincoat - it's spinetingling. The latter might be my favorite song of his whole catalogue. Listening to Joan of Arc was like reading The Power and the Glory or The Grand Inquisitor - such clever takes on key religious figures and what they truly yearn for. If you don't care for lyrics, you probably won't care for Leonard Cohen. Even if you do, you still may not care for him. But I think he's brilliant and deft on the acoustic guitar. His flawed vocals are a bit more on display here (Diamonds in the Mine, yikes; Dress Rehearsal Rag) so I'm not giving it a 5.

Such a beautiful and haunting voice. I'm not that familiar with Cohen's discography, aside from a handful of greatest hits. This album feels more like one complete piece than a collection of individual songs, to be taken in in one sitting, reflecting on love and hate.

Occasionally relaxing, occasionally sinister, always deeply baritone.

Nästan fem!

Man I really liked this album. I don’t fully know what story the lyrics were actually telling but they held my attention the whole album which is a rare thing for me. Felt both simple and emotional at the same time

After really loving Cohen’s first album on this list, I jumped the gun and listened to this album too. Fantastic album. Cohen has become my go-to folk artist this past year. This album is probably just a small notch below his debut album in my mind. Still like 4.2/5 for me

There's two things the author(s) really like - 80s-90s UK pop and singer/songwriters. Instead of pulling all the popular singer/songwriter albums a little filling out of their influences from folk and the Great American Songbook would be better. But Leonard Cohen's Songs of Love & Hate is one of those that has a few really good songs and the rest is filler. 3.5/5

This is my 5th Cohen album assigned by the generator, and I believe it'll be the last. It really should be, I'm running out of things to say about Canada's songwriting poet and his prolific body of work. Part of me does wonder though, 5 albums is a lot, probably too many. I think we could have freed up at least 3 more spots for other incredible Canadian artists to be showcased and appreciated. The Tragically Hip, like hello! The songwriting is as rich and pithy as ever it was, and Cohen's younger voice drawls in a pleasingly maudlin way. It's what I expect from him. I do like an older, gruff and gravelly vocal from him slightly more, you know, the music from the later part of his career, but that's just a personal preference. Overall, it’s another fantastic album from Cohen’s vast catalogue.

Treball més deutor de les lletres que de la música. Més un petit recull de poemes musicats que de cançons. Quelcom propi del tarannà de Cohen, però aquí més cert que mai. Així i tot, la veu poderosa i punyent del canadenc destaca per sobre d'uns arranjaments senzills, crepusculars, de vegades tenebrosos. Era un mestre de la paraula, i la seva vena pop va fer d'ell un dels millors artistes de la seva generació

Classic. Great instrumental work, too.

I really needed to listen to this several times, before I began to appreciate the craft and cleverness of these songs. I particularly enjoyed Famous Blue Raincoat, Joan of Arc and Last Year's Man. The guitar playing, arrangements and backing singing all add greatly to the songs. On some of the other tracks it does occasionally feel a little close to a Dylan tribute act, but on the whole this is an original, if very downbeat, piece of work.

Favorite song: Dress Rehearsal Rag

Loved Leonard's voice, it's very calming Some songs almost had a lullaby vibe I liked this album except for Diamonds in the Mine I listened hard to the lyrics because they seemed really interesting, but I couldn't really figure out the meaning of most of them 😂 Also the songs were just tooooo long but since they were good I'll forgive it

Super cool. Started out more easy listening than I expected but no way that was gonna last forever. Want to come back to it with a lil more focus in the future!!

Listening to this only a few times before writing about it feels disrespectful to the work that someone like Cohen presents. A true poet, Leonard Cohen has been someone I desire to spend more time with in general, because he really feels like someone whose identity changes for the listener the older you get. These songs are simple but never boring. Sometimes a string section kicks in to fill out the sound, but this is little more than Cohen’s voice and acoustic guitar, and they are all angry. The title may have Love in it, but there is little to go around. The characters here are miserable, in pain, and the only love to be found is that of unfulfilled longing. Maybe it’s obvious, but Cohen is one of the undisputed kings of sad sack music, and that reputation is due in part because of albums like this one. I would like to shout out Diamonds in the Mine, a perfect end to Side A that has Cohen sounding angrier than ever. Great album, and maybe it’ll be a 5/5 for me one day.

Starting with 'Avalanche' which was my favourite, I thought the next two were a step down and I thought I would be writing this album off but then 'Dress Rehearsal Man', 'Diamonds in the Mine', 'Famous Blue Coat' & 'Joan of Arc' were fucking great. Saved album. What a nice slow treat

pretty fun and chill album. love the lyrics

About what one expects from Cohen; To me, a little masterpiece. Bookending with the religious figures of Babylon and Joan works well. The material has its weight balanced on instrumentation which is not flimsy but just bare enough. It's impressive that music can feel so personal and so accommodating in its darkness.

Si j'avais été de moins bonne humeur j'aurais mis 5

First time listening to this record, even though i was aware it was a classic. I love the string arrangements and the subtle acoustic guitar arrangements more than anything else. this isn't your kids pop. I will certainly listen to this again. Probaly add it to my collection on the shelf, rather than stream it.

Brilliant album, tonally consistent. Leonard Cohen has a way with lyrics and the stripped back folk arrangement suits this well. Standout track is "Famous Blue Raincoat" but "Avalanche" demands your attention as soon as you hit play.

Leonard Cohen released a lot of albums and his early works remain his strongest. I'm not a fan of Cohen, but his early records have a certain appeal and if you enjoy dreary, depressing stories, he's the man for you. In a proper mood and listening environment, this is good stuff, but doesn't seem like the type of music appropriate your workout or upbeat party. Proceed with caution. The title says it all, definitely songs of love and hate!

Première partie d’album connue par coeur. Fin d’album moins connue. Et pourtant j’ai entendu Joan of Arc très souvent.

Sung poetry. Cohen is one of the best lyricists of modern music history.

not obviously his best but it reveals its depth with repeated listening

Den helt gode singer/songwriter, hyggeligt og alvorligt

good

This is a beautiful poignant album.

Cohen er aldrei mitt fyrsta val, en það bregst ekki að þegar ég hlusta þá hrífst ég alltaf a.m.k. smá með og oft þó nokkuð. Gott stöff.

Jose feliciano meets Rodriguez. Very poetic and poignant lyrics. Emptionally raw and exceptional delivery. Very cohesive throughout. 4.5.

Great album, I preferred this one to the earlier “Songs of Leonard Cohen” but not to “want it darker” ,“The dress rehearsal rag” is so dark, And the next song “diamonds in the mine”is good contrast it’s light and jammy instrumental but the vocals are really gritty and anguished at the end. I would probably listen to one side of this record at a time and turn it over days later 3.5

I really liked the beginning half of this. There are some lines or even just vocal deliveries that is brilliant. Sometimes I wish songs were more thought out musically.

Gawd I love this album. It is an acquired taste. Dude was a poet first.

These songs are so interesting. The writing, composition, and performance of each one always pull me in. Leonard Cohen is fascinating.

Sparsely arranged and lyrically dense, Cohen spends forty five minutes swinging an emotional hammer at your temples. Gravely, sardonic vocals punctuate every track on this absolute killer of an album.

Didn't know until today that Leonard Cohen and Lou Reed are two different people. I find Lou Reed wildly boring and so when I got this rec I was expecting Velvent-Underground-boringness but I had the wrong guy! I was pleasantly surprised with this, but likely would've given it a 3 if my little mix up didn't put expectations on the floor. I really liked "Sing Another Song, Boys" and "Avalanche" was nice. I'll be back but only when I'm in looking to feel a very particular sad way

Cohen är ju Cohen.

Pros: It's Leonard Cohen. Come on. The album contains the timeless Cohen classics Avalanche, Famous Blue Raincoat and Joan of Arc. Cons: The rest of the songs (except maybe Last Year's Man) are quite raw and mediocre. This version of Joan of Arc is not the best even in Cohen's own catalogue. What to do then? This being a Leonard Choen album is an immediate bonus for me, biased as I am. But there are many Cohen albums better than this, and giving this 4 or 5 would be unfair to them. So I guess it's 3.5/5, which, of course, will be rounded up.

Knepigt att betygsätta sånt man har haft med sig så här länge. Men gillar det ju fortfarande.

Few times one can listen to such powerful voice singing engaging stories. This album is poetry and tragedy. It is life and misery. It is love and sadness. God bless you, Leonard

I like Leonard Cohen’s songwriting quite a lot, even if I don’t love the style of music. When I think of it as poetry set to music - as maybe Cohen would like - I like it more. 4 stars.

Really enjoyed this. I think I just about enjoyed ‘You Want it Darker’ more, which is testament to his longevity. But this is probably one of the more intense albums I’ve heard, and his lyrics and voice stand up with the best. Dress Rehearsal Rag was my highlight

I preferred You Want It Darker, but this was still excellent. I'd never heard any of the songs before; Joan of Arc and Avalanche were probably my favourites.

Overall I thought it was good but it didn't move me like his album "You Want It Darker", his voice and lyrics felt quite raw on that album. Although his gravelly voice really comes out in "Diamonds in the Mine". A very good album that I'd have not heard without this list. Highlights were "Avalanche", "Diamonds in the Mine" and "Joan of Arc".

Beatiful!

Leonard Cohen is a name I’ve always heard but truthfully never really explored until today, and wow. I get it. It hit me from the start and carried the whole way through. Very poignant lyrics.

Nice

A few really good songs. Overall pretty good and dark.

like best når han har kjempemørk stemma, men fortsatt ganske nice

I was about to write a similar blurb I've done with the other Leonard Cohen albums I've heard on this list. That, even though I appreciate his earlier 60's and 70's work, I'm personally a bigger fan of his later work, from the 80's onwards, and that I find 2010's songs like "You Want It Darker" and "Almost Like The Blues" the best he's made. Where it all lyrically became a bit darker and his voice got that low timbre. But then I listened to this album a few times over. The first set of songs (Avalanche, Last Year's Man & Dress Rehearsel Rag) are the musical equivalent of pure beauty in a successful white / black photo. And where in previous two albums I found the added choirs and female vocals taking away from the beauty, on songs like Last Year's Man they add to the atmosphere. Not all songs are as good as the rest. Diamonds in the Mine feels like a angry country song that with a burst of cynicism feels out of place. Love calls you by your name is a lesser rendition of what was already established on Avalanche. But then we get Famous Blue Raincoat, which is absolute beautiful. It just pours emotion without getting tacky. After that, the album doesn't get to these heights anymore. But for his early period, this is his best

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Famous blue raincoat

Loved one song

Not bad

I don't know what it is, but I enjoyed this much more than I expected.

Like CCR, all of Leonard Cohen's albums sund like Greatest Hits to me. The lack of an album theme lets down the number of tunes here.

There might not be any diamonds in the mine, but I got a few stars for ya.

The lyrics are pure poetry. The voice takes a bit to get used to. It's striped down production. I thinik the second half is stronger than the first, which is strange. I like this album, but it's not something I want to listent o all the time.

Very fantastic. 4 stars!

Beautiful.

Prefs: Avalanche, Last Year's Man, Dress Rehearsal Rag, Famous Blue Raincoat, Sing Another Song, Boys, Joan of Arc Moins pref: Diamonds in the Mine

Slow horny baritone vocals with a creepy gothic guitar accompaniment. Good lord, I'm straight and this album makes me horny for guys, gals, and non-binary pals. 4/5

I love Leonard Cohen, but I prefer his later work. The lyrics are always great, but on the earlier songs I really dislike the sound of his voice. It's creepy and not very pleasant to the ears. Listening to this, I noticed some similarities to Lou Reed that I hadn't picked up on before. Strangely enough, the smoking made his voice much more interesting later on in his career. Also, I think his melodies got a bit catchier and more anthemic later on. Having said all that, this is still a great album. 4 stars.

A really beautiful album. It can start to feel a little one note over time, since he uses similar finger picking and vocal tone throughout but he has great lyric. I tend to gravitate more towards an album like "Death of a Ladies' Man" for my Leonard Cohen fix but this has some incredible songs on it. Standout Tracks: Avalanche, Last Year's Man, Famous Blue Raincoat, Joan of Arc

It was a perfect morning for this album. Overcast and cool, the fog drifted through the trees, muffling the sound of traffic and laying a soft blanket of grey across the world. The conditions couldn't have been better for listening to "Songs of Love and Hate". And yet... I still can't get away from the feeling that any of these songs would be 100x better if they were performed by someone other than Leonard Cohen. Anyone else. The man is a songwriting genius. He has penned some of the most lovely songs ever here. But he's kind of awful at actually performing the things. I can't give it full marks but I also can't give it less than 4 stars. The songs are just so good.

"Songs of Love and Hate" is the third studio album from Leonard Cohen. It was recorded in Nashville, London and a live song at The Isle of Wight with his band The Army. Many of these songs were written years earlier. The songs were recorded at a difficult time for Cohen as he felt his life was falling apart and was in a state of deep depression. Well, this album starts dark and stays there. As with every Leonard Cohen album, just utterly brilliant lyrics. The music highlights his mood too. Critics found this album less varied than his previous albums but more focused. It is focused. A classic guitar with an uptempo pace starts "Avalanche." Strings build and add tension. Cohen's voice just sounds evil. He's in a state of depression and God isn't helping. "Last Year's Man" goes to an even starker place with acoustic guitar playing...barely. A jilted man with fantastic imagery to God, the Old Testament and Joan of Arc. Strings and a child chorus gives us a little hope at the end. This also a song Cohen never played live since he felt he could never get it right. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is one of his more popular songs covered by many artists. It's about a man writing a letter to another man whose wife he had an affair with. Another song where the strings and backing child vocals add to the emotion. The album ends with Cohen in more spoken word form in "Joan of Arc." He tells the story of a dialogue between Joan of Arc and the fire as she burns at the stake for heresy. Cohen said this song was about how you meet you destiny. Cohen starts singing "La-la-la" in a deep, depressed voice contrasted with female backing vocals. Beautiful. Strings add to the acoustic guitar as the story unfolds. I've never heard a bad Leonard Cohen album but this is my favorite. The emotion in his voice is stark and just incredible. The music is sparse but on on point to his lyrical themes. A very high recommendation.

It's leonard cohen. I wish I could pay attention to the lyrics more.

i luv him

Oh my good God I dream of being able to write lyrics and music as good as LC. Avalanche, what an opener, the guitar is freaking incredible I dream of being able to even play like that let alone write that. Beautiful poetry and beautiful music, beautiful album. I think I prefer Songs of LC to this album maybe because I've spent more time going into the inspiration of the songs on that album in the past, but it is still incredible.

Another great from Mr Cohen

Another good Cohen album in his unmistakable style, rich in atmosphere and a good listen despite missing lots of variety

Great songs with quite the depressive vibes I was hoping for the first days of October. Cohen is a true master.

Leonard Cohen is a master of words and feelings. It's hard not to be taken away by his music. This album is another proof of his talent and legacy.

bem agressivo e pesado, tanto os vocais e letras quanto o violão. é interessante também o sentimento de vazio que se cria quando só tem violão e voz violentos na musica. lembrou bastante Berlin do lou reed

While I do think the album is indeed rather quite sad, I think that's hardly a reason to rank the album so sad. His voice is sometimes a tad droning, but it often works with the tune of the song, and it only heightens the emotions when his voice raises in pitch, it shows he really does view his writing as something worth sharing. I think if you view these songs as poetry first this really is an excellent album.

Soulful, deep lyrics and rich music. Cohen packs more emotion and meaning in one line than most do an entire album or career. His voice is a bit of an acquired one, but be patient…he is worth it.

He’s the more masculine bob Dylan and equally important to the genre. That being said his voice is personally grating to me

Don’t know if I’ve ever listened to a full Leonard Cohen album. Quite a delight.

Really enjoyed it, need to listen again

I liked the instrumental. The only thing that I didn't like as much was his singing. He has a fine voice but he yells at some points that get kind of weird.

Sad. Liked it.

He sure knows how to smack a person upside the face with not much more than a whisper. Powerful lyrics, powerful presence, unusual twists and turns in the lyrics.

This is my favorite Leonard Cohen album, and it's largely due to the unhinged quality of "Diamonds in the Mine."

I knew Avalanche but overall pretty good Cohen. Diamonds in Your Mine was pretty surprising, his vocals almost went into Tom Waits territory of aggression and I was totally into it. Famous Blue Raincoat is a classic Cohen tune as well. A few songs that I could be fine without but overall strong album.

Its good but not great.

Second Cohen record for me on the list.

Moody

Some great songs on there, Cohen IMO is one of the greats, while not all of the songs may be my fav, they are all great.

This album has one of the most beautifully dark and melancholic songs ever made, the brilliant "Famous Blue Raincoat." Most of the other songs fail to measure up to it, but this is still a solid collection. Cohen's rich vocals and penchant for writing vivid, poetic lyrics are at full strength on this album, and there is some really gorgeous guitar work. As is the case with much of Cohen's work, this album is a total mood and some may find it gloomy. Fave Songs: Famous Blue Raincoat; Avalanche; Joan of Arc; Sing Another Song, Boys

Great songwriter and music!

'lil rough, bit brittle, but pretty powerful.

Seems vastly ahead of its time