Reviews (page 5 of 9)
It's like Lana Del Rey's drunk uncle with sad Ed Sheeran on guitar. Some of the lyrics were quite interesting and mysterious. Diamonds In the Mine is goofy ahh tho... It was short at least! Fave Songs: Avalanche Dress Rehearsal Rag Sing Another Song, Boys
Couple of decent songs but it was too poetic and not musically interesting enough for me
A bit sleepy, but it was a nice listen. There’s depths to the songwriting that are hard to grasp as a new listener. My sense is Cohen would grow on me.
fukin weird
26/1001 You know when you are at an open mic night, and someone is up there on the stool strumming away and whining on, boring the shit out of everyone, and it just goes on and on and you are thinking "for god's sake, someone get him off there"? Well, the worst parts of this album felt like that for me. I have no doubt there is probably a Leonard Cohen song out there that I will fall in love with, but I am not actively seeking it, and it is, sadly, not found on this album. I can't appreciate an LP for lyrical content alone. Respect to anyone who can and gets something out of this, but, sorry - I just can't do it. Not all songs are poetry with an acoustic guitar; not all poetry with an acoustic guitar is a song. Songs Of Love And Hate is just too dull, too frequently. On second listen, I warmed a little to the sparingly used orchestration which added at least a little movie score-style tension to proceedings, albeit briefly. Beyond that, only the relatively jaunty Diamonds In The Mine gets a "full band" treatment and adds anything approaching variety. Sorry, Leonard, maybe next time...
2.7/3 leonard cohen was an interesting listen because i’ve never heard an actual album of his before. sadly didn’t find it much to my taste. BUT! avalanche is an amazing song. i love it, the guitar is just amazing. i love this style of playing. the strings are so beautiful. the dark vocals really fit the mood as well. another song i enjoyed is famous blue raincoat.
2.5
I’m not sure what he was referring to. Lost in time
Another 60s/70s Bob Dylan wannabe but with a bit of beatnik added. Hot garbage.
Love it.
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
Leonard Cohen I'm sure is a fantastic songwriter, but this is so downcast and boring like everything else he's produced. I cant stand his monotone voice so its automatically in the bad column for me, much like how I feel about Bob Dylan, I'm sure I just dont "get it" but I really just dont want to.
This is the last Leonard Cohen album I ever have to listen to and I couldn’t be happier! I just don’t get the appeal. I’m sure the lyrics are deep and moving to someone but they just sounded like nonsense to me. His “singing” was more plodding than anything and I found myself just skipping songs halfway through going “Yeah I get it Leonard I get it”. So after listening to 5 Leonard Cohen albums I’m convinced that I’m the problem. There must be something there I don’t understand. Oh well at least I didn’t have to listen to Hallelujah!
I'm sure this is incredible but I still really struggle to pay attention to lyrics. Cool haunting type sound though
Pure Shit
Interesting and melodic.
Second album de l'artiste proposé par le générateur après 'You Want It Darker' que je n'avais pas apprécié (noté 1/5). Celui-ci n'est guère mieux, je n'apprécie pas sa voix, et comme l'instrumentation n'apporte pas grand chose d'autre qu'un support au chant (aucune originalité par ailleurs) je me suis vite ennuyé. Je ne suis pas allé au bout. Et dire qu'il y en a 3 de plus dans la liste ... =>1/5
Dreary boho ballads for pretentious English lit undergrads, and I kinda dig it
Eh
Raspy, folky, bluesy
It's alright, I'm sure he is a great story teller song writer type person. I'm just not sure I find that enjoyable. I gave this album more stars than I rated his previous one because I think it is better. Nothing personal against the guy, I know he is super popular but I'm just not that into his work.
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
1.5 - Bad
eh, another Cohen album.. sounds like a the others... the talent is there but if its 1971 or 2011, can hardly tell
Why was this guy on here twice...one more than enough. Are there some interesting lyrics, sure but they quickly turn bloated and pretentious. The music never really matches up and his lyrical rhythms are just not great. Listening to him makes me feel like I am in a stark white New York style apartment and everyone is sitting around in all black smoking and judging everyone and everything and nothing is ever good enough. No thank!
Leonard Cohen writes some interesting song poems. I think this is a good album for Leonard Cohen fans but overall it's kind of boring. It's one of his earlier albums (3rd I think). It has all of the elements of Leonard Cohen but it doesn't quite cook up into some fun quirky song writing like his later album, (I'm Your Man - 1988). I appreciate the artistry but I'd like to hear more of his later stuff.
YAAAWWWWWNNN! Diamonds In The Mine was interesting. Otherwise, no.
I'm a big fan of I'm Your Man so was excited to get Leonard again. This one feels like a stripped down version of that. I love his voice and his drama, and I like when the backing vocals come in. Overall though, this album is a little too simple, and I don't really know what he's singing about. Diamonds in the Mine was the standout song for me, and Sing Another Song got pretty interesting as it went on. Despite not loving this, I like his style and he still makes me swoon.
Excellent album
Pleasant surprise, really good song craftsmanship.
Ekki minn uppáhalds Cohen. Flottir textar. Leiður Cohen. Frekar pirrandi söngur í nokkrum lögunum (sorry).
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.
I think I need to be in a specific mood to really appreciate the poetry and considering how things have been going for me lately, I'm not likely to be in that mood anytime soon. That's not to say I disliked this, I just couldn't really get into it. It felt like it was asking a little more of me than I can give right now.
I really don't dig this "singer-songwriter" stuff.
It's nice and emotional, but it's not for me.
a beautiful work, from the first couple of songs i was already excited to receive more of his albums in the future
i give this album a 6. the lyrics were great but the one that kinda ruined it for me was almost every song on that album had a same vibe. i did love some songs on that album. but i feel bad for saying it, that album did not age that well
Me quedo en los 80
Objectivement, c'est sûrement un bon album mais on parle pas de vérité ici, on parle de mon opinion. L'OPINION avec un P majuscule dans mes culottes. Ce que je pense c'est que c'est plate en caliss Leonard Cohen. J'ai écouté 75% de l'album, j'étais pu capable de l'endurer, c'est tellement lourd, long, duuullllll. Le pire c'est que je comprend ce qu'il essaie de faire et il y a définitivement quelque chose d'intéressant.. je me verrai écouter deux-trois tounes avec le livret des paroles pour bien comprendre. En tant qu'expérience musicale de première écoute.. j'aime mieux Meat Loaf.
Il chigne plus qu'il chante avec un accent caricatural. La chanson Diamond in the mine est très bonne mais le reste est d'une ennui. Pas le meilleur de Leonard, ne méritera pas d'autres écoutes de ma part.
La pochette est à mon goût. L'album contient peu de pièces mémorables, mais demeure très intéressant. C'est Leonard Cohen, je suis vendu d'avance. C'est cool d'entendre Leonard chanter tout croche en criant sur "Diamonds in the Mine". Les choeurs de femmes sont parfois bien utilisés, parfois gossants. Y'a quelques très bons passages, comme la finale de "Sing Another Song, Boys". Même si je ne comprends pas les paroles, j'aime ça.
Je sais qu'y'a un genre de non-dit comme quoi faudrait vénérer Cohen comme s'il avait inventé le velcro mais pour moi c'est comme un déménagement. Lourd et tout le temps un peu pareil. Si quelqu'un me demande de donner un coup de main pour passer à travers, ouin ok. Mais de mon plein gré, c'est rare. C'est loin d'être mauvais, mais j'ai pas mal tout le temps mieux à faire. Last Year's Man ressemble beaucoup à Rock 'n' Roll Suicide de Bowie qui paraît 2 ans plus tard. Les dernières notes de Joan of Arc m'ont fait penser au phoque en alaska qui paraît 3 ans plus tard.
Just didn't like it
Hienoimpia Cohen-levytyksiä! Mukavasti tämäkin vinyyliltä 4/5
Tämä on Cohenin alkupään levyistä epätasaisin, mutta silti huippuhetket on aivan huippuja. Helppo nelonen siis.
Leonard Cohen is nice but most of his songs sound the same to me (at least today)
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
7/10 Favorite Tracks: Sing Another Song, Joan of Arc Least Favorite Tracks: Love Calls You By Your Name, Famous Blue Raincoat, Avalanche
Cohen's lyricism is quite existential. He often presents views that, upon examination, may be opposed to each other; consider the title, Songs of Love and Hate. To say Songs of Love and Hate is sad or depressing is misguided; if anything, it's reality, and that is nothing to be sad about. Accepting the world as it is presented Cohen wrote lyrics from a position that embraced the ideology of Western existential philosophy and the philosophy of Buddhism: life is suffering. Songs of Love and Hate is eight tracks that will hit differently depending on where you are and perhaps who or what you choose to share it with. Love it or hate it, you cannot deny the potent and often at odds with itself tucked into the esoteric lyricism accompanied by simple background music that provides emotion as conflicted as the man singing the words he wrote. These words identify a soul being pulled in multiple directions in a world filled with conflicting stimuli - Love and Hate. Songs of Love and Hate is not a depressing album; it should make you smile and cry tears of joy, as Cohen stated - "It's the notion that there is no perfection - that there is a broken world and we live with broken hearts and broken lives but still there is no alibi for anything. On the contrary, you must stand up and say hallelujah under those circumstances." Cohen's quote arguably sums up the record as best as anyone could.
A little sad and dreary 😞- but good.
I love Leonard Cohen. I fell in love with him primarily after he died. A few years before he passed I listened to his debut album and quite liked it, but after he died I listened to his final album You Want It Darker, which is an absolute masterpiece as far as I’m concerned. In fact his last three albums are all tremendous, as is his Live In Dublin. I think he had a fantastic creative output in his final years. Songs Of Love And Hate is always mentioned alongside his debut as his best album. To be honest, I think it’s okay. His lyrics, as per usual, are the main attraction. Having listened to this several times, I just always come away thinking the music doesn’t support the lyrics well enough to command my attention. Leonard, perhaps even more so than his lyrical wizard cousin Bob Dylan, isn’t exactly known for his beautiful singing voice, but on his debut there is a youthfulness in his voice that is appealing and in his final albums he has an otherworldly baritone that sounds like it’s coming from the great beyond. On SOLAH it’s somewhere in between, and not in a good way. There are songs to love here, particularly the bookends of the album Avalanche and Joan of Arc. Diamonds in the Mind is a song that I bet was good live, but in this recorded version Cohen’s insane delivery is more distracting than it is appealing to me. A solid album from an artist I greatly respect, but my current opinion is that it’s overrated. Perhaps it will click with me one day.
Diamonds is mine - очень смешной трек и довольно показательный. Обычная бардская музыка и когда Леонард пытается сделать что-то больше, то выходит очень глупо
Boring and depressing. 2/5
I prefer Cohen's songs when they are sung by/with other people. I like his songwriting, but not his voice.
It's so frustrating to see the same male artists pop up multiple times during this challenge. No one needs to hear 4+ albums from crusty old white dudes. This is my biggest gripe about doing this - there are so many unique artists that should be on this list, but they're not. It's a real damn shame. With that said, I give this album 3 stars. I seriously doubt I'll ever intentionally listen to Leonard Cohen again.
Highlight: Avalanche In a nutshell: same, but different More of the same (using "and" as a sentence starter, reliance on one instrument to set the mood) but it’s not insufferable. Diamonds in the Mine was unexpected - we hear a different emotion vocally expressed from Mr Cohen, hallelujah! Overall: 5/10
Great singer! Pity he passed away..
Eh.
Powerful stuff. Dark. Honestly, kind of creepy. I think I've only heard greatest hits collections, before this. And I never caught the scientology references in Famous Blue Raincoat, which adds to the feeling that you've wandered into the wrong club.
I never think I will like Leonard Cohen's music but as I listen it surprises me and I do like it. 4 stars or B+.
Top-tier poetry, but not as interesting through the lens of music
Chorus backing vocals were nice. So many flesh references and metaphors. Thoughtful lyrics but not for me
I know Im supposed to like this, but I do not.
Something about Leonard Cohen just hypnotizes me. His deliberateness about every line always hooks me and pulls me in, and the sparse accompaniment seals the deal.
Enjoyed it. Poetry to music, so the music is fairly simple, but effective. Worth listening to again.
Have always preferred Cohen's songs when they are sang by/with other people (particularly the webb sisters towards the end of his career). Famous blue raincoat stands out in this album. 3.5/5 really
I tried so hard to connect with this but it's just not for me.
I really liked the opening track "Avalanche", almost immediately. The anticipation of the guitar and Cohen's vocals are great. "Famous Blue Raincoat" was also pleasant. Overall, I enjoyed it but don't think I'll be going back for much more.
Moments I enjoyed but overall I just felt a bit suffocated.
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.
Teniendo en cuenta que es el vigésimoquinto disco de Leonard Cohen que me sale ya soy bastante familiar con su juego, por lo que no me sorprende mucho este álbum. Sin embargo, me sigue pareciendo bueno y entretenido, solo que no tiene nada muy destacable. Canción destacada: Joan of Arc
Absolutely adore Leonard Cohen. Beautiful and poetic album as always.
It was okay, not super notable for me, probably won't relisten
1 star. Why and how can anyone listen to this monotone garbage. Wish I could give negative stars to this album. The music in the YouTube commercials was better and more enjoyable.
what a pioneer, beautiful and gentle songwriting throughout.
Entiendo la búsqueda pero no me gustó salvo pocas canciones
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
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.
Cool poems. Honestly, I’ve always appreciated Cohen, but never really seek out to listen
I have decided that I am not a Leonard Cohen enjoyer
You can tell he started out as a poet. The Joan of Arc song was super weird but interesting
I liked this a lot. Reminded me of Lou Reed. Worth a relisten but not ready to elevate it to 4 status yet
LC is a really talented lyricist but again this really feels like spoken word poetry set to background music moreso than cohesive music
NO MORE LEONARD COHEN PLEASE
more "Hate" than "Love" so feckin boring
What!?
Just so great
I get that Cohen is a master storyteller and lyricist, but the monotony of his music is a not insignificant barrier to the appreciation of his message.
A really good album, I liked Avalanche the most.
Not good
Not completely unlistenable, but close.
Dark, nostalgic, and a good sound... Perfect sunset...
I think if I took the time to process all the lyrics, I might appreciate this more. It was find, but it clearly wasn't written to be musically impressive.
I saw the glimmers of potential of why Leonard Cohen is such a touted artist, but I don't think this album was his finest work. Hopefully there's another album of his in this project to showcase his songs.
Melancholy singing
Yeah, at least it's not rock. I got pretty much nothing from this album. If i was trapped in a dungeon, I'd probably enjoy listen to this but that's about the only situation I would. 2/5.
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. (⌐■_■)
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.
Ok I get why Leonard Cohen was such a beloved singer and songwriter, but sometimes his voice really pisses me off.
Great voice. Strange songs. Either you love or dislike him.
Musical poetry
Nunca pude conectar con Cohen, aburrido y lento, no llegó a emocionarme
tried listening to this in the afternoon when i was suicidally depressed then at night when i no longer felt that way. this album only really clicked when i was suicidally depressed. checks out
I really liked the mysterious and dark sound of this album, which makes it a really unique experience for a songwriter record
On paper I should love Leonard Cohen. He checks most of my boxes - but I simply can’t get too into him. I don’t find anything he does on this terribly interesting. The first live tune on this was the highlight for me - the rest was meh.
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!
Weirdly not bad at all - felt a bit bob dylan, and like a slight fever dream but a good album
"Avalanche" is an easy 5/5, but the problem is that every other song just sounds like a sort of bad version of it. leonard!!! cmon!!
this album answers the question no one was asking, "what if bob dylan were emo?" favorites: avalanche, famous blue raincoat
The joy decimator.
I didn't want one Bob Dylan in my life, and now I have two
Oh so great!!! Banger after banger here.
Kein großer Mehrwert zu "Songs of Leonard Cohen". 3-4
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.
what a gorgeous album. will return to it over & over & over again. thank you for having come down to earth for us, leonard cohen.
Singing is still as bad as the first two albums, but I enjoyed this one much more. It's a big step up songwriting wise - especially on Avalanche, Diamonds, Famous Blue Raincoat, and Joan of Arc. Really liked a lot of the guitar work and his use of strings.
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.
It was ok, I guess. I find a lot of Leonard Cohen to sound kinda same-y. But I really liked avalanche.
Would give this guy negative stars if I could. Just find this worse than nails on chalkboard. Please no more Cohen!! And yes I really sat through four songs.
I get it, the chic stole his money and he was living as a monk but why should we be punished for that? Love and Hate is mostly hate.
Mixed feelings about this one. Some songs are interesting, others sounded just like mumbling
Every song is a selected gem and a piece of art. Perfect!
Crazy that Leonard Cohen has gotten away with making the same album over and over again for over 40 years. Although I will say this is probably my favorite incarnation of his one album.
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
Mad respect for LC, but this ain't for me.
Not for me
Prefer my LC a bit perkier than this dour batch.
This was decent. No strong opinions either way.
great songs from a great artist
Under absolutely no circumstances will I ever listen to this again.
Nice album, though there is a lot of Cohen in this list.
I didn't really enjoy this. Even compared to other Cohen albums on here. I'm sure the lyrics are nice, but if I don't enjoy listening to it why not just write poems?
Mostly depressing and minimal, I was glad for the few upbeat moments. Stand-out: Sing Another Song, Boys
Diamonds in the mine probably should single-handedly bring down the rating of this album. Overall it’s not bad but not the best Cohen album I’ve heard on here.
He has a unique guitar style, very arpeggiated, which is… something While I like the quality of his voice, the timbre and the depth, I don’t think he is a great singer
Dude got away with a lot, didn’t he?
Not feeling anything.
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
"I see a red door and I want it painted black" vibes Diamonds in the Mine: someone give this guy a throat lozenge 🙏 I don't know if this is my style- it's not. 1/5
Not my thing, but not bad.
Slow and dark singer songwriter stuff. Quite similar sounding tracks. Good lyrics. A bit boring.
Leonard Cohen. Beautiful. Is there a better song than Famous Blue Raincoat?
3.5 Not my fave Leonard but a good one
Day302 - i wish i could put words together like leonard cohen
I like Leonard Cohem but this particular album is not my favorite of his. Might listen again but probably not.
mitä ohmettä peruskauraa...
So sad but I love it.
Love "dark Bob Dylan". Famous Blue Raincoat - great song. Love the whole vibe, perfect for fall and Halloween.
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
This is my third Cohen album on this project, I still don't really like his singing. Like, you can have a low gravelly voice, and do the whole speaking-not-really-singing thing, and not sound this terrible. 1* Lowlight: Did he have to sing/grunt like that for diamonds in the mine? Maybe drink some honey tea? Mild highlight: famous blue raincoat was actually kind of nice, but I think it just cancels out "diamonds"
curti muito não
**
Fine. Not my favorite genre at all but great song writing.
Idc
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
Vaikea keksiä mikä olisi oikea hetki näyt... eikun kuunnella tämän herran musaa. Töiden taustalla se ei toimi, autoillessa saattaisi ajaa vastaantulevan rekan keulaan, videopeleissä hukkuu muuhun meteliin. Mikä on se oikea hetki? Saunassa tai suihkussa? Karismaa kyllä löytyy. Vaikea.
Tylsällä tavalla pliisu
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
Pretty great but docking points because when tf am I supposed to listen to this
Girlllllll I could feel this concert through my screen
This was the best Cohen record I have listened to, I have heard plenty of his stuff but only listened to the complete records on this list. The music on this one fits his vocal delivery the best, a little more folksy while still being pretty dark and gloomy. His other albums I listened to seemed mismatched with his vocal style and the backing music.
I forgot how much I freaking love this album. Love it x 100
It’s crazy how influential this album was. I hear so many future artists in it like Nick Cave, Tom Waits, REM etc.
I’m not sure how I feel about Leonard shouting at me about my mail. And that was my favorite song on the album after my first listen.
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
Opinion for this album would massively change depending on the mood you are in. Personally I thought it was okay but I don't think I was quite in the head-space to really appreciate it
yk the beginning of this album is absolute dog shit. But the second half is good. so i legitimately don't know what to rate it. I'll give it a 3 i guess because i'd rather it end well. 1.) famous blue rain coat 2.) sing another song, boys 3.) diamonds in the mine (i know this is kind of awful but it was somewhat different and i kind of appreciated it)
Nice
A bit less powerful than the other Cohen albums we had on here
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.
I didn't enjoy any of the songs. I guess I just don't like the genre/style.
Je suis pas assez déprimé pour apprécier pleinement l'infinie tristesse qui se cache au fond de la gorge de Cohen, mais je peux en distinguer les contours
Leonard Cohen doing Leonard Coheny things. Man sounds like he’s lost all his friends, flung himself into an empty well, and then decided to cut an album.
Definitely not my favorite Leonard Cohen album.
Raincoat is a pretty good song but the rest of the album didn’t grab me.
I wanted to like this more than I did. I find Cohen to be a very good songwriter but the sameness of the arrangements began to grate on me and the songs drug a bit. Still pretty good but not great.
Pretty Leonard Cohen-y.
Bit too melancholy for me
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 👍
As I have mentioned in my other two reviews of the Leonard Cohen albums, I am not the biggest Leonard Cohen fan. I enjoyed "You Want it Darker" and "Songs from a Room" was acceptable, but this album tends to really focus on the parts of Cohen's music I don't love. Very little instrumentation and the songs are all really long. Even the shortest song, "Diamonds in the Mine" features Cohen seemingly screeching into the microphone, so while I liked everything else around the song I did not enjoy that part. Maybe I haven't heard the right Leonard Cohen album, though I am three albums in his discography and these are supposed to be his best, but he is still very hit or miss for me. It's like Tom Waits in that I just can't enjoy the music as much as I am told I should.
Beautiful. Just brilliant.
I’m sure Cohen is seen as a poet for a generation, but I have a hard time focusing on his music. A lot of the time it feels like the guitar is just too frantic. There are other folks artists and albums which appeal to me, this one can stay in the played once pile.
Len is the GOAT.
whiny and drawn out, it's fine
Love AND hate?? Jeez I like hate music but I don’t know about love. Let’s see what ol Lenny gives us here. Ah I feel like if this album is good, songwriting will be the reason as the vocals are what I can only assume are an acquired taste. This is cool. Feels tense and on edge and the lyrics are interesting and dark. Good stuff. More of a poetry experience with accompanying guitar which works for me. That man is SO last year. If you have read any of my reviews you will know that I am, in fact, an idiot, so as I grapple with the complexity of certain pro wrestling storylines, I am really scratching my head at what the crayon and harp mean with regard to last years man. Then Joan of Arc shows up. I didn’t like the feel of the poetry as much here and the music was far more boring. Less impressive. Wait, is last years man a writer of former renown with writers block??? Damn Lenny is dead. I’ll tweet his estate. Is this back to the hate portion? Sombre Canadian Bob Dylan. Not a bad combination of things to be. I like the poetic portions with the aggressive acoustic. Whoa. This one is up. I like it. The aggressive vocals in 1971 is pretty ahead of its time. I still have no idea what the point is that he’s driving at (if there is one), but the lines are great. Thought provoking at the very least and probably filled with rich meaning that I’m just not grasping on first listen. Alright. Back to calm. This one is pretty boring. I’ve found it fading into the background. And then the vocal melody/rhyme scheme is actually really annoying pAIN, agAIN, nAME, mAIN. lAME. Ah man this one is nice. Beautiful. The singing works, the lyrics are interesting and sad, the songwriting is excellent. Big highlight. This is the kind of song I would’ve never found without the list. Is that greatest genre of songs the ones that make references/great appeals to “the boys”? Whether the boys are back in town or providing the beat that frees one’s soul, it’s usually a winner. So they’re singing another song now. I mean this one is fine. Buddy loves Joan of Arc eh? We all love 14 year old war generals who claim to be vehicles of god. I am so averse to la la las. They are almost never good. Especially when it’s not a chorus. He’s so loud in the mix and let’s be honest, he’s not a technical vocalist. That works most of the time but Jesus not with loud la la las. Not a huge fan of this one as the verses are great, but the chorus is painful. This album was gentle yet rough. A poetic trip through melancholic expression accompanied by music varying from run of the mill to fascinating. This scratched some pseudo-intellectual itch for me and felt like an enriching experience. Not every song was a hit (I mean that would be a 5) and some songs were even a little obnoxious, but the highlights are strong enough to create an album that grabbed and held my interest throughout. 3.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Avalanche, Diamonds in the Mine, Famous Blue Raincoat
I'll continue to check out Leonard Cohen albums from time to time and I'm happy that this list has had a few but this didn't do much for me. It felt tedious. 6-minute songs with sparse arrangements focused on acoustic guitar and little in the way of hooks. There are poetic lyrics (but not much that grabbed me) and some beautiful guitar playing (opener "Avalanche" has a great, Western-sounding guitar part) but the album dragged for me. I need a little more drama maybe. Or more of an emotional entry point. Or more variation in song style. "Diamonds in the Mine" was a strange, upbeat song but that was the only one that picked up the pace at all.
Usually if I hear a Leonard Cohen song, I will generally like it. I'm really into his sound and there are times where his lyrics completely floor me. This one is a little more scathing, angry, standoffish, and hard to approach. I like that kind of music, usually it's often one of my favorite amalgams of emotion that people express in music and art. Here it feels a little too overbearing though. We don't get much of a reprieve until a few select parts of "Famous Blue Raincoat", which itself is even a bit harsh, describing distance in a relationship along with a cold winter. "It's four in the morning, the end of December I'm writing you now just to see if you're better New York is cold, but I like where I'm living There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record" I find that funny that where this one song is that has some brief moments where the album gets a little bit lighter, as soon as it ends it goes right back to lyrics that sting: "Let's sing another song boys this one has grown old and bitter" I love this album cover, it's so bold and to the point. I'm rating this one a 3 because it's mostly hard to listen to. There's a lot of hurt in this record, but I can't help but embrace it. Too many popular artists steer away from the emotion "overtly angry" in their music.
Another Leonard Cohen? Wow
Interesting lyrics, decent voice. I can see why so many people cover him.
trotos
Another one of those artists that i just don't get. lyric heavy music does nothing for me
Definitely enjoyed this one more than "Songs of Leonard Cohen". I'm still not in love with the music, but it hits me more this album. There are tracks I don't really love on here, but my favorite is "Avalanche". None of the rest quite come close to that for me but I like some of the others. Of course his lyrics are beautiful on all of them, but mostly sad.
Diamonds in the Mine //
Too slow, too dreary, and too boring.
I'm sure I should enjoy this more than I did, but I found it all a bit dreary.
Not his best but still good.
Didn't love any of the songs. Did hate a few, so title is half accurate.
This is fine, I like when people cover his songs more than his versions and it was fun to hear his 'youthful' voice which makes the later droning warble understandable. Sort of like Dylan without the hooks or choruses.
It's alright
BORING 1/5
Album #4 One to come back to when I’ve got ADHD medication.
Fantastic album - I feel like it really represents well it's concept.
Excellent guitar, but his voice was at times quite meh
a canonical album for me. listened to this so much c. 2011-2012. and it's still fantastic[ally depressing]
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.
I’ve already DNF’d two of Cohen’s albums on this list, so why not a 3rd. It’s way too monotone and boring. I don't get how there are already at least 3 of his albums on this list
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.
Calm and a little sad. It's nice to listen to, but not very uplifting.
What a pleasant, yet, melancholy surprise! These are quintessential funeral songs. I just wish it was a little less "samey". Favorite Track: "Last Year's Man".
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.
Nope
Plötur frá Leonard Cohen sem ég hef hlustað á hingað til hafa komið mér á óvart og ég hef fílað þær afskaplega. Þessi var aftur á móti bara allt í lagi. Alls ekki leiðinleg en ég er bara orðinn svo vanur góðu stöffi frá honum að þetta dettur í millistétt
ee good? It is not the type of music that I would listen every day but fine, a good recomendation anyways thank you
That's enough Leonard now thanks.
Leonard Cohen is such a singular voice and musician. Everything about this album is perfect, haunting, and beautiful.
I hate it more than I love it. I'm just not a lyrics guy, and whilst some of the tunes are ok ("Sing another Song, Boys", "Famous Blue Raintcoat") there wasn't a thing I wanted to listen to again.
Have you tried the Cohen? How about another Cohen? Let's see what else we got here... More Cohen. Featuring an artist twice on this list seems excessive, and when it's Cohen, it's just sad.
Rant Time: In the past 30 days I've had 18 albums from the 70's (that's 60%) and I feel like a good chunk of those, especially recently, have all been folk/country/singer songwriter. There is only so many ways I can say I don't have much of an opinion on this genre. To me a lot of these songs all sound the same and I don't get much out of them. I get that this album are important and people who like folk love these albums, but man there are just too many. Did we need 5 Leonard Cohen albums, 5 The Byrds albums, or 8 albums that have Neil Young on them. All of these artist deserve to be on this list and have some good albums (maybe not The Byrds), but there are so many better and more interesting album that got excluded from this list. The best thing I can say about these early folk albums is that they tend to be short and don't overstay their welcome. Back to this album: I am indifferent on his voice here, I see why people don't like it, but it is the only thing really going for this album. I like the artsy elements here, but still it is a little bland and could have been taken farther. I think Diamonds in the Mine was the most interesting song here, but I wish it wasn't so twangy. The rest of the album is fine, and has some good moments, but I am just tired of 70's folk right now.
Don’t really know how I feel about this album. I feel like I had an earlier album of his or a different one earlier in the mix that I liked, but this one is just really 50-50 for me.
It seems like a drunk fella picking-up the mic at the end of the party, when the lights are going away and the people are cleaning. Terrible and suffering to hear.
I like his voice. But nothing I would listen to a whole album long. Simply not my prefered style of music. 🥱 2,5
As someone who was more familiar with later Leonard Cohen stuff, it was interesting to hear him sing with his younger voice! Still an old soul, though. Wasn't really for me I guess but you've gotta respect the craft.
God I really don't like Leonard Cohen and his vocals. Thought I was going to make it through this one and then Diamonds in the Mine came on. Why. 3.5/10 (1.75/5)
Ayo, this thing fucking cold, made my heart as still as a pond in heaven.
Really different with semi poetry reading mixed with acoustic guitar. More like an open mic night than a music album.
Exquisite.
Awful and there's about 5 albums on here by him !!!
The repetitive guitar riff on the first track is nice and I was actually liking this on the first two songs, and then it dropped off HARD for me. I remember when he died it was like a huge deal, I just knew him as the Hallelujah guy. Hearing this album makes me think everyone else is crazy for worshiping this dude - this was BORING AS HELL to get through despite it being a pretty short album. This guy is just moaning, and when "Diamonds in the Mine" came on I actually got angry with how annoying it was to listen to. I get that it's 'artsy' or whatever but that doesn't mean it also has to be garbage. Would only listen to the first track again.
You know what you’re gonna get with Leonard Cohen. This isn’t my favorite but still quite strong.
Better than the other Cohen albums so far
Gonna admit it. After listening to two other albums of his on this list, I gave him an auto 1.
A great album by a great artist.
Ring assigned “Songs of Love and Hate” the day after a Nick Cave double album is a useful accident that has still failed to resolve into a conclusion: I can tell this is great, but the greatness is bouncing off a sun and booze-thickened skull tonight. “Joan of Arc” is playing a cheerful curse as I write this, so I can’t score this lower than 4. Also, “Avalanche”’s opening guitar rush is perfect for the title.
You have to be in the mood, but it's a great collection of songs if you are. I've enjoyed (?) being despondent to a "Famous Blue Raincoat" accompaniment many times over the years (yes, it is poetry: "..and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes; I thought it was there for good, so I never tried" is devastating) Some of this is quite sparse and intense, and some of this sounds like a drunken minstrel rambling in a demented Wild West saloon, all of which adds to the fun. And, of course, "Avalanche".. Definitely the best of his misery canon, but not for every day
insistent and demanding, dark and rich, packed with tension and love and lust
Is there anything here that Dylan didn't do better ten years earlier
Leonard Cohen is emo for the late 60s and 70s. I'm fairly sure he only knows how to sing 2 or 3 notes. He only knows how to play melancholy melodies. His music is haunting but it can never seem to capture me the way I expect it to
This guy has the singing ability of Bob Dylan (not a good thing) and boring songs. 1.5/5
This is pre gravel voice. Not sure what to do with this one.
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.
Weird
The songwriting on here must be good because this guy is not the best singer. He’s not bad, but he has a unique voice. It works really well for his slower songs but was a bit rough on the faster ones. I might come back to this because I wasn’t able to focus on the lyrics as much as I wanted to. I’m sure these are interesting songs but I do get bored when it’s just a singer and a guitar which is most of these songs. Again, I have a feeling these are really good songs that need a little work to really appreciate.
Guy knew two things: how to write lyrics and be sad
unfortunately not my favorite of Leonard Cohen's, but I'm listening to "Avalanche" again and still just thinking "goddamn".
Like much of Cohen's work, the lyricism is multi layered, each line intentional and pretty heavy thematically. But it's kind of a downer, and musically doesn't do much for me. I feel bad rating it low from an objective standpoint but subjectively i doubt i'll listen to this again.
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.
I’m still learning how to love Leonard Cohen. This one may connect with me more if/whenever I get more into him. I can tell how good the writing is, and certain songs resonate with me. I’m just not all the way there with it. 3.5/5
Classic Len
I just couldn't continue after 3 songs.
Exceptional
As others have said, you need to be in a certain mood when listening to this. Present mood would be 2-3. Right mood 3-4.
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.
Y'know, listening to this, I was thinking back on why I gave IF YOU WANT IT DARKER a 5, and how much of it was because it was "the album he released before he died." Now, of course it's not the sole reason; that's shallow and would ignore everything being done there. The soundscapes, the mood, his voice, the lyrics I managed to catch... Like, it would have been an amazing album either way, but with the extra, unintended context of his passing, it just became all the more powerful. Here, then, we have an album on the opposite end of his life; his second ever released. The one I kept hearing described as "bleak," "depressing," "scary," "a mirror..." All that. It's probably his most famous album besides his debut or whichever one "Hallelujah" is on. A poet singer-songwriter's masterwork. And if this thing is a mirror... Well, I'unno how it reflects back on me that my second time listening to the back four songs on this album, I straight-up fell asleep halfway through. Like, don't get me wrong, there's stuff I like about this album. His guitar playing style on "Avalanche" was unexpected, but I was pretty amazed by it. And I can certainly hear, in its atmosphere, why everyone keeps saying it's so depressing. But then, that's also kind of the problem there: it's depressing, and aside from one or two songs, it hardly changes from that mood. Which is only a problem for me because I'm not in a state of mine where I can relate—or, at the very least, I don't feel like I'm smart enough to understand the lyrics well enough to get it. Like, trust me, I know there's no shame in it, but I still feel so stupid having to hop over to Genius and rely on their annotations to figure out that he's singing about Nico. I mean, I don't wanna have it come across like "sad music bad; happy music good." That's not it at all; there's plenty of sad songs I can put on and enjoy. It's just, when it comes to the super poetic singer-songwriter playing an acoustic guitar late-60's sorta deal... I'unno, I've enjoyed Bob Dylan's nonsense word salads more than I have whatever points Cohen's trying to make here. So, y'know, I wanted to give this thing a 3 at least. Like, hey, there's part of the instrumentation I enjoy, and maybe if I sat down and read all the Genius annotations... But I just gotta rate it how I feel. And to that, I **do** feel a little bad about it. Of course, I don't hafta be generous just because he's passed on, or so often called a genius, or a fellow Canadian, but... I guess combined with what I was talking about in the first sentence, it seems like if he'd passed shortly after this album and it that surrounding context I would've rated it a lot higher. And to be honest—maybe. Maybe I would have. But in a timeline where he thankfully went on to release a lot more music... I'unno. This just really wasn't my thing.
Simple tunes with thought-provoking lyrics, and a unique voice to help sing them. 4.5 rounded down to 4.
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.
Very high 3
Beautiful.... can't say I understand what the poetry is about
I have a soft spot for Leonard Cohen, stemming from a perhaps unhealthy childhood fascination with "Suzanne." But in general his lyrics are a bit too abstruse for me, and he really can't sing.
Folk just isn't my thing, but this had some bright spots primarily due to the lyrics. Joan of Arc talking to the fire that burns her? Yes.
Doesn’t show him at his best often shows him at his worst.
Honestly, this is just annoying.
Somehow another Leonard cohen has made the list…. deep depressed sigh. I can’t take it!! He really brings me down, his vibes are the worst.
Ugh His voice is bad. This is my 2nd album of his and I'm shocked that he made this list not once - but twice at least The smokers cough type of screaming on "Diamonds in the mine" was enough to drive anyone to insanity This album really should be a 1 but some of the songs could have been really nice if sung by literally anyone else. The backing vocals also helped bump the rating up a tiny bit 2 ⭐️
Don’t honestly love Cohens voice. A lot of love for the song Hallelujah, but honestly could take or leave this album
Not a huge fan of this. The tone is moody, his voice isn’t great, and the lyrics sound “poetic” but not very meaningful in my estimation, at least not in the current day and age. A few of the songs were decent, but still nothing I would intentionally listen to again.
Definitely has bob dylan vibes but I like cohen a lot more. Some of the guitar playing in certain songs is amazing. I also could actually understand what he was saying (as opposed to bob) and thus actually enjoyed some of the stories he tells. All that being said, I can’t give this really higher than a three because there is pretty much no relistenability to this album. I enjoyed it but probs not gonna come back to it.
I would consider this album the most similar to a Tom Waits album so far. I think the songwriting isn’t as good, but it’s more accessible. Famous blue raincoat and avalanche were the most memorable to me (I think famous blue raincoat is sampled somewhere…) but songs like love calls you by your name just didn’t land for me. I would rate this slightly lower than Tom Waits, but rounds up to a 3.
Lyricism aside, I had a hard time getting into this album. Not much to catch and hold your attention. I appreciate Cohen’s storytelling, it just wasn’t for me.
As someone who doesn't pay attention to lyrics, I feel like I'm really missing out here. The music is pretty slow and sad. It doesn't feel complicated or interesting, but I'm sure that the lyrics are deep and meaningful. Unfortunately, the melodies don't do anything for me.
I wasn’t completely in the right headspace to take this album in, but I could tell it was some poignant and powerful poetry
I don't know what's so worth listening to about Leonard Cohen's albums.
There’s some cool classical influence and religious language in here which I think is really cool. The music creates a good context for the poetry, and artistry which is the obvious focus. It is a little weird and crazy at times, but I feel like all of these late 60s singer songewriters had a little bit of that (some more than others). But I understand it more than the other ones. Poetically, it works more than it does musically. The album seems like he wrote the music and poetry separately. And I think this because every line sounds like a response to the chord changes instead of something that was written as a whole song. His voice isn’t my favorite, it’s super nasally. He’s like a more classically influenced bob dylan in terms of sound. He’s less singing and more speaking at a pitch. Diamonds in the mine sounds like he thought it was gonna be a big hit. The song is my favorite and least favorite. It sounds so evil. The album works to create a mood and a context for the poetry, there is really nothing to focus on but the words. However, I tend to think that usually poetry is better communicated in music with a catchy melody. Like I don’t think I would ever be able to memorize a song from this album. That being said, I’ll take this over any modern pop album any day. B teir.
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.
What an absolute piece of art. Nothing less than Masterpiece.
70’s
bardzo interesujaca muzyka ale on przeszkadza
3.5/5
awful, it literally hurts to listen to this
Sooooooooo sleepy.
Albums like this always irritate me because I can see its fans inside a really cool room, with dark ambiance, dim lighting and a fall-scented candle lit on a vintage bookshelf. They're connecting and enjoying the music together. But I'm on the outside, looking in. The door's unlocked, I just don't think I want to go in. I get it. Cohen's a genius, a poet, a master of his craft. I'm not going to dispute that, even if I don't have the context or expertise to back up the assertion. He's a songwriter's songwriter. But JESUS this album is hard work. There are times in my day when I don't mind putting in the work. But this is poetry, meant to be analyzed and reflected upon. It's not music you listen to when you want to listen to "good music." The album is almost devoid of hooks, melodies and dynamics. One could argue Cohen's voice makes up for all that, and to seek it is missing the point, but I would disagree. And no one on planet earth who understands societal norms would recommend this to a person asking you for some new chill tracks to vibe with. Given that, like a few other albums on this list, I genuinely don't know how to rate this, so we'll just go based on my current level of enjoyment and fulfillment after consuming this album. Also, I'm fresh off of finishing Songs In The Key of Life, so I'm even more bummed with that transition.
Leonard Cohen's works (this one included) strike me as acquired tastes that are perhaps too intense or foreboding for some palates, but for those willing to let the flavor linger, there are rewards of emotional catharsis and poetic resonance to be revealed.
I’m going to go kill myself now.
Kan et album smage af noget? Dette smagte i hvert fald af røg, whiskeys og mørkebrune møbler.
Åbneren var rigtig fed. Tilbageholdt frustration i stemmen. Resten blev lidt balle og lala. Det er virkelig laaangt det her album... Især sidste nummer var en milepæl inden for drænende tempo.
Cohen er fantastisk når han er dyster som på åbneren Avalanche. Desværre afviger albummet fra denne stemning og roder lidt rundt i genre og lydbillede.