Songs From A Room

Nice album. Not as catchy as some of his other albums but strong lyrics. Some of the songs seem to have more of a country-folk feel. Great listen. Favorite songs: Bird on a Wire, The Partisan, A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes 3 stars

Enjoyed this Cohen record, felt like a continuation of his first record for the most part, with his signature strumming and lyrics that can hit you like a brick ("I have tried in my way, to be free"). There's definitely a bit more country feel to it, though. Fav Tracks: Bird on a Wire, Story of Isaac, and The Partisan. Rating 3.5/5

Another excellent record from Leonard Cohen with a couple of all-timers in the mix. It feels of apiece with Songs of Love and Hate. Musically, it's very stark, and the lyrics standout more than any of the melodies or arrangements. It kind of makes it difficult to grade on a similar scale as other albums on here that are more musically interesting because it feels like it's a different artform altogether. This isn't a record I have a lot of experience with and I suspect my appreciation will stretch and deepen over time the more the lyrics sink in, as is the case with many of his records. For now, it's siting comfortably at a 3.5. Favourite songs: "Bird on a Wire" and "The Partisan"

Creo que ya se había dicho, pero pues sí, grandes letras.

Ich war nicht so ganz bei der Sache, aber ganz nett.

Cohen-esque halt. Schön und ruhig. Manchmal jedoch zu schön und zu ruhig.

couldn't really be arsed with this at all. i know people love to bum leonard cohen but on the basis of this album i don't get it. i like the australian noise that was on most of the songs though. twanging away like rolf harris down the primary school.

The songs themselves were good, with fantastic lyrics. However, it doesn't work as well as an album. All the songs sound the same, and there's no real flow. OK album.

I could be forgiven for thinking I’ve already listened to this album as a result of rating such a high percentage of folk/acoustic lp’s since the start of my musical ranking journey. My point being, this genre all sounds the the same to me. I mean what is there sonically that differs Cohen to Dylan to Neil Young for example, except for alternate decades? Nothing differentiates their sound enough to keep me interested when I wasn’t interested to begin with. 1 Star!

Nick: not a fan

Enjoyed sitting through this one. Admittedly my favourite track was 'the partisan' which is a cover. 3.5

2/5 Very gloomy and depressive

Net zoals een van de vorige albums, zou dit album beter tot zijn recht komen na meerdere keren luisteren. 3.5 sterren

Not his best but I still love any Leonard Cohen stuff

Een album om bij achterover te leunen en te luisteren naar de teksten. Kippenvel bij het Franse stuk in 'The Partisan'. Maar tegen het einde van het album had ik het wel gehad, moest niet veel langer zijn.

Good

I'm biased as I had to hear this wayyy too much in the past and I wasn't really hyped to hear it again :P

Some of his best

More crackin' wise from Laughin' Len. Sounds like there's someone pinging a plastic ruler on a tabletop in the background of each song. Weird production choice. BT: Bird on a Wire, Seems So Long Ago Nancy, Lady Midnight

Está bueno pero no es su mejor disco, me parece. De todos modos es mejor que 3/4 partes de la mierda que salió en su año y la que sale en 2021.

I just can't get past his voice. The music is well written but his voice bores me. 2*

Good but not amazing. Preferred his later stuff I think

Bit dull, his voice is too clean here. I like the rasp.

Hallelujah

Soft and interesting

Cohen hé. Je weet wat je kan verwachten :)

I like LC, but not this album

Leonard Cohen's first album was an unqualified triumph which announced the arrival of a bold and singular talent, and many who heard it must have wondered what Cohen could do for an encore. By comparison, Cohen's second album, 1969's Songs from a Room, was something of a letdown. While it's a fine LP, it ultimately feels neither as striking nor as assured as Songs of Leonard Cohen. Bob Johnston stepped in as producer for Songs from a Room, and his arrangements are simpler than those John Simon crafted for the debut, but they're also full of puzzling accents, such as the jew's harp that punctuates several tracks, the churchy organ line in "The Old Revolution," and the harsh synthesizer flourishes on "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes." Johnston also had trouble coaxing strong vocal performances from Cohen; his singing here sounds tentative and his meter is uncertain, which regardless of how one feels about Cohen's much-debated vocal prowess is not the case with his other work. And finally, the quality of the songs on Songs from a Room is less consistent than on Songs of Leonard Cohen; as fine as "Bird on a Wire," "You Know Who I Am," "The Story of Isaac" and "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" may be, "The Butcher" and "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes" simply aren't up to his usual standards. Despite the album's flaws, Songs from a Room's strongest moments convey a naked intimacy and fearless emotional honesty that's every bit as powerful as the debut, and it left no doubt that Cohen was a major creative force in contemporary songwriting.

zZzZzZzZzZz (well, “You know who I am” was pretty cool, and has hit me quite hard. Serendipity is quite a thing, eh?)

meh. Bird on a wire obviously class. the rest passes you by . think another 2 caught my attentions and i can't mind there names, This was half an hour ago. says it all. 3, just for bird.

Lovely vibes

Sounded like your classic talking music, even had a didgeridoo in a number of the songs. Not a massive fan (not of the didgeridoo, just Leonard Cohen)

Enjoyed this album, easy listening while working. Great songwriting and voice, I'd take Cohen over Dylan any day of the week.

Thought this would be a three as a bit slow, but very beautiful songs which stuck in my head

Loved this. Proper spoken word story telling. Great songwriting, emotive delivery from someone I only got into after he died. 4/5

One of best witnesses of the era... might got stuck between two masterpieces, but it's still a very brilliant album.

Es ist so lang her, dass Hemingway im Spanischen Bürgerkrieg mitgewirkt hat. Eine völlig andere Welt, aus der auch dieses Werk stammt. Bis auf den nostalgischen Zauber vermag es nur „The Partisan“ einen Glanz zu bewahren, der noch bis zu uns hindurch funkelt. Angelaufene 2.0

Highlight: The Partisan The strange mind of Leonard Cohen ranges from unlistenable to brilliant, sometimes even within the same song. I have a lot of respect for the his songwriting chops and its social commentary, but I have to be in the mood for it. Songs From A Room is no different, with the standout for me being The Partisan. This is probably the album I'd reach for if I was in the mood to listen to Cohen.

he doesn't have any bad albums. I prefer "songs of Leonard cohen" but this is still good.

Folk is just so very boring. Senseless talking over guitars 1/10.

Otro del bardo Cohen (?), me gustó menos que Songs of Leonard Cohen, pero sostengo que no es para mí. Hay momentos muy padres en el álbum, un gran letrista, pero por lo general, no me emociona tanto. La gran excepción (y mi canción favorita del disco) fue "A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes". Fan de la canción, la letra, la instrumentación, la interpretación. 7.5/10

Super slow and sad.

Good singing voice and some nice ballads

Thoughtful, slow, bit gloomy, beautiful lyrics

Une deocuverte, different de ses derniers alb7ms. J’aime bien 4*

Folk. Pelín triste y aburrido.

he really loves that mouth harp

I like the dour downbeat vibe, but sparse folk songs still not my cup of tea

Perfect driving album

very good

Not my thing

I think Leonard Cohen is a brilliant songwriter and lyricist, but I just can't get past his voice on his earlier work. The later, gravelly-voiced Cohen is much better for me. I'll give this 3 stars, as there are some great songs on here, especially Bird on the Wire.

I liked this one pretty well.

Love lyrics and music

less boring. bob had better songs, leonard had a better voice

I was actually dreading the inevitable Leonard Cohen album, since I feel he is kind of the epitome of a singer/songwriter who cares more about song than sound, a topic I discussed a few reviews back. And sure enough, the album was what I expected it to be: a collection of barely-sung poetic lyrics over simple music. What I didn’t expect was how much I didn’t hate it. The feeling I got was kind of like a more melancholy version of the way I felt about the Sinatra album: it was just a nice thing to have in the background that doesn’t really intrude. My only disappointment was the lyrics. All the reviews and notes refer to his wit and wordsmithing in superlative terms, but honestly I feel like a lot of more recent lyrics, especially rap lyrics, are more impressive. He does tell a good story through. My personal enjoyment: 2.5/5 Did it belong on this list: 5/5

niet slecht, beetje country achtig

Struggled with this one.

It's basically an old time rapping. Music is just there to be a background for a guy to "sing" his poems. Quite enjoyable, melancholic in it's slow tempo and emotional lyrics.

Beautiful. Enjoyed this way more than I expected!

3 starts i think, but a strong 3

RIP. Just not a fan

Nice easy listening album

Sounds pretty different from the later stuff, but really good nonetheless

I've never heard of the artist, but ended up impressed.

"The Partisan" is a hauntingly beautiful song. I really appreciate the song-writing quality of Cohen. Very much in the same vein as Dylan, you're listening for the poetry and the lyrics more than the flow of the music.

super slow and uninteresting

Great lyrics, great songs

Cohen is so very good at the melancholy thing, and I love it. On later albums he gets even better, as his voice ages he grows into it more and it's just beautiful. This album is a lovely listen, full of stories. I enjoyed it lots. I thin it only misses out on being a 5 because I know he gets even better.

Chill Cohen vibes

Some nice songs, but don't particularly like the instrumentation. And the Jew's harp throughout is an annoying and unnecessary distraction.

Bird on a wire is a true classic, but the rest is very standard Leonard Cohen.

Y

My favorite period of his but not my favorite album.

was alright

love it

Kinda boring

Good album, pretty somber but it wasn't my style

Thanks for letting me cry, Leonard

I do love Leonard Cohen, even if in the grander context of 70s Folk icons he falls behind the likes of Dylan and Joni. This album in particular has some of his most stripped back and bare songs that hit hard like 'Seems So Long Ago, Nancy'. Also, there is The Partisan which might be my fav Leonard song. The rest of the album is a little hit or miss for me.

still don't get it. never will.

I prefer Songs of Love and Hate, but its still a damn good album. His voice is beautiful. Closer to a 3.5

Meh

Great lyrics should check out more

nice classics!

AAAAHHHHHHHH