I'm Your Man

This is a real random album, flitting between different styles and moods, and sometimes even within the same song. You just have to look at the first track which has really interesting, dark, moody synths and those iconic smoky vocals - only for it to suddenly shift into an upbeat 80's bubblegum pop tune! It's really jarring. It's also kind of echoed with the album cover, where he looks all dark and mysterious, and yet completely unserious. People are mean about the synths. I like them dammit! They're layered in really interesting ways (at times). Some other tracks are just weird - I'm looking at you Jazz Police. Everybody Knows is a great track. I love the music in that song. You have some great guitar work (the internet tells me it's guitar, but it sounds more like some kind of twangy sitar or something), and then those really pervasive synths sitting under everything. And the backing vocals and strings. I particularly enjoy singing this song when I have a really bad cold and my voice sounds Leonard Cohen as fuck. I kind of admire him being a bit of an oddball on this album, but it's hit and miss. I still like the guy.

As a general music fan, of course I’m aware of Leonard Cohen, but I’ve struggled to enjoy him. Thinking about this “review” all day, I still can’t articulate a good reason. There’s a strong emotion to his music, but it just doesn’t hit for me, which is weird because I get cynical, pragmatic, realistic or anything else one would use to describe his music. I just get more bored listening to him than anything else. Is Canandian an emotion?

I used to think I liked Leonard Cohen. Sure, he has a great voice and some of the lyrics are poetic. However, the instrumentation and production is not good. This album did not age well. Tom Waits does the parts of this album that are worth listening to so much better. Sorry, but my friend across the pond got this one wrong. Sometimes, nostalgia just isn't enough to make an album interesting.

Campy, operatic, super 80s from the synths to the female vocals and snares good god. His voice is great. I think this may be too much of a period piece for me to listen to unironically. It is good but not quite for me.

Boring. Not a fan of his voice.

This hasn't aged gracefully, that's for sure. That said, there's something interesting about Cohen's mesmeric voice sitting atop tracks which sound like they're from a medley of '80s daytime TV shows and video game soundtracks.

I enjoyed about half of this. The rest was a bit too 80's for me. And kinda creepy at times.

Not my favorite

I think I prefer this over Tom Waits. But that same kind of vibe.

Starts out hard and attempts to weave throughout, an overtly 80’s sound while always reverting to his more familiar, signature coffee lounge poet persona.

Imagine a Pet Shop Boys album but instead of Neil Tennant singing, it's Neil's gravel-voiced grandad on vocals, talk-singing his way through the numbers while struggling to keep pace with the rhythm. Also, instead of Chris Lowe's snappy synthesizer hooks, it's just a series of bland chords strung together. Toss in a trio of backing vocalists to try to prop up grandad and voilà, you've got Leonard Cohen's does-not-work-on-any-level *I'm Your Man*. (You can also tell this album is self-produced because Cohen's voice is *way* out in front in the mix, and apparently no one at the label had the guts to tell him "no".)

A classic album from Laughing Lenny. Keyboard heavy on this one but the gravelly voice and the subtle emotive lyrics are what we’re here for. An album that rewards repeated listens

Gloomy, spooky, and wonderful. I really liked this one.

one of cohen’s best. dark, witty, and beautifully written.

me niego rotundamente

LOVED! dark and moody but comforting. Cohen’s voice is beautiful

It was interesting but not worth another go

Interesting but it often felt a bit forced like he was trying a little too hard to fit into a more modern sound.

not at all what i was expecting. So sort of mid 80's soft porn sound track album

Too much Leonard cohen. Oh but it’s a shiny new eightyfied Leonard. Same stuff though. Except cheesier.

This album fucking rules. I knew the song Everybody Knows from the Pump Up the Volume soundtrack, but everything else on here was new to me. It was not at all what I was expecting and I was always happily surprised. Considering I listened to this 3 times in a row and even highjacked someone else's Sonos to play Jazz Police at a party later the same day, I think it's gotta get a 5.

Really wasn't what I expected, but better for it, I think? The combo of Cohen's singing, lyrics, and the 80s pastiche is initially off-putting but ultimately very entertaining. Highlights are Then We Take Berlin + Jazz Police. 3.75/5

Woof. Only good thing is we spent the weekend singing “THEN WE TAKE BERLIN” and giggling.

This is the 4th of 5 LC albums we have had. Liked this a bit more than the other 2’s I’ve given out, but not enough to move it to a 3. Some good instrumentation. Still don’t care for his voice and the songs aren’t that great.

I genuinely liked Tower of Song. Laughed out loud at “THEN WE TAKE BERLIN.” He’s so fucking self-serious, I hate it. And I wonder who thought Jazz Police was a good idea. No one thought to stop that? But again, I do think I like the last song enough to save this from a 1.

Shite

I am not a big fan of Leonard Cohen, but this one wasn't so bad. I think the mix between his song writing style and synths is interesting. Some of the songs are a little boring, but overall, a decent album. Mid 3.

I was younger. I had a friend who was obsessed with Leonard Cohen. I never really gave him a shot at the time and now I see why , this was OK. It was really like a dude sings poems

Rating: 2.1 Absolutely terrible and unfocused compared to his previous 2 I’ve already heard. Cut out the lame Miami Vice synth crap and go back to what you’re good at.

Yo creo que Leonard Cohen ha tenido un estilo distinto al de este álbum en otras épocas y creo que esos otros estilos me pueden llegar a atraer más que este.

28/10/2025 It was okay. Spotify listeners: 3.5 million

This dude gives me the ick...

Jesus christ... another Leonard Cohen album?! This is no.4 for me now and I'm disheartened to see there's 1 more left! This one was much poppier than the others. The first few songs caught me off guard. They weren't bad to be honest but his voice is still dreadful. I cannot give this a higher score because I truly hate his voice and he sings like a ghoul. Sorry 2 ⭐️

If you like Tom Jones sung in the style of Vincent Price.

Lowkey saai oeps sorry

This is Leonard Cohen?! I always hear his name talked about in such reverence so it was a surprise to hear him casually drawling over some corny 80s backing tracks. This was terrible.

I listened to a lot of early Leonard Cohen and later Leonard Cohen. I thought this was an interesting sound. I wish they did half stars.

Great

Absolutely awful. I assumed he was a singer but he just talks to music. Weird.

Eerie yet soothing. Hits a sweet spot.

Leonard Cohen is supposed to be one of the greatest songwriters. Im probably not mature enough yet to appreciate this album. 3/5

Hallelujah?! Of course this album is incredible. I’m embarrassed I did not know who Leonard Cohen is until today. Thank god I know now. It’s starts off with so much pizzaz and brings you to a state of sighing in peace that yeah, I am alright “in the tower of song”.

Leonard Cohen is quickly becoming one of the big wins of this list for me. I've never really listened to him or known what his music was like before, but this is the 3rd album of his I hear from the list and I've consistently rated them 4/5. In no way perfect, but something I very well might return to and explore deeper in the future. Standouts First We Take Manhattan ... Everybody Knows Jazz Police 4/5

80er synthies diminieren den sound, aber dazu diese stimme!

Leonard Cohen liefert.

4th Cohen album? Seriously? The compiler's prejudices are really showing - and I like Leonard Cohen. But 4 albums is absurd - it's not like there's a progression or real development - all his music is fairly similar.

Cohen is an interesting songwriter, very sophistipop, and some songs are very good, but the overall project wasn't that interesting for me. I liked the jazzy mix with synth-pop, felt very 80s. Cohen's voice and delivery is also very unique and is what makes the record when it works. He can be a bit too dry at times, but I think it's part of the whole persona. I thought the best song was "First We Take Manhattan". "Jazz Police" wasn't bad, but it was pretty odd and didn't really like it much.

Solid Cohen.

Quite the eclectic sounds, synth, slide guitar sounding synth, xylophone, just none of it enjoyable it's so bland, I can't get over that to give the monotone lyrics the time of day. Leonard ain't for me so far

Cute

An absolute all time favourite. There aren't too many other albums that have so demanded my attention to every word. I smiled at the Wikipedia article's claim that this represents a more modern sound. In 1988 these arrangements already sounded dated based as they were off of Len's own arrangements on his trusty cheap child's synth. But that's one of the things I love about the album. The sound is Leonard Cohen's bloody minded artistry and commitment to the record he wanted to make. I think it fits the songs, the lyrics and his voice at this time perfectly. I've heard covers of most of these songs and none better the original. Everybody Knows feels ominously more appropriate with every passing social media post.

I wanted to like this, but I'm finding myself wondering why this is apart of this album list. I know Leonard Cohen is a big name, but this sounds like dragging feet. Maybe ideal to some, but not to me.

In this cheese wheel of a record, Cohen’s self-serious baritone is glazed over with layer after layer of eighties production. The resulting heartache feels more akin to acid reflux than romance. ‘Everybody Knows’ is a damn good song though.

For me, Leonard Cohen was always more of a poet who occasionally set one of his works to music. Apart from the magnificent “Hallelujah,” this usually involved him reciting his poem while more or less appropriate music played in the background. Against this backdrop, it seems only logical that he tried his hand at synth-based background music in the 1980s. However, I would consider this experiment on “I'm Your Man” to be a failure. On the one hand, the rather lively music, especially on “First We Take Manhattan” or “Jazz Police,” does not fit Cohen's calm delivery or even his voice at all. And on the other hand, when he does try to really sing—as on “I Can't Forget,” for example—he quickly reaches his limits. For me, “I'm Your Man” is not a coherent work overall—not really a disappointment, but rather a testament to the things Leonard Cohen wasn't very good at.

3.3 1x like it but weird

Leonard Cohen's output just before his retreat was strange and fairly dark. It's not as disturbed as The Future, but the man was going through something in the Reagan era and it really shows in this album. There's a cold intensity throughout this album. His voice is deep and sinister even during lighter songs like Take This Waltz and Ain't No Cure For Love. Meanwhile, First We Take Manhattan is straight up terrifying. This is all to say, I love this album and I love Leonard Cohen. I think he was right to disappear into a monastery for several years to escape the 90s.

Horrible 80s sound to this album. Only his lyrics and delivery gain it a second star

A scene: It’s 1:35am on a Wednesday night. You walk by a window and peer in - it’s Leonard Cohen. He’s standing in a mostly empty karaoke bar singing over cheap backing tracks.

Owns his older voice, bold synth use. I love his early stuff but it's rare for an artist to create something so new in their mid 50's.

10/9/25. Didn't expect a quintessential 80s sound from this, but it worked really well with Cohen's voice! I also love the varity of styles throughout; great sophisticated album that's inviting.

How this reached #1 on any chart I'll never know. God what a bad album.

This is the beginning of the rest of your life.

As a huge fan of Leonard Cohen, I'm Your Man somehow managed to remain under my radar. And apparently it's one of his most commercially successful ones. I knew take this waltz and that was about it. Because I have a deep appreciation of his early minimalist work, but this album is a nice change of pace. It's very good, but there are three albums I would see as more essential from him. Firstly Songs of Leonard Cohen, then Songs of Love And Hate and finally Various Positions. I hope these are also included in the list.

Just boring drivel and Jazz Police. Maybe some of the lyrics are good, I don't know. Maybe "guys like me are mad for turtle meat" has poetic depths I can't comprehend.

listened to again his voice is cool in this era but music doesn't fit him i think

I wasn’t into this

Torn on this one. Great songs in the main, great voice. Unfortunately a very dated production. What is it about the '80s?

I think the late 80s production doesn’t vibe with Cohen’s speak singing style very well. The lyrics are on point, but musically, I found myself cringing a bit.

Always been confused by the LC love, not great stuff

1/5

When you heard that the original master of bleak, melancholy folk music turned his attention to cheap synthesizers and smooth jazz saxophones, you'd probably imagine that you're witnessing a midlife crisis in action. Add to this that Leonard Cohen is seen on the album cover eating a banana and you'd surely think that he can't be serious. Against all odds though, this album is great. The heaviness of Cohen's voice matches surprisingly well with a diverse range of instruments. His voice is the primary sound here, with the 80s synths closely behind. The two merge into an image that could be part of a David Lynch movie. Imagine a dark cabaret where an almost comical scene plays out. You almost want to laugh at the middle aged man at the Casio until he launches into a genuinely disturbing political piece about terrorists taking over the West. There are moments of lightness but Cohen's voice sucks it all away each time like a black hole. The album experiments with other genres from song to song but always end up sounding sarcastically dark. Tim Waits expressed his admiration for this album and it's easy to see why. The darkness and light blend together as few other artists could do. The highlight is "Everybody Knows", a laundry list of the world's ills set against unsophisticated electronics and bouzouki playing. "I'm Your Man" can hardly be called Cohen's best album but it definitely stands out as a very interesting one.

in a struggle to find

Ach Du Scheiße. Das ist ja noch schlimmer als das Songs of Love and Hate Album das ich im Juni hören musste. Da fällt es mir schwer einen Stern vergeben zu müssen.

Singer/Songwriters are a dime a dozen - you gotta bring something "else" to the table to be good for me.

Pretty good Loved the woman’s voice in the back

Third Leonard Cohen album on my journey, and this time it's his synthpop record. During the 1980s, Leonard was moving toward modernizing his sound, which in the context of the decade meant embracing synthesizers, drum machines, exotic textures, and emphatic female backing vocals. What's weird is that he mostly gets away with this stylistic change. Yes, this album has a dated sound, and not every song works. "Jazz Police", in particular, is a terrible composition with buzzy synths and a sterile rhythm section, as Leonard complained about when jazz motifs were incorporated into his previous works. But for the most part, Leonard continued to deliver his dark poetry in a more refined, raspy delivery, and the bouncy production behind him oddly worked in not distracting from the heavier undertones of his words. In fact, I could find myself having a perverse sense of joy in strutting to the swagger of "First We Take Manhattan" as Leonard makes his bold response to terrorism, or sink into the dreariness of "Everybody Knows" and the title track. Also worth mentioning is the effective closer, "Tower of Song", as the energy is dialed back for Leonard to lay bare his dedication to the songcraft. Yeah, Leonard Cohen's synth-pop record was mostly good. That is not a statement I would have made before this album journey.

Great songwriter, bad singer

7/10, my first Leonard Cohen album so rating is subject to change. It feels noticeably dated with the instrumentals, but there’s no doubt a lot of soul and expression through his voice and lyrics, some that’s no doubt lost on me. That said, I can’t deny the talent on display.

It's giving Over the Garden Wall. Can't say I'd listen to this album again though!

Leonard is certainly wooing someone with these..... melodies and versus i guess we can call them. I am not that someone.

Partially annoying, partially I loved it. The instrumentation reminds me of the guy at Thai House who loops bizarre beats on a keyboard during happy hour. Jazz Police and First We Take Manhattan were winners for me, the weird lyrics combined with the dire and grim instrumentation was stimulating.

this one grew on me. It was very easy to picture things happening, a smokey noir movie, a disney villain, REPO! the genetic opera... Jazz police will be heavily replayed

I just love the feel, the mood of Cohen's music. There's very little of his material that could earn fewer than four stars. This isn't his finest, but there's no way I can give it fewer than four!

Preferred it a lot more than the other Leonard Cohen album

Cohen's voice has so much potential for some high quality music but his singing style feels so uninspired and there's not much going on if you take the vocals out.

I suspect this is his most commercially approachable album but it doesn’t really do it for me, with some exceptions. It is fine but not haunting enough for true Leonard Cohen.

I don’t quite get the guy myself, I’m sure there is a crowd for this, but it’s not really for me. I didn’t hate it enough to give it a one, but it’s a low two.

Fucking awful.

What in the shitty 80's family resort, sipping regret out of a piña colada hell is this?! Not the Leonard Cohen I signed up for.

great songwriter when covered

There's something about this I like.

nahhh

Not the first Cohen album that comes to mind! Still he never did anything bad.

Ah, Leonard for the win! When many would be past their prime of 20 years earlier, Leonard puts out some of his best work, even though it has a few 80s synth taints on it. “Take this Waltz” may be his best song and “Everybody Knows”, “Tower of Song” and “I’m your man” are a strong middle of the lineup. Always funky (in a sex way, not a groove way), Leonard stretched his golden period with this album.

I grew up on this album and think it’s one of Cohen’s best. How can this be anything other than a 5 with lines like ‘stick another turtle on the fire, guys like me are mad for turtle meat’.

Excellent album. I enjoyed. Did not enjoy the first two albums i listened to by Leonard but maybe that's what the 80s does. Stand out song - Jazz police

This low, slow talk-singing is very grating. I know he has many fans but I don’t know how.

Nothing is finer than waking up to Leonard Cohen. In fact, I started thinking about what accolades I could give him before listening again to this glorious album from 1988. Cohen released his first album in the 1960s and went on to have successful albums in the 2000s; he is one of those artists who can capture the hearts of each generation while still keeping true to his musical ideals. Here his sombre vocals and apocalyptic tales of love and the state of the world are nicely offset by the sound of synth and a female chorus. I so so love this one.

Great voice, bit eighties in places, especially the production. Liked half the songs, others made me cringe. Tracks 3,4,5 were good

73% Best: First We Take Manhattan; Ain't No Cure for Love; I Can't Forget Must-Hear? Nah

++*: Tower of Song ++: First We Take Manhattan, Ain't No Cure for Love, I'm Your Man, Jazz Police +: Take This Waltz, I Can't Forget +-: Everybody Knows 8,8/10

Not your granddad’s Cohen. 80s Cohen is a skip for me.

A trudge of melancholy awfulness

3/5

AHHH YESSS. Not that I like music like this. Idk if I can survive a whole Leonard Cohen album, but my parents used to play stuff like this all the time when I was growing up. And talk about a boring cover. No offense.

Whoever decided to let Leonard Cohen have access to a synth deserves a raise

the hottest voice to ever grace our mortal ears

This is crystal clear a 5-star-album.

I always loved the intro. I need to start lisetening to the ones I don‘t already no that I like them a lot

I fucking love Leonard Cohen.

It's OK. Like Choen's voice and lyrics, but the 80's production feels a little out of place

This guy confuses me so much. Sometimes he's brilliant, but other times he's (seemingly) intentionally bad. There's a couple of decent songs on here (Manhattan and Everybody), but apart from that, terrible. Also creepy

Leonard Cohen has grown on me over the years. I first found his bohemian ladies man persona kind of slimy and I still do but now his observations resonate more with me. Also his tempo and mine are now about the same. Several good tracks on this record and the dated syntho production ends up working for him. I also noted a lyrical similarity between Tower of Song and Pulp's recent single Spike Island. Tower of Song: I was born like this, I had no choice I was born with the gift of a golden voice Spike Island: I was born to perform It's a calling I exist to do this Shouting and pointing Sung somewhat tongue in cheek in both instances. Jarvis is a big fan so it is no surprise that he would invoke Leonard Cohen. If you are interested, you can listen to Jarvis's interview with Leonard at the link below. I think I will do that now. https://archive.org/details/jarvis-cocker-march-28-2010/Jarvis+Cocker+-+January+29+2012.mp3

It is tricky to set Leonard Cohen's poems to music without making them sound like dirges (which they sometimes actually are), but this goes way overboard with the synths and drum machines. I'm glad we have several other examples so I can safely say this is nowhere near his best album, and it's not the fault of the songs, it's the damn 80s.

This is some standard Leonard Cohen work. Not my favourite versions of some of the tunes.

I like an album that tells a story. And his voice is always so haunting. Solid.

Crazy little album

This man can’t sing for shit

As a Canadian, I really want to try and like Leonard Cohen... But I just can't. His book Beautiful Losers was the reason I ended up dropping Canadian Literature way back in university. This album wasn't enough to do the same for this album project, but it's also not enough to win me over. I don't know what people see in him... Hard pass for me, but enjoy.

This record is an enigma. I wonder if the cheap sounding production is part of the aesthetic that was intended to match a vibe. Lita definitely interesting.

Favorite: Everybody Knows

His approach to making music is so unique. Part of me was annoyed with his delivery, but it did grow on me. As a whole, the songs were done well. Solid work!

There's like a three-song stretch in the middle that's really good ("Everybody Knows", "I'm Your Man", "Take this Waltz") but everything else on this album seems weirdly 80s and is a different sound than I usually expect from Leonard Cohen. All of the songs drag on for longer than they really need to.

Highlight: First We Take Manhattan

Pretty good - nice vibe and certainly musically better than other cohen albums

I don't know what's more surprising: that this was apparently a number 1 record in multiple countries, or that someone thought that anyone who had thus far blissfully missed this abortion *needed* to hear it before they died. I can practically smell the pink neon tube lights, hair gel, and suit jackets with massive shoulder pads oozing out of my headphones. This is bad.

One of those rare cases where good songs are ruined by terrible production. Some of these songs would be good if they were more stripped back. Except Jazz Police. Nothing's saving that shit.

Listened to this album years ago because a girl-friend of mine liked it. It was OK then and it's OK now. But nothing special.

Vertellende zanger. Ik vind het wel leuk, maar een beetje sloom. Doet me ook een beetje aan filmmuziek denken, vooral westerns of zo. Het eerste nummer is het leukst: "First We Take Manhatten, and then Berlin".

"No you are not." This would have been my concise review, but it was already taken :( Well, more words, then: this album sucks, mightily. I could write it off as "I don't like it", maybe mention the odd laugh I got out of it, but recently the generator happened to show me two albums from the same era by that other North-American singer/songwriter/wordsmith with a gravelly, raspy and dark voice who inhibits a not dissimilar spot in music and hey! I've just, mid-sentence - no lie! - discovered Cohen had written a poem about him! Whaddayaknow! Here's an excerpt: "[...] his music begin—it is so beautiful and original and sophisticated—so much better than mine—[...] You see, Leonard, it's because you made stuff like this, duh (No offense, R.I.P.). But seriously, borrowing the Every Breath You Take guitar? The Shine on You Crazy Diamond synth? And then the most generic brass preset played by some keyboard's automatic accompaniment feature? Compared to what - you may have guessed it - Tom Waits was up to during that time, it's all so trivially and dime-store corny, including some of the lyrics, I can't believe it's supposed to be a sincere expression. The fucking CASIO™ Eurostile font on the album's cover being the icing on this lazy 80s shitcake. What a package. After the great "Songs of Love and Hate", the boring "You Want it Darker", "I'm Your Man" makes Leonard Cohen the new entry to my profile's *Controversial Artists*.

Why is this even on the list? Who decided this?

(87/100)

Scar doing 80’s music.

didn’t rlly like his voice or the music lyrics were ok

I feel like I should be wearing a long trench coat and sunglasses when I listen to this album. Favorites: Everybody knows, I’m your man, Take this waltz

I love this. First got to know of Leonard’s existence when Inheard the cover of “First We Take Manhattan” by the gothic metal band Sirenia, but was blown away by the original. Rest of the record is also amazing. Take This Waltz is a classic, Jazz Police is so out there and the whole midi-production vibe is such a typical style (clearly inspired the likes of Herman van Veen). Cohen’s voice and timbre finishes this great release.

Je dis oui, j’ai écouté ça sur le chemin de la fac puis j’ai passé une super bonne journée alors que ça partait mal donc c’est 5/5 pour moi

Quelques sons sympas mais globalement les mélodies et les instruments utilisés ne rendent pas hommage à la voix mythique le L.C

Was not ready for sultry voice Cohen with 80s backing tracks. 6/10

I rarely read the reviews before I listen but in this case I did (for some reason). In my opinion, it's really not as bad an album as I feared. I'm going to call it a good album despite Cohen being totally overrated in my book.

Cohen is not really my thing, but good songwriting and an extra point for being a little weird.

a pretty interesting listen. i think that the album would be better if it didn’t have the female singers.

Never got the appeal of this guy. That Everybody Knows song is fucking annoying.

There are better Cohen albums out there.

I don’t even need to listen to this to know I’m going to hate this. 40ish minutes later: yep that was ass. Please, no more Leonard Cohen.

Where Cohen does the sleazy casanova type so well, you can't even tell whether it's a parody or the real deal. Lyrics like "There's a concert hall in Vienna // Where your mouth had a thousand reviews" hit a straight home run, but then you imagine Leonard performing some robotic dance moves - banana in hand, of course - to some of these almost-disco beats and it all just gets a bit embarrassing.

Not for me. 1/5

The synth is strong with this one

I can’t take it seriously. So funny

I'm very conflicted about this album. I love Cohen's voice, I love the backup singers, I love the lyrics, I love the music... but I hate the instrumentation. If the exact same album was made using traditional instruments instead of keyboards and drum machines, I would love this album. With the synthetic sound of the almost entirely electronic instruments, I come close to hating it.

I watched 'Pump Up the Volume' religiously when I was a kid. Loved the soundtrack. I was always confused as to why 'Everybody Knows' was different from the movie. I liked the movie selection best. Now I know where the original came from. That's the most I got out of this album. I'm not sure what I think of the super '80s sound.

Banger title track, otherwise underwhelming

I likes the messaging behind the songs, but the format wasn’t exactly for me

I’ve said it with every other Leonard Cohen album - the man is a hugely talented poet that fails as a musician. The instrumentation and arrangement is just absolutely NOT for me. Sounds like “we have Johnny Cash at home” backed by some 12 year old who is figuring out the Casio keyboard they got for their birthday. 2⭐️

I have learned that I do not like Leonard Cohan's work. Drones. The music is very 80s. Jazz Police? Seriously? How is this respected?

Muszę jakoś uhonorować ulubionego wokalistę mojej mamy

Człowiek ma wrażenie, że bardziej niż o muzykę w tym albumie chodzi o ego wokalisty

lubie dance me to the end of love ale po tym albumie mam wrażenie że gościu walił konia do swojego głosu

Very different classical but good love the instruments and voice

My fiancee called this "Halloween music" and... kinda yeah. 4/10

More great stuff from Cohen. Great words. Beautiful tunes. And the voice!

I'm not your Man, Guy.

Sounds from him I'm not used to. Surprising variety. I was looking forward to hearing Take This Waltz. I like it.

I wanted to like this, but it left me sad and confused. It was a bad day though.

Not as good nor as bad as some people in here are saying. Leonard Cohen seems to lean into that particular old-man aesthetic that Waits or Cash also leaned into throughout their respective music careers. He does not bright with it as well in this particular album, but he manages to pull it off in a decent manner. Are the lyrics as creepy as some people seem to point out? Nah. Or at least not for a guy born in 1934.

Leonard's "lyrics first" musical approach is clearly divisive, and admittedly doesn't always land for me. But there are certainly some groovy songs on this release, and the 80s production - while a bit dated at times - overall works to bring his songs to the finish line. "First We Take Manhattan" is an excellent tune to open this thing with. That said... this is the third Leonard Cohen album I've gotten on this list. No more, please.

Dark, pitchy and gloomy. I always suspected Cohen was related to the record company owners.

This is my favorite of Cohen's albums. It's the perfect blend of when his voice is at its somber baritone best, and his lyrics harmonize with it to hit just the right note of melancholy with a tinge of self-deprecating humor.

I always expect arresting and dark lyrics from this master. I also like his experimentation with synths as per the era. The classic “Tower of Song” is on this album. The otherwise stellar album gets knocked down a point for me by the gospel backing vocals which largely feel out of place to me.

Dirge city. The song Ain't No Love was a horny dirge. Made me antisexual.

Overall: 6/10 I've always been vaguely aware of Leonard Cohen as an artist, but I've somehow never heard any of his songs until today. That's pretty crazy to me considering how much of a legend he was in the music scene. With that being said, I'm a little sad this was my first exposure to him, as I can already tell this isn't even close to some of his best work. The production and songwriting here is stuck right in the 80s, a decade I have a very hit or miss relationship with. The same goes for the songs on this album, which aren't entirely terrible but there's just some strange instrumental choices that I can't get behind. On top of that, while Cohen is obviously a talented vocalist and godlike lyricist, his voice is a little too dull and droney for the type of music we find here. It's still a good album overall, but I really wish I had skimmed through some of his better songs beforehand to get a better forst impression of his music. Fav Song: Take This Waltz

First We Take Manhattan Everybody Knows I'm Your Man Take This Waltz Tower of Song

I’m Your Man - Leonard Cohen Jesus H Tap Dancing Christ I absolutely HATED this. Honestly it might be my least enjoyable album so far. Two Cohen albums so far and I am not a fan.

jesus cristo entrei num estado meio deprê depois desse

vozerão + letra pessimista. o diferencial tá no synth dessa vez. bem normal!

8/10… singer-songwriter / sophisti pop

What a weird turn from the last Leonard Cohen album from just a few days ago. Of course a lot of that is because of the year in which it was released. Not even someone like Cohen, a man who'd been in the industry since 1967 and who had long since found his voice, could avoid the 80's sound. The synths, the reverb, the airy background vocals, the drum machines - it's all extremely 80's, sometimes comically so. That being said, I do think he takes that sound and does the best with it. Leave it to Cohen to do that. The songwriting isn't his best. "Ain't No Cure for Love" doesn't exactly strike me insightful or deep, for example. This album strikes me more as about mood, atmosphere. That's where he uses that 80's sound most effectively (see the title track, "Everybody Knows," "Take This Waltz," for examples). Somewhat like his other album of his I had last week ("Songs from a Room"), I don't necessarily know what many of the songs are about, but it's the mood that draws you in here. I didn't really know what to make of this while listening, but going back to it after the fact I really do see this as more of a mood album and it excels in that context. Three stars. Standout Tracks: First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, Jazz Police

Cohen’s somber, intense, baritone voice over 80s synthy backings is peculiar and quite jarring at first. There are times when it works well, others where it sounds dated and unfitting. Cohen still often puts forth poignant lyrics, but again some of these really hit while others seem tossable. Overall, just not that interesting to me and sometimes a little cringey.

There are some great songs here, but the production is so dated it sounds like a joke. Despite the quality songs, he has much better sounding albums for sure.

Meh

In The Wonder Years' Kevin Arnold narrator voice: It was at that moment that I realized that Leonard Cohen was not, in fact, my man.

After two listens, I feel like this is a 4-4.5 star album on the strength of the songs and a 1-1.5 star album on the strength of the production and arrangements. Settling on a high 3 stars for now; I hope it continues to raise in my estimations if I get past my own sonic issues. 3/5

Jeez this might’ve been a good album if it wasn’t for his voice. The beats and background vocals were amazing but Leonard talking over the it gave me chills how bad it was. There were no songs I rly liked but I do have to say there was variation between each song that being something he did right . Overall I didn’t hate it but definitely didn’t like it so ima give it a 4.2/10 2.1/5

Favorite Track: First We Take Manhattan

sorry but no - just sounds like the worst of the 80s

OK, I like Cohen, but the 80s production/sound is killing me. No bueno.

Turns out he’s not the man for me.

7/10

VERY weird. It sounds like a straight vampire making music in the 80s. I liked it.

Lots of people seem to really appreciate the lyrics but not the music and when I first heard this album after being familiar with his earlier output I felt the same way but over the years it's grown on me massively and it's one of LC's albums that I return to again and again.

Ditnt like it that much

No kidding, I fell asleep listening to this. Not my cup of tea, but I can see how people enjoy his words. I don't consider him singing. Just rambling on and on in a monotone voice. Boring. 1.75/5 because some of the lyrics are good.

Commercialy successful, but not like his astonishing first album.

A Leonard Cohen album, ok, hang on a sec.... Synthesisers? Female vocals? Choruses? This is not what I expected having only been really familiar with his earlier work. It's kinda funny that even Leonard Cohen made music in the 80s that sounds very if it's time production wise. Jazz Police sounds like it could be a Michael Jackson song, vocals aside I thought this was good, I do pay attention to lyrics but I've found his other albums a little hard to get into. This is much 'songier' and that makes it a lot more engaging, which in turn made me pay more attention to the words. It starts strongly with First We Take Manhattan and the first side in particular has some strong tracks.

Jesus this is terrible. I don’t mind Cohen’s monotone drawl but I mind how cheap and disinterested everything else sounds.

Quit the pop music synthesizer departure for him, but some of the songs are considered Classics now

#450 8.1.25

3/10 - I don’t like the way he talks to me in the songs

Yeah Leonard early stuff much better than his late stuff

Liked the music part of it but the vocals were not it

Der er nogle kæmpe bangers på, men nogen gange går Cohens stemme op mod den ekstremt 80'er agtige produktion på en måde der skærer i øret

Absurd cool plade. Den banan kunne ikke ønske at blive spist af en mere cool mand.

This feels a lot longer than it was, I guess it's the slow pace of his voice... His voice is cool though.. But I don't really like it mixed with the 80s production.

Leonard Cohen's music doesn't really gel with me. I love the way his voice sounds, but his talk-singing style makes the whole thing feel a bit like a hipster poetry recital rather than songs. I feel like if I listened to it a few times over then maybe I'd appreciate the lyrics more and get into it, but it doesn't hold my attention out the gate - just not really my cup of tea

Did Eeyore start taking his meds?

Interesting I supposed, some songs that drew me in. I see the value, I just don't think I am a Leonard Cohen fan.

There are unbelievably five — five! — Leonard Cohen albums on this list, and this one is my third unpleasant listening experience because of his annoying music. I can’t understand why some artists get so much prestige, like Elvis Costello and Brian Eno, just to name a few examples. For these and other reasons, this list has completely lost its credibility! Once again: unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, unbelievable, and unbelievable!

brilliant, an exceptional singer-songwriter

Not really something for me, Cohen has a nice voice but the delivery feels stunted and awkward

Some great music and lyrics on here.

Interesting to hear him doing his thing with synths

I liked the first song: “First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin” Otherwise this was a bit dull, not much to say

The marimba on “I can’t forget” makes this album at least a 4 alone

Not his best, but still good. Beautiful writing, pleasant arrangements, but lackluster vocal delivery.

Not a fan of Cohen's singing-speaking, and adding 80s backing vocal/synths isn't helping. Even if you want to be like, his lyrics are good, some of the lyrics were creepy/cringy af. Did not enjoy this one at all, 1*

Not my cup of tea. Like Cohen as songwriter but this album is just not good for my ear.

2 stars - easy listening. Sounds like a very old man singing.

Quality. A couple of dodgy tracks in the middle, but it end on a high. 4

Noen virkelig flotte melodier, men i lengden blir det for kjedelig.

Perfection

So far, it's my favorite Cohen album. I remember first hearing the song 'I'm Your Man' in the movie Secretary 👠

I've had lots of fun reading this album's lyrics with commentaries. It was a blast. But as it is not just poetry, but a music album, I can't ignore how horrendous it sounds. Take the worst of the worst - 80s mess of generic synth music - and layer above a distinguished gentleman monotonous reading. It can't work and I'm shocked, that, apparently, at some point in time in Canada it did. Anyway, there are a whole bunch of covers that give lyrics justice, and that's the best thing about 'I'm your man' to me.

Definitely an 80’s album. Music gives it away. Lyrics are typical Cohen although with a filler (Jazz Police?) or two that don’t quite fit except for…it was the 80’s.

Leonard Cohen's singing feels so soulless

Ihan passeleita kappaleita muutamat. Ei ehkä kuin niitä paria halua kuunnella uudestaan.

Haunting, dark, moody and pure Cohen.

Doesn't sound nearly as dated as all the other reviewers are making it out. Cohen is a definite vibe with his low, growl. Some decent tracks with the outstanding Everybody Knows as the highlight. A few forgettable considering it's only 8 songs long.

I'm just going to have to accept that I will never be clever enough to appreciate Cohen.

wtf Leonard Cohen did a synth pop album? It's not as good as his folk stuff imo but it's not a failure by any means.

Solid stuff.

Not for me.

Leonard Cohens Album I'm Your Man wurde überwiegend in verschiedenen Studios in Los Angeles und Montreal aufgenommen. Der kanadische Musiker, der bis dahin vor allem für seine reduzierte Folk-Ästhetik bekannt war, orientierte sich auf diesem Werk stärker an elektronisch geprägten Arrangements, die im Produktionsstil der späten 1980er Jahre standen. Das Album gehört zum Genre Singer-Songwriter mit deutlich hörbaren Einflüssen aus Synthpop und Chanson. Besonders hervorzuheben sind die Stücke „First We Take Manhattan“, „Everybody Knows“ und der Titelsong „I'm Your Man“. Diese Lieder zeichnen sich durch einen markanten Einsatz von Drumcomputern und Synthesizern aus, kombiniert mit Cohens typischem Sprechgesang und oft sarkastischen, politisch gefärbten Texten. Insgesamt wirkt das Album wie ein bewusster Schritt in eine neue klangliche Richtung, ohne dabei den lyrischen Kern aus den Augen zu verlieren. Es zeigt einen Künstler, der sich stilistisch öffnet, ohne seine charakteristische Stimme und Haltung aufzugeben.

I liked the lyrics but just didn’t expect Leonard cohen to lose his badge with 80s synths

Banana man gets a 5.

Cheezy 80's drum machine, synths, etc. with the unmistakable Cohen voice... if this sounds like something you can listen to, go for it. Not me.

pretty good but not super memorable

The only thing knocking this down is this terrible late 80s production

Fine. Whatever.

Odd voice

I really wanted to like this one more, because I usually admire Cohen's writing even if I don’t always enjoy it. But this album was a slog for me. The biggest issue is the production — it's like someone challenged themselves to see how much canned keyboard and fake sax they could cram into a single record before anyone noticed. It’s drenched in this late 80s sheen that robs everything of intimacy, and for a guy like Cohen who lives on intimacy, that’s a real problem. The beats plod, the synths are all air and no substance, and even when the lyrics cut through, they’re wearing a very cheap suit. There are still flashes of something real. Everybody Knows is a dark little triumph, grimy and cynical in a way that suits the plastic production. Take This Waltz has a weird charm, even if it feels like it's been drowned in syrup. But overall, the whole thing feels like an uncomfortable compromise between Cohen’s poetic instincts and a very bad idea of what being “modern” sounds like. It’s all a bit smoky nightclub lounge, but not in the cool Tom Waits way — more like a budget hotel bar on a Tuesday night. I get that this is one of those records some fans defend to the death, but for me, the sound is just too dated and clunky to take seriously. The lyrics are still clever in places, sure, but they’re buried under too much synthetic sludge.

It's pretty good. Some pleasant, well-produced background music that didn't impress me but was enjoyable. 7/10

boring

La primera mitad esta muy buena, la segunda es un asmr

Couple great songs

"I'm Your Man" is the eighth studio album by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen. Synth-pop and sophisti-pop are the Wiki-listed genres. Yep. The album was self-produced and a move to a make a more modern sound with more synthesizer-oriented production. The album was well-received critically and, commercially, hit #48 in the UK. Electronic beats and synths successfully place "First We Take Manhattan" into the 80's synth-pop dance time zone. Cohen in his whispering gravelly voice singing about geopolitical issues specifically extremism and terrorism. The song is dramatic. Jennifer Warnes anchors the backing vocals. Cohen takes his voice deeper in "Everybody Knows." A hopping/prancing synth and more electronic beats. A European guitar is added. A sarcastic look at life and various world issues (Aids, social problems, religion). "I'm Your Man" slows things up with the synth and beats. Amazingly, one of the few love songs on the album as he throws himself at a woman's feet. The synth and piano play to that 3/4 waltz time signature in "Take This Waltz." Strings are added. Cohen giving a loose translation of a poem by Spaniard Federico García Lorca and his doomed relationship with Salvador Dali. The album closes with "Tower of Love." Minimal background music as Cohen discusses his songwriting craft. "I was born like this, I had no choice, I was born with the gift of a golden voice." It's funny listening to the 80's synth music on this album, where at the time, the synths were added to make it more modern and, now, sounds somewhat dated. But, not all songs are 80's synth-soaked and do we really want to focus on the music on a Leonard Cohen album. Although, I quite enjoy his guitar playing on his 60's albums. The strength of this album is the variety of topics covered (terrorism, love, world issues, Spanish poems, jazz police and can ode to songwriters). His lyrics are as witty, sardonic, serious and poetic as ever. Well, Cohen did successfully transition his music into the synth-pop 80's which did successfully reinvent himself at the time but honestly fell into background for me with the lyrics, vocals and especially the female backing vocals taking center stage. I've never heard a bad Leonard Cohen album and this is no exception. A solid recommendation.

How tf is this on the list??!??

To me, listening to a Leonard Cohen album is a lot like meeting a dude in a bar who has some interesting stories to tell while sipping his whiskey neat. But every once in a while, you also catch him staring a little too long at your wife.

So weird I like it (and I don’t want to get in trouble with the jazz police).

Didn't hate it. Didn't love it.

Better than I expected. Liked his take on the German technology style

I feel like I’m supposed to like this. I appreciate that he’s an excellent lyricist. But this album was all the bad 80s things with terrible singing.

Not bad for Leonard Cohen. I’m not the biggest fan of his but I got through this album ok. I was familiar with Everybody Knows, it’s my favourite track from the bunch. Although, I’m Your Man had a creepy vibe to it, it turned me off a bit. Scoring it snack bang in the middle.

Wtf

Okay

Leonard Cohen 80s style kicks fucking ass! This record is awesome, pretty much every song stands out in its own way, but special mention to "Jazz Police"

4.5

This album is unrelentingly and unnecessarily 80s. It really begs the question, does this work. And somehow the answer for me is yeah. Non an emphatic "yeah", but I will say it's Cohen's delivery that sell the product more than the production around it. Not to mention, sans "Jazz Police", this might be his best written batch of songs he put on one album. "First We Take Manhattan", "Everybody Knows", "I'm Your Man", and "Tower of Songs" are absolute masterstrokes... and maybe to a lesser extent "Ain't No Cure For Love" and "Take This Waltz" Yes, the production does get in the way a bit, but overall Cohen still pull this off as a flawed gem. (8.5) ★★★★

Good songs, bad production. 4 stsrs

This album has always been a bit of a frustration for me. On one hand, I think it's probably Cohen's best batch of songs he ever wrote. On the other hand, he seemingly decided to record those songs with a cheap Casio keyboard he picked up at K-Mart. So, it's basically an A for songwriting, a D for execution. "Everybody Knows" is my runaway favorite, but "Tower of Song", "First We Take Manhattan", and "Ain't No Cure For Love" also rise above their rough production choices. 4 Stars

It’s like a Smash Bros Final Destination battle between the Casiotone beats and cheesy backing singers but amongst the brawl there are about three top class Cohen songs here with First We Take Manhattan, I’m Your Man and Everybody Knows. 3.5 stars.

He sounds like a creepy crooner to me.

Bahaha, the cheesy 80s synth made Leonard Cohen sound interesting for once. Usually he's too slow and mellow, and I wander off to find something that'll actually grab my attention. Achievement finally unlocked: listen to an entire Leonard Cohen album! Now, having read some of the other reviews, I know at least one other person doing this project is going to be running away from me really fast: This is my favorite Leonard Cohen album. The contrast between dreary vocals and cheery synth made my day. Instant mood boost!

Good

- im Grunde wie beim letzten Album von Cohen - derbe entspannt, aber trotzdem nichts, was ich jetzt andauernd hören würde/könnte, aber insgesamt war es interessant und eben stimmig

I like his nice, smooth and dark voice. A relaxed listen with almost no fails and for me his best album from this list so far. Weak four stars. favourite: "First We Take Manhattan" worst: "Jazz Police" 3,5

Solid album, Cohen has a very unique voice and cadence to his songs. Jazz Police, Everybody Knows, & Tower of Song are standouts

This one feels a little more dated than his other entries on this list. That is, this album sounds like it belongs in the eighties. It was obviously made in the eighties, but all of his other albums on this list have a timeless quality to them. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Cyndi Lauper’s “She’s So Unusual” could belong to no other decade, yet it is still an iconic album, just not timeless. However, the timeless quality isn’t the only thing lost. In my opinion, the lyrics, writing, and production all took a hit in some capacity on this project. His vocals are as golden as ever and the instrumentation is executed very well. I only disagree with some of the decisions that went into the planning rather than the actual execution. Not a bad album. I thoroughly enjoyed five or six out of the eight tracks, but I know he’s capable of better. 4/5

Surprisingly Cohens voice & the synth-driven tracks work really well together

MIDI instruments have a lot to answer for

Cheer up, mate. The 80s electronics don't help, dating the sound somewhat.

Oh Leonard. I've loved this album ever since it was first released almost forty (!) years ago. I still love it today, playing it probably at least once a month. It's his Let's Dance moment - a left-ish artist crossing over to the mainstream. Leonard does this without any effort, sounding cool as fuck and not selling out. Outstanding.

5/10. Music is bland, but the lyrics are nice.

I'M YOUR MAN SUPREMACY!!!! this is how every man should be about a woman. ok but first we take manhattan is bonkers. 80s synth pop with leonard cohen... it's giving beetlejuice. opening title track of a really weird show ain't no cure could be a bad springsteen song

Some of his best, love it

The first song sounded like an 80s scifi soundtrack, no? I wished it wouldve kept that vibe throughout the album, but it quickly turned into your more standard Cohen fare. Lyrically it wasn't as good as I expect from him either. Promising start turned into a bit of a let down.

I already know and love this album, but don't remember the last time I listened all the way through so let's see...

So weird. Very 80s, he doesn't really sing. ugh

Almost anti-Canadian of me to give 3 stars.

Good stuff here and not so good stuff here as well. Very 80s. Female backing vocals don’t always work.

Man has an great voice, I'll give him that.

My wife loved Leonard Cohen but I’ve never really listened to him. This is powerfully 80s and sounds like a Roger Waters solo album.

Dude was talking in tune. Did not enjoy this one. Instrumentation and backgrounds were decent, but man the thing I focus on is an artist's voice, and I did not like this.

Cohen was an incredible poet that wrote some amazing pieces over his lifetime. He's put out some incredible songs as well, but I feel like the covers are better (tell me the original version of Hallelujah can hold a candle to Jeff Buckley's version). If you want to get into the weeds of lyrics, Cohen is your man, but listening to his lumbering baritone never connect to the song backing him can be a bit of a chore.

Music so dark that even the love songs are disturbing. I suspect the album color was originally canary yellow but the darkness bled through. You must hear “First We Take Manhattan” and “Everybody Knows” before you die. But don’t listen too close to your final breath or you’ll end with very little hope in humanity. But hmm, maybe that hope was misplaced anyway.

80s production style almost killed this for me out of the gate, but Cohen's pure talent kept me listening. The storytelling, the writing, and the command of his literal and musical voice transcends the limits of this era. So, so good. Be patient and be amazed!

Bad karaoke to a musical no one wanted. The only upside to Leonard Cohen's "singing talent" is, how easy it is to tell how terrible his lyrics are.

I guess this is better than the other Leonard Cohen album I listened to, but it's still not for me. Still depressing as Hell.

1.5 - Bad

Ugh, this shit's dumb

The first Cohen album I heard, and the one I grew up with. This is Cohen getting older, and getting backup vocals to do the challenging parts, but the lyrics and production are still there. Some absolute classics.

Existential at work, grumpy run, reset what makes me feel

This was so boring

M'y man 🩷

Kind of like a soft pop. He’s got a deep voice that classes with the style of music.

Before my first listening, I had my expectations really high, since I love some of his first works. But after listening to it, I was left dissapointed, as I was hoping for 'singing and playing the acoustic guitar' songs, not a pop album. So, this album lacks the dark atmosphere that is present in his early works. You could say that it is still there, but is very different and it does not have the same appeal, making the whole record feel a bit tiresome. At least the lyrics keep the dark themes...

This is the only one from this guy that should be on this list and it still shouldn’t be there.

I will actively avoid listening to this again. Sounds like an aging artist trying to stay relevant with synths, and missing the mark

I listened to this with Jordan, he poisoned me against it. I just spent the whole time laughing. More like 1.5 stars.

Shit

This is what I signed up for, some tunes that really mean something. I have never listened to Leonard Cohan before, heard the name, so this intro has got me wanting more. Not like some of the shite offerings that make its way on here.