I'm Your Man

Meesterlijk…

Some all time great songs on this. But, off, that 80s production. The synths, the saxophone solos, the stacked backing vocals. His singing is not bad, probably amongst the best he has ever sounded. But is it a coincidence that I love many of these songs in cover versions? The production really distracts me. Five stars for the songs, one off for the sound.

A welcome return to form after a patchy period. It doesn't quite live up to his first four albums in my opinion, but it's great to hear Cohen being this adventurous at this point in his career, and his longevity and relative consistency such a testament to his skill as a songwriter

Interesting album. Very wistful and emotional. The synths have aged better than you'd think. Great vocals.

Some great songs on here, synth sound is a bit dated. Worth another listen

When I saw this was a Leonard Cohen, I was NOT ready for those sequencers in the first few seconds. What a stylistic shift. But overall it's a solid entry. Cohen's vocals are even more raunchy and mature than before. Lyrics are dark, covering themes such as desperation, loneliness, and mid-life crises. I can really get into the more synth-heavy songs. Got pretty weak in the second half but it still had notable ideas, like the unusual techno-waltz theme. Favorites: Everybody Knows, I'm Your Man, Tower of Song

Enjoyed the album - had kind of this futuristc 80s vibe.

2x na elkaar Cohen. Dit album vond ik beter dan dat van gisteren. maar zeker niet het maximum waard

I’m Your Man represents a return to form for Leonard Cohen. The album has a sultry late night feel but is brighter than his previous work. It’s obvious why Tom Waits thinks so highly of this album. My only qualm is the synthesizer based production which grounds the music in a recognizably 80s sound and takes me out of the timelessness of Cohen’s music. Obviously it’s a brilliant album nonetheless

26th November 2021 Listened on my headphones while working on Friday before meeting ebbs and Charlie for duckpin bowling and jen's fam coming for the weekend. Loved it - cohen's most accessible album. Big, brash, but still with lyrical intricacies.

smooth, chill music, manhattan is a bop

Cohen fucks man. The writing on this is solid, followed with a fucking sultry ass voice. It's good, I am vaguely familiar with him but not enough to say I am a fan or anything like that.

on the first song I swore I was listening to some German industrial... and that's before he was talking about taking Berlin. and I didn't think I was going to like this album, then it surprised me. not something I'd put on a lot but I dig it.

Very good. I’ve never delved into Leonard Cohen before but I think I’ll rectify that error.

Rock suave de Cohen.

I know your supposed to dump on 80ies Leonard Cohen, but tbh this was the Leonard Cohen I got to know first - Manhattan was a bit of a radio hit if I remember correctly, Everybody Knows was on the Pump Up The Volume soundtrack - so it's got a special place in my heart. Yes, it's got lots of synths but it works with these songs. I wouldn't know how else you'd produce them. 8/10

Good Album, enjoyed.

Lovely.

Lento pero atrayente

This is not bad at all, something to relax to, but too wordy for my tastes to give it 5 stars.

Interesting to see Leonerd Cohen try something very different. I still prefer his folk albums, but this is pretty good.

The first track was a little 80s and synth-y for me... but then as Cohen's deep, gruff voice took over the dark, cynical lyrics really hit me... I really enjoy this. Probably more like a 3.5 but let's give it a 4.

Good old Cohen, stubborn and unbending in a new synth entourage.

Very Noir, light simple instrumentation and a smooth deep voice singing poetry. The whole album reminds of me that "Nick's Cafe" song. I dug it, added Everybody Knows to the playlist. Probably not an album I would go out of my way to put on but I appreciated it. Edged it to a 4 over a 3 but it was close.

Ok so I really love 4 of these songs, 3 of them are very good and 'Jazz Police' really belongs on a completely different album? Really threw off the vibes with that one Leonard. Still though, great album

very foundational music!

Questo album non era quello che mi aspettavo. Sono riuscito ad ascoltarlo una sola volta e mi ha lasciato l'esigenza di sentirlo ancora. L'impressione è positiva, l'utilizzo di strumenti elettronici ricorda per certi versi anche i Kraftwerk e lo stile canoro, in linea al trend degli anni 80, nonostante tutto mi piace e non risulta eccessivo. Il voto per me è 3.5 ma che premio con qualcosa in più.

4/5. Classic Cohen, even with the 80s vibe, he still is amazing. Standouts: First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, I'm Your Man, Tower of Song,

I liked it much more than I thought initially. It's strange to listen to it so "sad" songs with this electronically vibe, but the Cohen voice is so interesting that hypnotizes anyone independentilly of the song. For sure, I'll include it in my favorite albuns list.

I love this album one of my all time favourites

Three songs in all three songs are good. Everybody Kows is excellent. If I were to nit pic I could complain about the 80s production sounding somewhat dated. But the quality of the songs transcends any complaints about production. First half stronger than second half. But, Tower of Song is a solid album closet. I feel like it's a 4, his earlier albums are slightly stronger .

Great songs...dated 80s production. Did I mention Great songs!

Smooth, voice like caramel.

A cornucopia of musical flavours, some industrial, some serene, Jazz police was a dud but hey that's the eighties.

Tower of Song - one of my favourites

Fantastic, love Leonard Cohen.

the lyrics are good the 80s seem fun

Great album. I really enjoyed the vibe all the way throughout. He has this quiet energy that sort of encompasses everything your doing while you listen.

Smooth and easy, really like his voice.

Surprisingly groovy and quite synthy at times

Interesting, yet odious experimentation with 80s synthesizers along great ballads. My first Leonard Cohens album, liked it a lot

The mans voice is awesome.

It was much better than the last Cohen album. Just adding better instrumentation helped to make the songs enjoyable.

Liked Lenny’s style…. Good one!!!

Very pleasantly surprised. Enjoyable listen that. 4/5

I like this one so much better than the last leonard cohen album. Thought his voice was great n deep, and the synth popped

Leonard does the 80s. Cohen is a poet first musician 2nd and throughout this is lyrically fascinating but the most impressive slight of hand he performs here is producing an album that is both unmistakably him but also pure 80s. Maybe I need a few listens to dampen my enthusiasm but having only really known Cohen's big hits like Marianne, Suzanne and Hallelujah, I have been a little blown away by the two albums of his this group has thrown up. Its clear how hes influenced other artists I love, particularly Nick Cave. The man was a Genius. Truly the Godfather of gloom. Highlights: Everybody Knows, Tower Song. 4/5 but close to my 3rd 5.

Now this is an ominous yet silly album. I am shocked by how much I like this. Vocals are a little odd but endearing, content is just a thinly veiled joke. Keep telling 'em Leonard.

Iconic singer

Very cool album!

Very cool album. Cohen has this deep, soft voice, that just pierces you. Most of the songs are very calm, which gives it a cool feel. Cohen is the one who first performed "Hallelujah" This is one of his later albums. He began 1967, this album is from 1988.

yo what did i just listen to it’s like the italian mob and love songs made this. It’s pretty good though

"First We Take Manhattan" is a fantastic track. I really like Leonard Cohen clearly from previous rankings, but this one with its synths, holds a special place for me.

This was my first Leonard Cohen album and I didn’t know what to expect, but I was especially not ready for dark and brooding lyrics for over plasticy eighties synth production. It seemed like the entire album was digital instruments but somehow hardly felt cheesy or fake. I enjoyed it and can see the depth of Cohens lyrics. Jazzer, drop your axe, it's Jazz police

Great album, you can really hear the influence of 80's pop and new wave, but it's infused seamlessly into Cohen's stripped back style.

Very up and down - some great tracks, some that didn't age well.

Not sure how to feel about the more pop feel but the lyrical songs make up for it I guess

Leonard Cohen is my man

This was really nice. I'm still getting used to Leonard Cohen's tone, but I quite enjoyed each and every song.

7/10

7.2.26 some beautiful lyrics, but I don't love love the sound (and I definitely a person who listens to music before lyrics). Cohen has an interesting and pretty smooth voice, but I just wanted more from this musically. still enjoyed. Favorite Song: Tower of Song Rating: 3/5

While the lead vocals, arrangements and performances are excellent, and the shift to an electronica style suits the material perfectly, the female backing vocals are largely jarring. They create an awkward 1980s sonic collision with the main tracks and, rather oddly, date this album much more than his earlier releases. These twee additions would be better suited to a Tina Turner album; the material here does not require them. Barring 'Jazz Police', this is a fine, enjoyable collection of songs, but it stops short of being essential. Three stars. Side one 1 "First We Take Manhattan" (4/5) 2 "Ain't No Cure for Love" (3/5) 3 "Everybody Knows" (4/5) 4 "I'm Your Man" (4/5) Side two 5 "Take This Waltz" (3/5) 6 "Jazz Police" (2/5) 7 "I Can't Forget" (3/5) 8 "Tower of Song" (4/5) Total - 27 Average - 3.4 367/1001 194/367 albums reviewed were new to me.

Most of this was great, and then we hit Jazz Police, which was awful, and the rest after that was not nearly as good. Still a fine album, but wowza, J.P. was a stinker.

Such a weird album - maybe that’s why it’s on the list? I had heard this version Everybody Knows before, and thought it was interesting and quirky, but an entire album that sounds like that was a little too much.

I like Leonard Cohen, but slightly odd, Miami Vice, electro-pop Leonard Cohen isn’t really doing it for me.

A classic.

I knew "Everybody Knows" but didn't know the rest of the album. I'm not super into Cohen's style of talking as singing, but I think it hides what are actually pretty decent melodies.

This has that Lou Reed almost-spoken-word quality to it, but it is pretty frequently undermined by some seriously dated production.

Mr Cohen, I was not familiar with your game. This felt like when I'd deliberately make my voice deeper when calling a girl.

Cohen precisa de menos ruído à volta

There some really great songs on here like Ain't No Cure for Love and also some absolute bollocks like Jazz Police. It's so weird that these two songs like this could possibly exist on the same album.

Pretty nice, "I'm Your Man" and "Tower Of Song" were my favorites

absolute decency. last lenonard cohen album got my hopes super low but this one was listenable. Still not the biggest fan tho. love u leonard <3

"Jazz police are talking to my niece" was an unexpected bit of internal rhyme. The synths and drum machines sound very 80s but kind of charming? I also wonder why and how he chose to pose with a banana in the album cover photo.

631/1001 2026.06.08 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

not as shit as I was expecting it to be

Lenny ain’t one of my favorite artists for the simple fact that I don’t think his music is that interesting. But he is such an obvious master of songwriting that I find myself eventually returning to his albums anyway. Here, he’s middle aged and funny, and it’s a good time. Not much else to say, it’s Leonard Cohen. Great writing.

MIDI spoken word poetry. Banana is a good fruit. Jazz Police is tough.

3 seconds into the first track and I was put off by the instrumentation. Leonard Cohen's voice and lyrics were able to elevate the standard synthesizer music here. Everybody Knows is a great track. I'd like to say that maybe the list has enough Leonard Cohen, but I think this one belongs on the list. Sonically the closest album I've heard before is McGruff's Smart Kids Album. Do yourself a favour and look it up if you have not heard it before.

I do like me some Leonard Cohen. His rasp, his poetry, his simplicity. This album wasn't as necessary to introduce or celebrate him.

I'm Your Man is famous for its synthy 80s production, which is obviously atypical for Cohen. But I think it could have gone bigger. Yes, there are background vocals all over this and a big cheesy sax on "Ain't No Cure for Love." But at least half of these songs are subdued enough that the synths can be forgotten and they become typical Cohen fair. At that point it makes sense to judge them on lyrics, and it's a mixed bag there. "Tower of Song" and "Everybody Knows" are very strong. On the other hand, the opener and "Jazz Police" are difficult to follow (and that's not the only negative for "Jazz Police"). Despite some great songs, the album ends up being fairly average, dragged down by a weak second half. If this leaned harder into the sophisti-pop sound, I think it would be better.

Leornard Cohen wrote great songs, but was only an okay singer.

A confused man eating a banana is a pretty good representation of how I felt throughout the album. A lot of interesting songs that range from odd to downright weird, and very few are alike. His voice is pretty fire though I can't lie. Best: First We Take Manhattan Worst: Ain't No Cure for Love Liked songs: 5/8, 63% Mid 3

I can’t really see myself replaying most of these songs other than “Jazz Police” but I will say the instrumentals in this album are well done. 6/10

Álbum equilibrado, tiene elementos bastante pop, contrastados con el tono de Leonard tan característico Me parece que el nivel de expansión musical que tiene es muy interesante Acá me parece que artísticamente hablando no busca complacer a nadie, simplemente necesita evocar los elementos con los que él conecta Reescuchable y sé que eso permitirá agarrarle aún más gusto 3.5

He’s growing on me.

Certainly took some getting used to, and the arrangements are all over the shop, but there's some gems to be found in here, "Tower of Song" especially

Hurts me to rate him so low. I love his lyrics. But the 80s keyboard sound and the backup singing on most songs are quite distracting. Love him though. For poetry he gets 5 out of 5.

Interesting! He might have lost a few fan with this one but it's nice to see artists trying to live with their time.

Took and extra listen or two but found some appreciation for this. Turns out to be a solid addition to his discography for me, with some fun tunes on. 3.5.

kalo sxetika. stin arxi apla mou fanike ligo vareto gt den sunuthizo na akouw tetoia fasi alla meta mou arese kai epsaksa gia ton tragoudisti

Would give it a 4 but giving a 3 because I have to be in a specific nostalgic mood to really enjoy Leonard Cohen’s music. Otherwise I’m always thinkin this man needs to speak up!

Wow, I can't think of an album with music that sounds so dated. I hope that someday a "remaster" is possible with better instruments because this sounds like garbage.

Dark and broody Likes: First We Take Manhattan; Everybody Knows; Take This Waltz

3.0

6/10 There really are some great songs here, but they are buried under 10,001 tons of 80s garbage. Still they fight to get out and sometimes they make it through, only to be dragged back down. Reminded me too much of Paula Abdul

Some songs I recognized and some interesting stuff here but not really my cup of tea. Still a worthwhile listen though. 3.5

I'm supposed to love this, at least Turk Tuckahaw says so. I like his songs when other people sing them. The Casiotone and golden voice together were too much for me to find enjoyment in listening.

I love the two folk albums by him that we've gotten, but I don't think this super-80s album from him works. Very low 6/10.

Cohen's one of the rare folk singers that truly draws me into the stories any time I listen. With how dated synth-heavy 80s records tend to sound, I was actually surprised that it suits his singing pretty well here (even if they overdo it pretty bad on Jazz Police). The stripped-back Tower of Song is still Cohen at his best though; one of my favorite songs of his to date, and a beautiful closer to this album. Not bad! Standouts: First We Take Manhattan • Everybody Knows • Tower of Song

One of the best things about this album challenge has been realizing how much I love Leonard Cohen. However, I can't give this any higher than a 3. The first four songs are an absolute tour de force. Take This Waltz is not good. Jazz Police is abominable and the last two are forgettable.

felt like he tried to be more 'hip'

Pues un poco irregular…las buenas, joyas…pero las malas muy malas. Entiendo el mame pero no me subo por completo. Inevitable pensar en Sabina

Easily the best album by this guy on this list so far, though that isn’t saying much. Decently listenable album that moves along. I didn’t hate it as much as his other stuff. 3/5

Sorprendió, buena voz grave, canciones bastante variadas. Algún día lo pondría de fondo.

Raspy, gravelly, typical Leonard Cohen

I think the lyrics lovers love this album but for me something was lacking. The man is a genius for sure but I prefer a little bit more melodic and a bit more music. Just don't think it's entirely for me but definitely worth a listen. Favorite track - First we take Manhattan.

About as good as I can go with Leonard Cohen. Somewhat enjoyable, but not my favorite and I honestly think he's overrated. 3.

Idk. Is this for real? Its campy, ill give it that. This is not the LC im grabbing. Its a reluctant 3. Maybe a 2.5. Jazz police IS funny af.

7.5 / 10

Dark and gloomy, classic from this guy. I am rarely in a mood to really sit down with this, but it's nice when it passes by.

I’m Your Man by Leonard Cohen is an album I’ve always enjoyed, and one I was really looking forward to revisiting today. Vocally, this is Cohen at his best. His delivery is confident and commanding, and the lyrics are as strong as ever, full of sharp, powerful storytelling. Musically, I know this album divides opinion, but I really like the production. It’s different from his earlier work, more synthetic and polished, but it creates a unique atmosphere that really works. The first half of the album is particularly strong. First We Take Manhattan is a brilliant track with a great sound, while Everybody Knows and I’m Your Man are standout songs that show just how good this album can be. For me, it tails off slightly in the second half. Take This Waltz and Jazz Police don’t quite hit the same level, and if the consistency had been there throughout, this would easily be a 5/5. Favourite tracks: First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, and I’m Your Man Least favourite tracks: Take This Waltz and Jazz Police Album artwork: A great cover that really suits the tone and style of the album

First we take Manhattan then we take new york,

Leonard Cohen in the 80s. You felt the 80s for the first half then more Cohen the second. Nice album

This one’s not hitting for me as well as the others have. Lyrically great and musically fun, just nothing I would ever come back to.

This is really a strange one. Leaning into nascent synthesizer tech was probably fairly forward looking at the time and maybe Leonard Cohen was interested in modernizing his sound and didn't want to sound stuck in some old way of doing things. The instrumentation to these tracks is honestly pretty heinous. From a lens of many years later this gives vibes of something like Wesley Willis. It sounds like a karaoke machine. It's really just confounding to me that this was so successful. It makes me conflicted on how to rate it. The fact that the intent is so confusing and the difference from previous albums almost makes it noteworthy on its own but just listening to it absent of other context wasn't very enjoyable for me. I'm going to go 2 stars for the listening experience and maybe 4 stars for being worth knowing about so average to 3.

This would have been more compelling with a proper band instead of synth

Again I had a long review and it got lost because I got distracted. The first two songs I like a lot. Very 80s, but different style of 80s pop. First song is very dancey, much more lovey on the second. Everybody knows is very well written. I’m your ma is fine, again another very lovey song but 80s style. It was fine. Didn’t really like take this Walz. Goofy lyrics on jazz police but the piano solo is incredible. I also find myself wanting to dance to this one. Really good somgwriting again on I can’t forget. I really like this one. Really good production. Tower of sing is very interesting because I keep expecting it to breakdown and speed yo but it doesn’t. Still pretty good. I actually like his voice on this one. Good way to close the album. Overall it was good not great. Probably won’t ever listen to any of the songs again but enjoyable enough for the last 41 mins. 2.7 stars.

Not going to lie. The sound is dated. Very late 80s.

Not a bad attempt at an album for a celebrity chef/travel documentarian.

Mans got a voice like a gravel pit.

Not normally a fan of LC, but the 80s production works with his voice.

A nice feel to it, but just a bit too samey. A high 3.

Resonant

A couple catchy tunes, and the lyrics are pretty lyrical, but it doesn't overcome the occassional off-tone of Cohen's voice. 2.5/5

Enjoyed this both less and more than I thought I would?

*I liked this better than any other Cohen album I've heard, but it still drones on too much for me to appreciate more than a 3 *I did like the jazz instrumentation that showed up at times

As you'd expect lyrics are so sharp and witty its impossible to tell if the production is a joke at our expense or just some bad 80s, but can't really rate them separately...

Leonard Cohen is an acquired taste, and I’m… weirdly indifferent towards him? The title track and “Everybody Knows” are the best tracks. The rest are okay. This my 713th album generated and the first Leonard Cohen, so we’ll see how the rest are.

Tufft, dock några lite segare låtar

totaaaaal niet wat ik van hem had verwacht, wat een zwoele stem. Ik vind het na een paar nummers wel oke - maar heel mooie muziek.

Je demeure indécis encore face à ce cher Leonard après 2 albums. Je ne sais pas si je trouve sa voix réconfortante. J'aime assez l'ambiance de cet album, belles voix des choristes sur certaines chansons. Le classique Everybody knows est sur cet album. Pas mauvais, mais mitigé est mon avis,.

Eh, it was fine. Leonard Cohen generally isn't really my thing, but I didn't dislike it.

3/5

This one barely gets to three stars, and honestly it’s mostly because it’s short. It’s over before it has too much time to wear me down, which helped a lot. Even Leonard Cohen wasn’t immune to the 80s synth obsession. The keyboards feel cheap and dated, and they take away from what actually makes him good. His writing is still there, but it’s buried under that plastic sound.

A weird one. The sound has not aged at all well (how many times will I write that about 80s albums) but there are some good songs in there behind the production. I liked First We Take Manhattan and Tower of Song. The front cover is also excellent - Leonard Cohen eating a banana.

Just when I thought I’d heard the last Leonard Cohen album on the list, I get this - and it’s kind of weird. Actually, that’s underselling it. It’s baffling. Cohen’s trademark gravelly voice and sharp lyrics are there, as you’d expect, but they’re couched in this oddly generic/cheap 80s sound. At first, it kind of works - maybe because of the contrast - and then it doesn’t. I didn’t hate it, but it really threw me for a loop. First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows 3?

I had some misconceptions heading into this listen - that Leonard Cohen music was unrelentingly gloomy, and that I generally don't enjoy synthesizer-heavy pop music. But with that said, I found this to be an enjoyable listen. Cohen's voice is excellent, and I found a lot of wry humor in his lyrics. The orchestrations are generally nice as well. Definitely a case of "don't judge a book by its cover." While ultimately this isn't an album I will return to again and again, I do appreciate hearing it.

Ok. Ish.

nothing to dislike

Bizarre moment in the Cohen discography from what I've heard on this list, but I don't hate it

Maybe not for me

Definitely more varied and interesting than You Want It Darker, but I think I slightly prefer the emotional gut punch of YWID vs this one. Some pretty solid and fun cuts, even if it's a tad too much on the 80's side for me. Liked Jazz Police quite a bit.

Admittedly confused with its own identity between Cohen's folk songwriting and the new-age synth instrumentals, but I sorta respect it for how different it is, and at times even enjoy it. Probably the most 80s album ever conceived by virtue of being fueled solely by cocaine and the chase of obtaining a radio pop hit for suburbanites to listen to while driving into the city.

Such a pity. Leonard Cohen truly is a great songwriter, but for me this album is completely spoiled by the arrangements. I read he was trying to be more "modern" with this album. Well, maybe he was "modern" (for the time) but give me the man with the guitar, any time. Don't like the 80's synths. And don't like the omnipresent female choirs that don't always fit the music (IMO). Cure for Love starts like it could be a theme song for The Love Boat with the cheesy sax, and then it also has Celine Dion-esque synth sounds. Hmmm. Still a 3 because most songs are fundamentally good. If only they sounded better.

*1988. *He's Canadian. Didn't know that. *I started out skeptical, but this was a pretty haunting, gripping album with some catchy ear worms (e.g. No Cure for Love and Everybody Knows). *I like this - would revisit. The first half is better than the second though. RATING - 7/10

It was alright, the songs were diverse enough. Id get the most out of it having the lyrics out in front of me but that’s just not how I like to digest music. Rating: 2.9

Ich kann mit Leonard Cohen nichts anfangen, fand das Album in meinem Hörmarathon gestern aber noch am ansprechendsten. Entsprechend schwache 3 Sterne..

Da passiert musikalisch nicht wahnsinnig viel, aber ich mag Cohens Stimme einfach sehr gerne und das zieht das Album auf 3 Sterne.

Stimme gefällt mir gut, Musik an und sich auch (brauch ich aber schon ne ganz bestimmte Stimmung dafür), textlich gefällt es mir weniger.

Alright

3,25

Had some moments. 2.5/5

4 for vocals, 2 for that keyboard

I didn’t mind this, but a lot of the songs sound similar. Jazz Police was most interesting to me

When I saw this as my next album my heart sank but upon listening I quite enjoyed it. He is like a storyteller and I found myself listening to each word. Something different, which can be a good thing.

A primeira faz me lembrar Daft Punk “Giorgio by moroder”, de resto não consigo ultrapassar a voz de homem que se acha smooth neste álbum em particular

Unfassbar geile Stimme, würde ich auch so hören.

The songs are good, but the singing is mediocre and the production is not appealing. If not for First we take Manhattan, I would probably give it two stars.

I like Leonard Cohen's songs and really admire his career, but there's something about the sad 80s "modern" orchestration on this album that really (really) mars nearly every song on this album for me, with the only possible exception of "Take this waltz" (and even that can't redeem the truly atrocious following track "Jazz police"). It just sounds so much more vacuous than it should, especially because a number of the songs on this album are really well-written and interesting--"First we take Manhattan", "Everybody knows", the title track, and the classic "Tower of song". I'm glad he felt like he'd gotten his voice and style back on track with this album, but this isn't really my idea of great Leonard Cohen, sadly.

Did not like this as much as I expected. Songwriting/intrumentation feels very dated. Much as I love Cohen, and a couple of the songs on this album, this feels like it can stay in the past.

Good, not great.

First we Take Manhattan Ain’t no Cure for Love Everybody Knows Jazz Police

some of this album is really very good. nonetheless, 3

Cohen managed to transition from folk music to synth-pop without losing most of his greatness. Only a very few people have achieved that. I think Cohen is better than his contemporary, Bob Dylan. Leonard's songwriting on "I'm Your Man" and other albums is something else. This album is far from perfect, however. 3 stars for "I'm Your Man".

This isn’t that bad but probably not something I will revisit, pretty standard 2/3 stars. I’m feeling generous so I’ll say 2.5 and round up to 3.

If this album was just "Everybody Knows" it would get 4/5 stars. Some of the other tracks just bring the overall album down to 3 stars. Maybe somebody should call the jazz police for the dissonance of those back-up singers....

Buenas canciones lastradas por la producción típica de los años 80, que no sienta bien a Leonard Cohen.

I think I would have liked this 60% more with, like, 80% less synthesizer.

This is pretty dang great for a posthumous album.

Very very 80s. Almost so much so it's a joke. Some decent songs but mostly just lyrics heavy.

This was ok

Good but aggressively 80s

He's honestly a really good songwriter, but the slow, artsy, poetry type songs are not my cup of tea

This album inspired me to go and listen to more Leonard Cohen albums, but now my question is, why this one? Some great songs, but a lot of his earlier albums are better. Definitely made me a Cohen fan though Favorite Songs: Everybody Knows, Tower of Song

I love his voice, so refreshing The backing vocals are angelic Favourite: Ain’t no cute for love Least: first we take Manhattan

3.8

Perhaps the only Leonard Cohen album I've ever enjoyed. I prefer his vocals matched against the synths and the lush production of the 80s versus the spartan boredom of the 60s and 70s. To those who disagree, you are wrong. Having said that, he is still not my cup of tea. And WTF was "Jazz Police"?

idk i likes the songs but the guys voice just sounds like he’s talking

I've never heard a Leonard Cohen record front-to-back, but I have heard Everybody Knows from movies. Turns out there are a couple other songs from this one that are popular - First We Take Manhattan, Ain't No Cure for Love. Cohen growls and whispers his wry lyrics with his typical dry humor and bass/baritone voice, but the production and instrumentation on this are very 80's - lots of synthesizer, which makes it sound dated and more than a little hokey. I'm not sure if the cheesiness is intentional, it could be part of Cohen's sarcastic persona coming through or him being self-deprecating in a subtle way. Beat poets and Sinatra influence his work, and in turn you can see where Nick Cave gets his inspiration. Despite the dated production, the melody and construction of the songs comes through well - it would be interesting to hear them re-recorded without synths to see what other interpretations could improve on. I hope the other Cohen records on this list are better representations of his reputation, though.

Haunting. What an album!

Stylistically more varied than the other Leonard Cohen albums I've heard, but to what end? 2.5

rare that an album loses me in the middle but gets me back at the end! really enjoyed the almost goofy 80s production and the chorus of female vocalists

Prob my fave of the Leonard Cohen albums so far.

I appreciated how he gave this album a more modern sound for the time period, but it still felt like he was more so speaking than singing.

A few gems, like Everybody Knows, but other tracks missed their mark.

Musically, it sounds like a soundtrack to an 80s legal drama. Lyrically, it's Leonard Cohen. Open, honest and kind of creepy. I didn't hate it.

3.5/5

I’ve never really found Leonard Cohen’s music very interesting. A common criticism I expect. On this album he tries to snaz things up with the synths and backing vocals, but it all feels weird and out of place on most songs. Cohen trying to stay “relevant” in the 80s is what this seems like, even though I doubt that targeting the trendy youths is a very good marketing strategy for Cohen’s type of music. Leonard Cohen is a fantastic songwriter, don’t get me wrong. There’s some beautiful poetry on this album, which makes up for my distaste towards the arrangements. So overall, a decent album. Solid 3 in my book

im not sure if leonard is growing on me or not. i certainly prefer this over the other three albums ive had from him where most of the music consisted of barely strummed guitars. the music on this is very dated but actually went surprisingly well with his voice.

I wanted to like this more, because Leonard Cohen's dark lyrics about the climate of '80s America with the cheesy synthpop works so well in describing Trump's America both then and now, but if I'm being honest with myself - it sounds so dated and gimmicky. Great songwriter though! But apart from a curiosity and a time capsule of the emotional/political climate at the time I'm not sure how good this really is.

Hadn't heard this either. Everybody Knows feels like a song for the times, tho it came out in 1988.

Decent and relaxing

I really struggle with Cohen. I’ve heard worse albums of his

Leonard Cohen’s style mixed with 80’s synths is a REAL weird mix that doesn’t really work. I might just not be into Leonard Cohen’s style.

3.5

Well, straight off the bat, this is a great album...except the backing vocals. Cohen's voice is great and even the 1980s stylings don't completely mess things up. But those backing vocals spoil it for me.

Bastante atmosférico / Voz marcante Quero ouvir novamente.

The backup singers kept reminding me of Little Shop of Horrors, and so I keep picturing Leonard Cohen singing to a giant man-eating plant. I liked Tower of Song, but the rest didn't do much for me.

I was not expecting an 80s jump scare among Cohen’s discography, but when jazz police came on I was more on board with this as a strange detour from the cohen I’ve been used to

Such a contradicting impressions about this record… On one hand is boring vocals from the artist. On the other hand great songwriting and strong back vocals. I added Jazz Police song to my collection because is sounds very unusual and have cool female vocal lines.

It’s fine

Ровный поп, не зацепился ни за что.

Listened to this in the car in mid November with my almost five year old daughter. After one or two songs she goes “daddy are you listening to Halloween music?” Which is totally fair.

Я дуже люблю Коена, але оцей його електронний період мені взагалі не йде і ніколи не йшов. Постарішав цей звук погано, як на мене. Досі не розумію чому цей альбом є одним з найпопулярніших у Коена. Звісно тут присутній його фірмовий шарм та харизма, а також класні тексти, але чисто музично мені це не подобається.

Listened on walk to Liverpool Street. I liked it

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.

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

Not my favorite

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

3.3 1x like it but weird

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

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.

Pretty good Loved the woman’s voice in the back

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.

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.

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.

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

3/5

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

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.

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

Scar doing 80’s music.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Muszę jakoś uhonorować ulubionego wokalistę mojej mamy

I'm not your Man, Guy.

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.

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

jesus cristo entrei num estado meio deprê depois desse

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

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

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.

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

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

Ditnt like it that much

Commercialy successful, but not like his astonishing first album.

Yeah Leonard early stuff much better than his late stuff

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

pretty good but not super memorable

Fine. Whatever.

Odd voice

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

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

Couple great songs

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.

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

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

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.

Okay

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.

- 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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

dramatic much? not sure what to make of the non-singing singing, but this reminds me of like chess the musical or something

Is almost great but the production aged like milk

Not the vibe I like!

Voice reminds me of the The The singer. Calming and wise man feeling. I like that

His best album. I think my grade 12 English teacher played this album for us

Cohen with 80s production is WILD