Reviews (page 5 of 9)
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
You can DEFINITELY tell how dated the production of this album is. It felt a bit like the Soft Cell album, where the other songs are all "WTF is this?" and then there's the one big track And what the heck is "Jazz Police?" I fell that is more a title for a Frank Zappa song. I give Leonard Cohen a pass because he made three great songs: "Hallelujah," "Suzanne" and "Everybody Knows". It's kind of the same way I fell about Lou Reed ("Walk On The Wild Side" and "Perfect Day"), but I like Cohen more. At least HE can carry a tune. Lou Reed can carry a tune... down a flight of stairs. But I digress. The lyrics in this album are very much seem very telegraphed at times, like you know what he's going to rhyme with "I'm Your Man". And the backup dingers are definitely a contrast to Cohen's low voice, but they're a little too sweet. And the line "I can't forget, but I don't remember what" just got me a little peeved. So besides "Everybody Knows," the rest kinda jut got me scratching my head. I didn't hate it, but it seems like an update to the songs is warranted. NEXT.
Leonard Cohen's debut is still his best. As always, this album has some awesome lyrics - listen close to First We Take Manhattan, Ain't No Cure for Love, Everybody Knows, the title track, Take This Waltz, and Tower of Song. Not surprising those six are some of his best known or most covered songs. I don't exactly love all of the synth or campy 80's sounds and the Lou Reed-like backing female vocals (think Walk on the Wild Side). Which means I didn't care for Jazz Police (it had all of those elements in spades). But I still think this is a pretty solid album.
My reaction on seeing yet another Leonard Cohen album: https://youtu.be/KCqQknk42sk Overall, the songs aren't bad per se, but my goodness they drag, and the lyrics are not nearly as clever as the critics seem to think. Plus, there are more than a few dated 80s moments. Moving on. Favorite track: Tower of Song.
Outro do Cohen, quase que back-to-back. Interessante. Esse é bem diferente do que peguei anteriormente, "Songs From A Room". Esse disco foi feito em outra década, outro mindset, outro estilo de produção totalmente diferente. No total, prefiro o estilo de produção do album anterior dele que ouvi. Mas uma coisa não mudou, eu ainda amo a voz dele e seu songwriting inigualável. Inclusive, acredito que sua voz está melhor ainda nesse album comparado ao anterior. Esse álbum vive o queijo que o cerca. Da pra ver na capa. Ele todo descolado comendo uma banana. É uma imagem que representa perfeitamente a sonoridade desse disco. Letras brilhantes e temas assombrosos, com uma produção nível sessão da tarde, com todos os clichês rídiculos que fazem a década de 1980 uma das mais intoleráveis pra música: Os teclados desalmados, os corais de backing completamente desnecessários, a superprodução das faixas, etc... Mas ele realmente incorpora tudo isso em sua essência. É um álbum intrigante, acho essa uma palavra muito apta para o descrever. Enquanto o ouvia eu franzi a sombrancelha diversas vezes em contemplação do que eu estava ouvindo. Eu gosto disso, gosto de sentir esse tipo de emoção ouvindo um som. Memorável, as vezes azedo, as vezes agridoce, mas nunca maçante ou cansativo. 4.5/5
Strange voice. Some good songs.
a generous 2
Couple of decent songs but good god is it a slog
Haha Leonard Cohen goes 80s pop. Even weirder than I thought possible. I remain beyond baffled how Leonard Cohen has like 8 albums on this list. I hate him with every fiber. 1/10 (0.5/5)
His best album. I think my grade 12 English teacher played this album for us
I enjoyed the poppier sound with Cohen's voice here.
Just as boring as usual
One of my all time favourite albums
not without any merit, but so often the synth use here sounds like a casio preset in a way that's just bad, and it's late enough that someone should have done something better. apparently the casio-preset quality to some of this stuff might be ironic? but if so that doesn't make it any better and maybe makes me respect it less. I'd be much more down for a sound like this if it were an up-and-coming artist using prosumer grade gear because that's what they could get and making this earnestly than very established well known and connected musician doing this out of irony
no
I haven’t finished this yet to be fair, I’m 3/4 of the way through. But I like it. The lyrics are good, they kept pulling me into each song. And the opening being Next We Take Berlin, with industrial style instrumentation is over the top, but also such a definitive snapshot of the 80s. Cold War, excess, 1984 vibes. I can’t help but think that’s what he was aiming for. Made me want to give Leonard Cohen’s discography another try. Also curious to see who didn’t like this but liked Pulp. Jarvis Cocker clearly loved this album. It sounds like the proto-Pulp. Personally I love Pulp, which probably explains why I like this too.
Feel like some of these could grow on me but didn’t love
Lenny, you are absolutely not my man. I wish the Jazz Police would have arrested you for this album.
I'd kill to be able to give this 2.5 stars instead of either 2 or 3. It is the definition of middling. The record itself is super uneven. The song writing is good for the first half and mediocre/poor on the back half. The production direction is really poor, the synth sounds cheap and gimmicky and most of the backing music is lame. The background vocals are outstanding and Leonard's voice is great. I really liked First We Take Manhattan and Ain't No Cure For Love, I really disliked Jazz Police and I Can't Forget.
Not this shit again. We already know i was NOT fucking with the last Leonard Cohen album even though it was like fine or whatever. Immediately, this is a lot more upbeat than You Want It Darker (prolly bc he isn't dying here) which is nice! Of course, his voice is still scary as hell but that's ok, I guess. I have to say, this sounds a LOT better than You Want It Darker and some of the songs are kinda catchy -- In particular, I liked Jazz Police. The songs are very 80s, I feel. But the harshness of his voice is still difficult for me to overcome. If it were sung by some generic silky heartthrob I might give this a 3.4 but right now it's like a 2.9.
Cohen with 80s production is WILD
Me encantó la apertura. No me canso de la voz de este tipo y sus letras oscuras. Supongo que no pongo 5 porque soy caprichoso. Nota: 4.0
I think bro really likes the sound of his own voice
that was a struggle, despite the first track
I’m not a lyrics person. So I don’t really “get” Leonard Cohen. However I can appreciate others do. So it needs to get a 2.
This is terrible. Old man whispersinging. I really feel like there is nothing redeeming about this album. Why is this here?
Before listening to this one, I thought “great, another mid album from an artist past their prime that tries to recapture their past glory and tricked critics into liking it.” After listening… uh… what? This is fucking wild, absolutely bizarre album and a great one at that. Gotta love a excellent songwriter who’s not afraid to fuck around.
DIfference between leo's voice in this and "You want it darker" is insane. Cigarettes ?? Aging ?? I prefer it to you want it darker, it's more melodic, and sometimes even kinda catchy "First we take manhattan" is a coolie, very cinematic actually enjoyed it, ill rate it 4
The juxtaposition between the cheesy 80’s synth sounds and Lou Reed’s earnestly solemn vocals make I’m Your Man feel like a dystopian experience. The sound evokes images of walking through war-torn, disease-ridden Earth, with the only option left being acceptance of the new reality. 4/5
I wanted to hate this so much but there’s something strangely hypnotic about it.
Probably better than I would have guessed or expected. I think this is the first time I ever listened to an entire Leonard Cohen
People always talk about Bob Dylan’s voice being polarizing but I think the discussion should really be about Leonard Cohen. I feel like I’m being sung to by a vampire.
I hated every second of this record’s truly sinister vibes. It’s intimate to the point where it makes my skin crawl. Step away from the mic, Leonard.
Not sure who thought the 80's synth sound and Leonard Cohen voice goes together - maybe in the 80's it sounded fine but hasn't aged well. At least Leonard Cohen's voice overcame the production.
Leonard Nohen
This is extremely bad 1/5
Previously rated: Songs Of Love And Hate (2/5) Songs Of Leonard Cohen (2/5) ********************************** Better than the other two. Interesting dichotomy between that voice and the cheesy 80s sounds in some of it. Still has the creepiness. Best track: Everybody Knows
I had to check that I was listening to the right album and not some 1980s Synth-Pop album, but then he started singing. Horrible up-beat 1980s Synth-Pop music with Leonard Cohen's depressing vocals - the worst of both worlds.
Meh.
Leonard Cohen had already gone into the cheesy 80's synth direction with 1984's Various Positions (you know, the one with "Hallelujah"), but on I'm Your Man, he refines that sound into something that is actually tasteful. The darkly sarcastic undertones of several of these songs help sell the music (and the silly cover art does as well). Cool album overall, very catchy. Key tracks: First We Take Manhattan Ain't No Cure for Love Everybody Knows I'm Your Man Tower of Song
3 stars. I've never been a huge Cohen fan, and this doesn't change my mind. He's got better albums. This shouldn't be on the list -- though it's not bad. It's just not a "must listen". Exposure to Leonard is worthwhile, but this isn't the best example (or even 2nd or 3rd best). The 80s synth-based production doesn't help.
I dunno. Between Kurt Cobain's name drop and being featured heavily in Oliver Stone's 'Natural Born Killers,' there seemed to be a big push by many to make Leonard Cohen a household name. But he always came across as super cheesy to me. I would give this a 1, but I'll go with 2 to be fair I guess. Maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to grasp the genius in his work. 2/5 Album 33/1001
Unexpected and not 100% my taste but I did like the gerneal vibe and tower of song is a great one. :)
I remember my dad having this on tape in the 80s. I hated it and always complained about Cohen being so depressing and moany. But now his wit and mastery shines through. It's such a weird combination of Cohen's world-weary vocals and (then) state-of-the-art electronic compositions, but somehow it works brilliantly. Sorry, Dad!
Leonard Cohen falls victim to the 80s
This was definitely better than The Songs of… “Everybody Knows, Jazz Police, Tower of Song, & First We Take Manhattan are all pretty cool. His voice is haunting. 1001 album worthy: yes - 68/125
Not a fan of new wave. The poetry in his lyrics are undeniably great, but his voice was sometimes hard to listen to. Some songs were pretty good, but others were completely not. It was listenable at least, but not really for me. However, I was generally compelled to listen to the lyrics to see where it was going, and to discover the next track and what possible genres it would combine. For that I give it a 3.
holy synth
This is a guy in peak form after nearly two decades of great songwriting. While his vocal styling could be off-putting, the man could make music!
well this was surely interesting 😅 i’m learning throughout this project i am absolutely not a fan of leonard cohen. “take this waltz” was the only song i even remotely liked. couldn’t even finish listening to the title track as lyrics were … not something i enjoyed 😅 “jazz police” was a song that gave me many laughs 😆 on a second listen…. “first we take manhattan” actually slaps 😆 it’s stanky and i am finding myself head bopping haha 1.7/5
Not that I’m an advocate for it or anything, but how the hell did Leonard Cohen get away with not being cancelled? Not that this has anything to do with anything. Middling album. Is this the one he did after his accountant ran off with all his money? If so, explains a bit. (You know, there’s a genre there - the financial obligations album)
Really enjoyed this one! His voice so striking and the lyrics are smart and intriguing yet the overall sound is so smooth.
“Everybody Knows” is a classic for me thanks to Trent Reznor’s music direction/production for the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. I own I’m Your Man on cd and have worn it out on many phases of my life. Truly distinct voices aren’t always sought after due to their divisive reception and Leonard Cohen is definitely on that island along with Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, etc. I’ve come to really appreciate these voices mainly for that reason, no one can sound like them, for better or worse, but beyond that every one of these artists are incredible writers. Creating vivid descriptions of the world they observe through their often romantic yet tortured lens.
Another Cohen! Another album with a guy talking to me over music. Again, good songwriter, nice deep voice, but I just get bored listening to this. I don't understand the appeal. Jazz Police was different and interesting. I'll give this a 2.
Leonard Cohen, we met again. Much to my daughter's chagrin. Look, I see why don't people don't like LC, but I also get why plenty do like him. This album's production sounded really dated (I could tell the albums are before checking the release date) and the backup singers sounded too strong and polished against Cohen's vocal style. So of all his albums we've heard so far this one is the weakest one for me. 2.5
More Leonard Cohen. Interesting backing music. More lively than what I remember of his others but still though, the talk singing doesn't do much for me. I do wonder who would win in some type of competition between the jazz police and karma police....
This album feels like he was experimenting with a current sound. It feels inauthentic to who he is as an artist. These beats and the background vocals are clearly there to supplement his lack of comfort with doing this type of music. His lyrics are strong which is kinda saving it from being a 1 for me but there seems to be a lot going on here with this album and a bulk of isn’t good.
"Theres a concert hall in Vienna, where your mouth had a thousand reviews" Come on lmao. Matter of fact which concert hall is that? For research purposes.
Could not Stream it.
Not a big Leonard fan
6/10 This was a confounding one. Cohen gruffs his way monotonously through an album full of pop vibes and perky backing vocals. A strange contrast, might have thought his producers didn’t like him much but then a song like jazz police showed he was in on the joke. Strangely I kind of liked this. Best: First We Take Manhattan
Solid, but not something I feel the need to revisit.
Had it on while I was working on switching around my laptop for work, nothing really caught my attention though.
It was a vibe, it felt more like chanting vs singing but the beats were immaculate
I am very ambivalent towards Leonard Cohen. On one hand he brings a very unique style, and voice, to the table. That is refreshing. On the other hand, I am baffled by how out of tempo (and tune?) he can be sometimes. It really sounds amateurish at times. I think I wrote this in my last review of one of his albums, but it is so obvious that he was a poet before he was a musician. I sometimes think he should just have stayed that. All of that aside, I think this was a decent album. 'First We Take Manhattan' is such an unexpected sound and song. I don't think I've heard Leonard Cohen in a synthesizer setting before, and I must say that while the actual synth sounds are very basic, it still feels quite grand. "First we take Manhattan, then we take Berlin" is such a cool line as well. The rest of the album also holds up quite well somehow. Even though I am, not always a fan of his performance, his voice and the music still somehow works together? It is a very strange feeling. Overall I find this album completely OK. Not my thing, but fun with something that stands out.
Ah Cohen, he might be my favourite songwriter. His lyrics are always great and that’s where this album really shines. This album kicks off with a real banger. “First we take Manhattan” is where both Cohen’s great lyrics work in conjunction with the music to be just a killer of a track. The rest of the album has a such a weird sound. Some simple presets from a synthesiser and some very good backing singers. It really shouldn’t work as it sounds more like a karaoke than anything else. I think it really does work for some reason. Sure, it helps that Cohen’s songwriting and voice is just great. “Ain’t no Cure for Love” is a little cheesy but also something about it is so raw. “Everybody knows” is ominous track that also just works. Honestly I could list all the tracks as great ones (maybe not Jazz Police and I Can’t Forget). Even the Tower of Song’s “solo” which sounds like some kids first attempt at jazz, works for some reason. I understand if you don’t like this but I really do. 5 star.
I have never listened to Leonard Cohen before in any deliberate way, so listening to this was a trip. It is so eighties! I do not enjoy the music style at all, even with his rich, emotional voice. I enjoyed "I'm Your Man", as the lyrics are more aligned with what I know about Leonard Cohen.
I'm retarded I thought Leonard Cohen and Leonard Nimoy were the same person so I'm going into this with a different perspective. I can't stand Nimoy. I have no opinion on Cohen. Let's do this! This album is pretty rad. Not sure I'd listen to this again but I really enjoyed it overall. Jazz Police is both a fun song and concept. JazzPolice/5
Cohen has a story to tell and I'm not interested
Classic singer songwriting vibes from Leonard Cohen, this time with 80s pop instrumentals. Not bad if your into this sort of thing. I think the value of Cohen really comes from appreciating the poetry in his writing.
Boring stuff. I don't like it and don't want to listen again
Может быть как поэзия оно и работает, но как музыка очень вторично
My mother owned this on cassette—probably still does—and it was a staple of car rides throughout my childhood. Because of that, until I really started exploring music in my late teens, I naively assumed Leonard Cohen was an ‘80s artist. The deep, deadpan voice, the sleek synths, the pulsing drum machines—wasn’t this just what he did? I was, of course, completely oblivious to his stark and poetic folk albums from the ‘60s and ‘70s, but maybe that says something. For many, I'm Your Man wasn’t just a reinvention but rather an entry point or a reminder. Cohen’s shift to this sleek, synthetic sound was a calculated move. By the mid-‘80s, his commercial standing had waned, but the 1987 tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat (featuring covers by Jennifer Warnes) had renewed interest in his work. Seeing an opportunity, Cohen fully embraced contemporary production, using drum machines, glossy keyboards, and a more theatrical vocal delivery to reinvent himself for a new audience. And it worked. The album opens with First We Take Manhattan, a politically tinged track that blends apocalyptic paranoia with a strangely danceable groove. Its pulsating synths and foreboding guitar licks feel like the perfect backdrop for Cohen’s cryptic warnings. Then there’s Everybody Knows, possibly the album’s definitive statement. The song’s skeletal beat, brooding bass, and eerily chipper backing vocals make it sound like a prophecy delivered with a smirk. That blend of cynicism and humour runs through much of the album, particularly in I’m Your Man, a playful yet devastating ode to devotion where Cohen practically leans into the microphone with a knowing wink. Take This Waltz (adapted from a Federico García Lorca poem) and Tower of Song provide a reflective counterweight—one romantic and wistful, the other self-deprecating and profound. Lyrically, Cohen was at his most sardonic and prophetic. Everybody Knows is practically a manifesto of disillusionment: “Everybody knows that the dice are loaded / Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed.” The song’s fatalistic humour made it a cult favourite, frequently used in film and television. Even Tower of Song, with its seemingly lighthearted refrain about being "born with the gift of a golden voice," reads like a career-spanning reflection, equal parts self-deprecating joke and poetic resignation. Not everything quite sticks. Jazz Police is the album’s oddest detour, a frenetic, borderline-satirical piece that plays like an inside joke that doesn’t quite land. I Can’t Forget, meanwhile, feels like Cohen-by-numbers—solid but lacking the weight of the album’s best moments. The production, too, leans heavily into late-’80s aesthetics, and while that mostly works in Cohen’s favour, certain tracks (Ain’t No Cure for Love) carry a sheen that hasn’t aged as well. Some saw Cohen’s pivot to synth-driven pop as opportunistic or at odds with his poetic roots but time has been kind to it. The album has since been recognized as a landmark moment in his career that allowed him to step into a new artistic phase with renewed energy. It also became one of his most covered and sampled works, with Everybody Knows and First We Take Manhattan frequently reinterpreted by other artists. In hindsight, I'm Your Man was the bridge to the Cohen we now recognize as one of music’s great elder statesmen. Without it, there might not have been The Future (1992), which expanded on its dark, apocalyptic themes, or even You Want It Darker (2016), which distilled his late-career wisdom into a haunting farewell. This was a career resurgence that set the stage for the next three decades. I'm Your Man is Leonard Cohen at his sharpest, funniest, and most effortlessly cool. A masterclass in reinvention, it took the sound of the late ‘80s and made it Cohen’s own.
Drugs are a hell of a drug. Why does this album sound like it belongs as a soundtrack to a 1980's made for TV movie about cops in Miami?
Spoken lyrics and lazy production: my favorite! Maybe if half of this album wasn't played on a Yamaha keyboard I might actually enjoy it
Jazz police is lowkey cringe tbh but Everybody knows is goated AF
good voice but 1
þrælgott, mjög eitís og rifjar upp fyrir mér föður minn í sínu versta stuði. gef þessu samt fjarkann.
Yawn.
Oof. Cheeseball.
Fucking abysmal. If the late 80’s production and synthetics aren’t enough to convince you of that, there is a song on this album called…”Jazz Police”. It is precisely as shitty as you would think a song called “Jazz Police” would be. This is the worst record on the list.
This a parody album? Sounds like Anthony bourdain’s cousin recorded an album. I do believe having fun is part of great music. And, this is that.
I have no idea what people were thinking in the 80s. The music has aged so badly that I can't hear anything else besides a Casio running into a million dollar soundboard.
Musically it’s quite entertaining but I find his voice grating.
i saw someone in the reviews say this is an album for people who value lyrics above all else, which makes sense, because the music sounds like it was made on garageband. the titular song is still a banger though.
leonard is such a mixed bag for me. the lyrics are usually the best part and his music/voice/jaw harp drag everything down, but i actually kinda dug the synthy, sleazy vibes here. way more interesting than some of his other snoozefest albums on here, though still not the music i'd really want to be listening to normally. this is really a 3.5 for me but enough songs were interesting that i'll round up. favorites: first we take manhattan, everybody knows, i'm your man (the horn dog anthem) take this waltz, jazz police
There is a real 80's vibe to this that would usually put me off, but its a bit like ypur grumpy uncle in a shell suit and him actually puling it off. Some really good tunes here and im now a certified Leonard Cohen fan
szóval sztem ez az eighties-production igen furán áll Cohennek, és akkor finom voltam. 😆 ezért elveszít egy csillagot, de szövegek meg a hangja van olyan csodálatos, hogy négyesnél rosszabbat képtelen vagyok adni neki.
Initially wasn’t a fan, but as I listened and got more in tune with his sound I thought it was quite nice. Bit too slow for my liking but love the themes.
Poetic, and I like a LC song by itself, but an album is a bit too much of the same thing.
Only ever aware of Suzanne by this man, but he has been the but for many a comedians comic quip. It started off OK, he has a good voice, but it just got more and more depressing as it went on.
After hearing the other Cohen album on this list, I wasn’t expecting that opener! Knew the song, but hadn’t expected such a camp disco vibe. The rest returned to the form I expected and was morosely dull.
I love J&MC's cover of 'Tower of Song', it's a bit of a wall of noise, like a lot of their songs. So I was hoping for great things from Leonard's alleged return to form. I didn't get them, it wasn't very good, the cheesy synths made it worse. I don't like poetry either, so he was on a hiding to nothing.
This was..okay? Leonard's voice is pretty soothing for being so deep but it definitely sounds like it's written word with music accompanying it rather than actual songs (I get that's maybe the point)
I like that he's my man, and I respect it, but Leonard, I'm not yours.
I didn't have a synth-pop Leonard Cohen album on my 1,001 bingo card, but here we are—this is my fifth (?!?) Cohen album generated to date, so I suppose that's a bingo!
Way back in the day I actually owned this on cassette, which translates into I copied this onto a cassette from my brother. There was something ethereal about this album that always caught me at the time. It was like that magazine you weren’t supposed to have hidden under your bed or taking a sip of someone’s drink when they weren’t paying attention. The song that grabbed me was Everybody Knows which is still a fantastic song. I also love the song I’m Your Man because of its slow waltz like quality. But really you can’t go wrong with most of this album. His voice is like velvet sheets on a sultry night. I do think this is his best album he did.
Random thoughts: * Leonard Cohen's voice is unmatched. Such a great voice to listen to. * Everybody Knows was first brought to my attention from that Christian Slater movie, Pump Up The Volume. * Jazz Police sounds like it was written for a pop musical that Leonard was conceiving but never made it to Broadway. Still a fun ditty. I would have definitely gone to see that musical. * First We Take Manhattan was a good opener and caught my attention. I'm not sure who is taking Manhattan and Berlin but it sounded great.
Choices were made production-wise. I'm not sure these were always the best choices... Highlights: "Everybody Knows" (the music at least matches the haunting vibe of the vocals), "I'm Your Man" (smoky 40s club vibe), "Tower of Song" (the minimalist production works) Notable: "First We Take Manhattan" (weird juxtaposition between Cohen's dour, Teutonic vocals on the verses and the almost disco-like female choruses)
There’s something about the mixture of Leonard Cohen and 80’s pop production design that feels really wrong. Like the musical equivalent of drinking orange juice right after brushing your teeth. Leonard’s gravelly voice makes this album feel like an old man doing a cover of Madonna. And there’s a backing female chorus to boot for some of the songs. To be honest, some of it works…sort of. Honestly, I think only think Take This Waltz and Tower of Song work best, because the production takes a backseat in those songs. Other than that, results may vary. The stuff like Everybody Knows and Ain’t No Care for Love are alright. But then there is Jazz Police, which goes full 80’s and, I swear to God, there’s a piano part in the song where it just sounds like a midi file going through a blender. Overall… it’s okay. This was the last thing I expected from Leonard Cohen, but it’s not awful. Just very, very weird. Favorite track: Everybody Knows Other hits: Take This Waltz, Ain’t No Cure For Love, Tower of Song, I’m Your Man
I'm possibly on this hill alone but I just can't get into Leonard Cohen. This album is especially off-putting to me. Hearing this synth and drum machine underneath Cohen's rhythmless and unmelodious voice just makes so little sense to me.
While his voice is rather unique the songwriting is fantastic. A true Canadian national treasure.
Fantastic. Ultimate classic of the legendary poet.
Pfffffff die stem man. Leonard Cohen is misschien één van de artiesten waar de stem nooit slecht is geworden. Dit is toch wel één van z'n beste, zo niet z'n allerbeste album. 5.0
Cohen’s letting us in on the joke in this one, and it’s a joy; his humour emerges clearer with the synth, drum machine, and the generously excessive backing vocals. First LC record I’ve found fun rather than duty, and “First We Take Manhattan” is a song I’m filing away for later.
Another long-time favorite. Almost loses a point for "Jazz Police" but the rest is so good I can't be mean. Incredible that so many cheesy elements work so well together. The Cohen album I listen to the most
Struggled a bit to get into this one, though I didn't dislike it either. The lyrics are the highlight, not to say I enjoyed every one. Some sounds I found oddly catchy, some I just couldn't wait to end. Real mixed bag, but it held my intrigue.
pretty fun, a bit creepy vocals at times but overall good
80/100. I'm Your Man by Leonard Cohen is one of his best records, showcasing his signature witty, humorous lyrics and deep, commanding voice. The album balances clever storytelling with a refined, atmospheric sound.
Vor dem Hintergrund von Keyboards und treibenden Rhythmen überblickt Cohen die globale Landschaft mit präzisem, unerschrockenem Blick: Das eröffnende „First We Take Manhattan“ ist eine ominöse Fantasie , gebündelt in kryptische Bilder. „I am Your Man“ ist ein Song, dass die Schroffheit seiner Stimme zur Geltung bringt. Super Album, gerne zum Wiederhören.
felt a little warm and a little melancholy. good shit
It is good. It leans very heavily into 80s cheese. So heavily, that it almost ceases to matter. Some of these songs are excellent, the lyrics are, as usual, hilarious and insightful. In truth, it's 3.5 stars.
“Wah wah 80’s production … wah wah background singers … wah wah Casio keyboard”. Man, why don’t you shove a Casio keyboard up your ass and shut the fuck up. This is where Leonard Cohen was at in 1988 and wherever Leonard Cohen happened to find himself at any particular moment in time is more interesting than anywhere your favorite artist has ever been in his sad misbegotten worthless life. What you need to understand is that Leonard Cohen was born like this, he had no choice. He was born with the gift of a golden voice.
How strange that this album is Leonard Cohen’s most commercially successful. The 80s production qualities are quite jarring, especially on tracks like “Jazz Police,” which is something I never need to hear again. But his genius and incredible voice shine through on other tracks, like “Take This Waltz.”
Yeh not great, Leonard seems pretty tone deaf
This was real chill. Nice.
Not what I expected! Great lyrics but dated production - afraid it didn't grab me as much as his earlier and later work does. Favourite tracks: Everybody Knows, I'm Your Man
Great album by Leonard Cohen, side A is basically a stuff of legends. Amazing voice, good music, although slightly too electronic to my taste. Last four songs are a bit of a letdown, but that mostly stems from the super high level of the singles. Well, Leonard Cohen is my man.
Not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this. Not sure his sound translated to the 80s well. Felt like Tom Waits, but not as cool and raw.
Not for me
still have the ick from the first album I listened to of his, this one was slightly better as a younger version of himself. rip
My first Leonard Cohen album. He has a great voice, but it's a bit boring.
Sigh. Another classic Leonard grumbles over a music score album. Yes, they're perfect for when the mood strikes, but...
I was not a fan of this one. I knew of Cohen because of Hallelujah but this was more like a crooner and not a great one in my opinion. Didn’t really enjoy his voice on these songs and then also didn’t enjoy the songs that much.
He gets better as he ages, good stuff. I know he's been around of ranges. but never a lot of play in US, so all of his stuff is relatively new to me. Good to hear the album that has some of these songs I know
Excellent. Take this Walz, First we takes New York, I'm your man
This was an interesting listen. Some really good songs ("First We Take Manhattan", "I Can't Forget"") some really meh songs ("Ain't No Cure for Love", "Take This Waltz", "Everybody Knows") and maybe the best/worst song I've ever heard ("Jazz Police"). All and all more good then bad I think. 2.8/5 -> 3/5
Jazz Police - what a bop
4/10. Вообще не моё. В какой то степени напоминает один из альбомов Роджера Уотерса
A soulful voice and I thought the song "everybody knows" was really good. The album flower well, and was an easy listen.
Yo...Dimery! Bruh! I already made it perfectly clear that I do NOT enjoy the music of Leonard Cohen. You seem to think that forcing his entire catalog upon my ears will change my mind. It won't. In fact, each successive album makes me dislike it even more and makes me kinda angry. I'll give this album .0001 stars only because Concrete Blonde's cover of "Everybody Knows" was pretty OK. Otherwise, zero stars.
Mostly just fine, but there's some truly unlistenable stuff on here. Plus, I think this is the 3rd Leonard Cohen album on here. One is representative enough.
I'm Your Man is the sound of the 80s catching up with Leonard Cohen. It's unmistakably him, but a lesser record than the stuff of his classic era. Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, but it's still 2 stars.
Gorgeous vocals and some good lyrics played over synthy dross. Another victim of the 80s. I’m keen to hear his earlier work, but this didn’t do it 2.25/5
Loved this ain’t no cure for love and tower of song highlights. Bizarrely enjoyable songs in the middle too (jazz police in particular). Would come back
I wasn't sure I'd enjoy a Leonard Cohen album with synths but this was great, love the balance between his deep vocals and the backing vocalists through out
I don’t know if this was a good first “real” introduction to Leonard Cohen (I know Hallelujah, of course). I am sure that I don’t understand all the intricacies of the lyrics on this album, going off of what I’ve heard about Cohen. So lyrically, there is probably a lot of interesting things going on. Musically, this was nothing like I expected this to sound. I liked the three track run Everybody Knows, I’m Your Man, and Take This Waltz most of this wasn’t really for my taste.
Album with Everybody Knows
kinda creeped me out
Forgettable late 80s synthpop, and Cohen's voice is hilarously bad. It is not completely unlistenable as some other albums, but I don't want to give it a 2 which is only 2 stars away from albums that are great and many times are almost 5 star albums. So yeah, I'm giving this 1 star.
Love Leonard and love this album, monkey and a plywood violin indeed!
This was horrible. Like he was trying to sound modern with synthesizers and electric drums. I feel like he tried to write a rap song on “jazz police”……ugh!
Interesting how Cohen could integrate '80s-ass sounds without being embarrassing. Probably because, unlike his contemporaries, he had no expectations of having a hit single. The Weimar songs here help ensure both those things. Good stuff.
Weird ass dude, weird ass lyrics. I liked the instrumentals.
I didn’t love this, but I think a big part of it was that feeling of listening to the soundtrack to a musical or movie that I haven’t seen, which tends to really frustrate me because I’m constantly wondering, “what’s happening in this part? What are they doing?” I get that this was a really cool thing when it came out in 1969, but it does not work for me. If I ever actually see it performed I might have a better appreciation for it? But for now, it’s a no thank you.
Obra maestra. Sorprendentemente es solo su octavo disco, debido al retiro musical que rompió con el anterior Various Positions (el de Hallelujah y Dance me to the end of love) donde ya incluía sonidos sintetizados que en este disco cobran protagonismo desde un arrolador inicio. First we take Manhattan es una joya, musical y líricamente. Además de unos coros que realzan la canción y unos sintetizadores que le van como un guante. No se queda ahí, Take this waltz es una maravilla a partir de Lorca, Tower of song, Can´t forget ... 8 canciones, apenas 40 minutos y ahí queda este monolito atemporal. 5/5
buena música
Pretty good a bit dull but a good listen.
Сказать, что я был удивлен, когда услышал первые же ноты - это ничего не сказать. Но чесслово абсолютно без разницы, если песни хорошие. Соглашусь с тем, что этот кринжовый звук удивительным образом фокусирует на самом Коэне (или отталкивает от самой себя, музыки). Я, вероятно, никогда так близко себя не чувствовал к (в частности его) текстам, как вот с этим альбомом. Лучшая песня - Everybody Knows.
Haha, oh yeah this, this is quite an album. Yet another artist I came to via REM (how many times have I said that on this journey?) although I was at least aware of him beforehand. But, First We Take Manhattan was an REM cover version on an Automatic-era single, I think it was Drive, and I loved it. It was very much done in REMs style, but notably with some of the humour and the sardonic delivery removed. So hearing this version with all the synths and strings, the cackling and the heavy use of female vocals I thought what the holy fuck is this? It sounded like it was by the Pet Shop Boys. But come on, it is brilliant. Let's skip past the schlocky sax intro to Ain't No Cure. There's a great song here. Everybody knows Everybody Knows, it's a classic. Everybody knows the war is over, everybody knows the good guys lost. There were so many people you just had to meet. Without your clothes... I'm Your Man is bloody fantastic. I'm just going to skate past Jazz Police. Tower of Song is bloody fantastic. I was born with the gift of a golden voice 😂 Overall the album has obviously massively dated sonically, yet somehow retains it's enormous charm, and that is absolutely testament to Cohen's genius. I'm torn between 4 and 5 because of a couple of songs, but there's so many absolute classics that I might have to go top end. I absolutely love the top review - banana music!! 😂 Incredible.
2 stars cause there's some stuff that's okay but goddamn the rest was bad
такое
It's fine. Totally fine album. The poetry is on full display here, but my brain craves something meatier.
My 2nd Cohen album in 10 days. I like this one just as much as the other one. Leonard has really grown on me. He's really a great song writer.
The production style and horniness caught me by surprise. Bleak in an honest, often funny way that I enjoy. It's my favorite Cohen record I've heard so far.
the wise, literate lyrics ,the sly humour - "they don't let a woman kill ya, not in the Tower of Song" - the marvellous melodies, and great arrangements, let down a bit by the very dated 80s synths. Still a great listen
Not sure what to think about this one the lyrics are dark as expected but some of the backing is a bit kitch (especially. The female backing vocals) Some decent songs that stay with you though. 3.5
5/10
I feel like this guy's earlier albums were slightly more accessible because his voice had not gotten as gravelly and monotone yet. This album suffers not only from his increasingly annoying voice, but also the worst kind of 80s instrumentation. There were some nice moments here and there, but I will definitely not put myself through listening to this album ever again. 2 stars
Sorry Lenny. This is bad. Beautiful, but bad. You’re a pretty cool guy I imagine. The irony of the meaningful well written lyrics overtop the cheesy pop beats may be on purpose and tongue in cheek but it doesn’t make it any better
80s production style almost killed this for me out of the gate, but Cohen talent kept me listening. In the end, he wins. His writing won me over!
meh
I tried on this one, and I remember he played some of these songs at Coachella. I just found the arrangements and 80s production w bit corny. I’m sure it probably gets better with it multiple listens.
I've heard covers of Leonard Cohen songs before but have only listened to one of his original songs before. This is an artist where the lyrics are the main point, like Bob Dylan and Tom Waits. Leonard has a better sounding voice than the two I mentioned, but his lyrics aren't as good. The music itself tries to be something unique, but doesn't push far enough like Waits does, and it just sort of falls flat. I wouldn't say it's a bad album, but it's nothing special.
Love his voice with the bvs, Stand out tracks - I'm your man and Tower of song Jazz Police not so much
There is some generic 80s producer with blood their hands.
holy fuck this album sucks. take this waltz, jazz police and i cant forget are good songs but everything else is straight ass. hard to believe six of these tracks were released as singles. what a dumb record company.
Uhhh okay.
Moody, atmospheric. Kind of like listening to a series of poems read to 80s synth, drum machines, and marimbas. You can put it on as background music, but that's a disservice to the lyricism and the flow of Cohen's voice. Pretty great.
Ugh. Out of key talking accompanied by simplistic electronic music.
Hat n erkennbaren Sound und Stimme, aber nichts was ich mir nochmal unbedingt anhören müsste. 3 Sterne
Großer Fan. Everybody knows, bestes Lied.
Schwer zu raten :D Glaub einfach heutzutage nicht mehr modern, weiß nicht. Das erste Lied fand ich ganz angenehm, danach wurds mir doch sehr fad.
Un album aussi délicieusement anachronique aujourd'hui qu'il l'était sans doute à l'époque, avec une utilisation minimaliste mais appuyée des synthétiseurs. Cohen embrasse sa voix de conteur et se consacre à ses textes, qui, s'il est impossible d'en dissocier le male gaze, sont rachetés par leurs images crues et limpides.
It was nice
Not what I expected from a Leonard Cohen album. Doesn’t make it bad! It’s just that he released a Leonard Cohen album in 1987, and that’s exactly what it sounds like. I was expecting guitar but instead there was a lot of synth and more electronic beats. “Everybody Knows” and “First We Take Manhattan” remind me of how dystopian it feels to live in the world both then and now. “Everybody Knows” is particularly timely and honestly, how much more cutting would it have been released in 2025?
Rating: 7/10 Synth-pop Leonard Cohen sounds like a terrible idea, but this was infinitely better than I ever thought it would be. The 80s synth sound suits his voice surprisingly well.
His voice is very recognizable. Sometimes it is too slow and the songs are sort of oddly timed. Overall an okay album. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again
2.5 stars. Want to give Cohen some credit for the lyrics and his weird deep singing that I kinda like but this is way too 80's and The Police knock-off. Standout is the closer "Tower of Song".
the singing is quite dry, but everything else is pretty cool. perfect music to sleep to (derogatory)
These are all absolute classics. Cohen is one of the greatest songwriter/storytellers of any generation. His entire discography should be taught to all those who aspire to write.
It isn’t often that the songs of this project make me tear up, and it could just be the emotional place I’m in with a baby on the way next week, but I teared up a few times, most especially with Take This Waltz. Loved it.
Bit too 80s sounding at times but overall a fantastic album. Recognized most of the songs, but didn't know they were all from one album.
First we take Manhattan … THEN WE TAKE BERLIN! Great fun introducing Fleur to that song (I was very pleased with myself for having remembered the track was on this record specifically), but barring a couple of grooves this wasn’t a great record for me. Still, enjoyable enough. 2.75.
I know that Leonard Cohen is a Canadian treasure...but for poetry. I find this so difficult to listen to. The music, mostly electronic, is absolutely terrible. That voice. Let's just say Cohen's talk-singing baritone is not my favourite. First We Take Manhattan is a great song...as long as Cohen isn't singing it. Same goes for Everybody Knows.
No words needed.
I love him but this is definitely not my favorite album of his. Just because it’s him, I will give it a three.
Knew and respected Leonard Cohen before listening to this album. But something about this album on this day made me fall in love with him. Far Out Magazine's list of his best albums puts this one at #4, so I've been listening to the others, and really enjoying. Days like this are what this project is all about 😁
Listened Before? N Love this guy's stuff. Especially this era. Very 80's and awesome. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: First We Take Manhattan
first song was fine, a little dated maybe, but nice vibes. The rest was boring at best, "Jazz police" pure cringe...
3/4
i like some songs by Cohen but it's not very variation in his music. This time he monologues over 80s pop. because i wouldn't call it singing. i had heard "I'm your man" before and it was okej. Jazz police was surprisingly catchy and a fresh breeze. not that memorable or interesting to me
very new york jazz-esque, can definitely see it as an evening playlist
Offensive to music and humanity
Dang, what a weird album. Did this sound good and/or cutting edge when it was released? Sorry, Leonard. A lot of people seem to like you, this 1,001 list really likes you, but your music is just not my thing. The one positive takeaway I have from this album is that I will now say the term “jazz police” on a regular basis. Per orders of the jazz police this album gets 3 stars instead of 2 stars.
I don’t know, there’s something about Leonard Cohen that just doesn’t grab me. I like his songwriting, but hearing the songs themselves I’m not moved. These arrangements were strange in an interesting way though. Feels like the kind of thing that might click for me one day but for now I say okay.
We’ve got to be done with Cohen by now, right? It’s odd that so many artists are front loaded on this generator.
Not a big fan of Cohen.. sure he’s a great lyricist but his songs are quite boring. Sorry Lenny
Honestly really good, one of my favourites so far from 1001. I liked all the songs.
Ach
Love his songs. Hate his renditions
Really great songwriter
I approach Leonard Cohen like I approach Bob Dylan - excellent song writer, terrible voice. Seriously, it's like nails on a blackboard. That said, listen to this for the songs, not the singer. It's brilliant in that way.
Rock, Pop, 1988 -> 3-4
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no
I know he is legendary and all that but I just don't like his style of singing. It seems kind of talk singing that is not appealing to me. I'm not sorry I listened to this but I don't need to hear it again.
Quite the barrel of laughs
Interesting. Deep voice and kind of talk-singing. Vaguely spy sound..? Easy to understand
I'm ambivalent. I don't particularly enjoy his voice, I suppose it must be an acquired taste. There are a couple of songs I like -- the first track is a bit of a classic, I think -- but overall I listened to this twice and it just didn't make a strong impression. Not my cup of tea, not bad by any stretch, but nothing that really grabbed me.
Leonard Cohen is so cool in a way that almost no one else is. He really reminds me a lot of Anthony Bourdain and his no-nonsense, yet sensitive attitude seems to really match Bourdain too. I love his voice and his poetry is really excellent. The musicians and singers he employs on this album (and others) are truly top-notch, but sometimes his performances are a little more well-tuned to poetry than music (see the keyboard solo at the end of Tower of Song). Still, I loved this album and listened to it twice. Five stars.
Pretty decent, I only knew one song. I assume that this was a great album back in the day, but nowadays I feel like Leonard Cohen is just speaking, although he does have some pretty melodic songs. Overall, not too bad and it was a decent album.
This feels like 1984 the album. Jazz Police! Cohen is a poet, but the music is very lacking on this one.
Perfect
I’ve tried for years to like Leonard Cohen to no avail. This synth-heavy album did nothing to help. I was leaning 3/5 until Jazz Police. That may have knocked this album down a peg.
Stærk åbner. Men hvorfor kom jeg i jule stemning af det her? 😅
Vi er i dag samlet for at mindes en mester sangskriver. Den fabelagtige Leonard Cohen er fået bort og verdenen er her i 1980 blevet et fattigere sted. Den canadiske poet gik bort i en storm af synth, saxofoner og elektroniske trommer. Og han er kun det seneste offer for de 80’er produktioner der allerede har skyllet ind over vores dejlig musiske landskab. Må hans dybe baryton hænge i vores øre for evigt, og lad os bede for en genkomst engang ude i fremtiden. For vi vil have det mørkere.
Albumi #118, 28.11.2024 Cohenin kahdeksas studioalbumi on julkaistiin vuonna 1988. Useampi kappale on tuotettu kasarisyntikkasoundeille, mikä sinänsä ei ehkä kiehtonut tämän levyn osalta kovinkaan paljoa. Erityismaininta hittikappaleelle "Take This Waltz"
Great songs with very poor singing. Even worse than Dylan.
Love Leonard's work. Some great songs on here
I wonder if the list makers meant to include this. Just because it’s Leonard Cohen does NOT mean it needs to be on this damn list! I wish I could time-travel to encourage the people who made the original list to try a little harder.
This is actually pretty pleasant to listen to, it is mostly spoken word over some synthy music.
This album is strange. Cohen and synth-pop don't fit, in my opinion.
This was daft, but I found myself enjoying it and it’s a rare one that’ll I’ll probably relisten to
Not my favourite bit of Cohen. Some of the 80s vibes were just too much for me. The title track was wonderful though and it was an enjoyable listen
Een heel ander geluid dan de debuutplaat van zoveel albums terug. Als een kameleon blijft ook Leonard zich aanpassen aan de muzikale mogelijkheden en ontwikkelingen. En aan z'n steeds dieper wordende zuchtstem. Briljant titelnummer, een aantal andere kende ik van een latere liveplaat. Die uitvoeringen vond ik eigenlijk beter, af en toe gaat het iets te veel los met de jarentachtigelectronica, en ik kan niet zoveel met wijsneuzigheden als 'I can't forget but I don't remember what'. Maar dat zijn pietluttigheden, want het zindert, dreigt en vleit. Ik geniet hier al met al heel erg van, dus we zijn maar weer eens royaal.
Wat is dat eerste nummer een bijzonder samenspel. Deze lijst presenteerde al een jaren '60 Leonard. Nu krijgen we full frontal jaren '80. En dan doel ik niet alleen op de madonna-stijl zangeres die met wat geplingel begeleid wordt. Ik doel ook op de Kraftwerkachtige begeleiding van zijn eigen stem. Als ik dan toch in Duitsland zit met mijn associaties. Die theatrale stem kenden we al. Maar dit nummer lijkt wat betreft het stemgebruik wel een grondlegger voor Rammstein. Het lijkt mij dat Berlijn inderdaad veroverd is. Dit is helaas wel het enig nummer dat mij pakt. De rest is maar saai en/of theatraal. Gelukkig is er een aardige variatie tussen de nummers. Uiteindelijk zal ik alleen First we take Manhattan vaker aanzetten ben ik bang.
Leonard Cohen was hier nog redelijk goed bij stem zo te horen. Het is uiteraard met die duistere bromstem, hij lijkt nog steeds te mompelen in plaats van te zingen. Verder lijkt het iets op Nick Cave die we al veelvuldig hebben mogen horen. Maar dit keer op een ongelooflijke 80s manier met corny achtergrondkoortjes, zware synths en drumcomputers, en zelfs een goedkope saxofoon. Het vinkt wel een paar ergernissen af wat dat betreft. Ik kan niet zeggen dat het me echt pakt. Het zijn soort van gedichten zangerig voorgedragen en begeleid door muzikale tonen. Allemaal zo kunstzinnig mogelijk. Kunst met een grote K. Inmiddels heb ik het idee dat Cohen gewoon een trucje met een grote T doet. Zeker met die 80s sound eromheen klinkt het eigenlijk erg nep. Ik zit dan ook ergens tussen een 2 en een 3 in.
Take This Waltz was the only track I got all the way through. There is a characteristic of Leonard's vocal style that makes his voice seem horribly out of place with everything else in his songs, and I can't stand it. Take This Waltz was the only song he seemed to fit into correctly for me. 1.75
Wtf is Jazz Police loooool
Ik vind hem altijd hit or miss. Heeft fantastische nummers maar ook mindere. Vond hier First we Take Manhatten, Everybody Knows en Jazz Police playlist material, maar de rest is miss voor mij, ondanks dat ik wel snap wat mensen fantastisch aan hem vinden Oh en hij is cringe levels of zwoel af en toe met zn lyrics Not sure what to rate this ik ga maar voor 3/5
Relaxing set. High 3
I guess Leonard Cohen is going to appear in my stats as one of those controversial artists, since I enjoyed You Want it Darker so much, and disliked this album immensely. After listening to the aforementioned (Darker), I was really looking forward to listening to more of Cohen's work, but I was to be disappointed, I was glad when this one came to an end.
I prefer his other albums. Not that it's bad, just the others are better.
S'okay. I liked the instrumentals throughout, but couldn't get into the vocals much at all. 'Take This Waltz' is my pick for fave.
I guess I don’t really like Leonard Cohen very much. There’s been a bunch of his albums on this list and I usually only feel lukewarm about them. This one has more of an edge to it — some darkness, some synths — but it doesn’t do much more for me than the other albums. I do love that deep voice of his. Very distinct, very dramatic.
My favorite Leonard Cohen song is "I'm Your Man", and it's thanks to a cover by a smooth singing former heavy metal vocalist Dax Riggs around 15 years ago. Since then it's become a song that I adore. Track 1 is a bit of a crazy introduction. It feels like it never stops and keeps throwing ideas at you. I was surprised at the second vocalist that comes in around the three minute mark. This album has a really cool sound on it and I'm impressed by him embracing the Blade Runner-esque synths that were so ubiquitous at the time. It's a little awkward at times though, and I think the mix engineer probably didn't have a great idea about how loud to make his primary vocal. "I'm Your Man" is definitely a strong and memorable song. It's enough to prop up this album a bit and be a strong 3 for me, probably a 3.3/5.
not my favorite Leonard Cohen album 3
Sometimes I find the vocals alright but others I can't stand, like I'm Your Man - "I'd howl at your beauty like a dog in the heat". Ew. The synth is fine but gets tedious fast. After that it just sounds like an old man doing karaoke 15 pints in Saying that Jazz Police I enjoyed, not sure it warrants a higher rating because of this however Maybe a harsh 2 but compared to what I've already rated in 3 I think a 2 is justified
Sure, the 80s production is cheesy, but it perfectly contrasts the dark, razor sharp and occasionally sexy lyrics and vocals. A big surprise for me.
A very good album indeed. A little jazzy, but by no means the worse for it. His voice is pretty unmatched, isn't it. I can only think of maybe Nick Cave who is so instantly recognisable (in a good way).
Pretty cool album. Standout songs: I'm your man Take this Waltz
Thanks I hate it
Didn't hate it, but hard to take Cohen's "thing" seriously at times. Especially during Jazz Police
Though better than his death album, this music bores me. It's not bad, and lyrically some things stand out as poetic and insightful. But that's a bonus for me when on top of music that engages. And this does not engage enough.
Did not age that well in my opinion but it kinda grows on you. You have to have an appreciation for Cohen's "singing". I only know some of his later songs and the songs on this album are kind of forgettable with a few exceptions. Favorite Song: Everybody knows
1. FIRZT - 1.5 2. cure - 1 3. knouuz - 1 4. man - 1.5 5. uualtz - 1.5 6. police - 0 7. forget - 1 8. touuer - 1.5
I like Cohen to a point, but he was trying to hard to be an 80s man here. I think he just finished Revenge of the Nerds one day and said, “that’s the sound for me!”
Leonard Cohen is one of the greatest songwriters/musicians of the 20th century. But this album was pretty cheesy. Very heavily 80's inspired. Electronic influences. Weird dark humor lyrics.
Considering the last two Leonard Cohen albums i have listened to (those being Songs of Love and Hate and You Want it Darker) If you were to tell me that I'm Your Man had a lot of 80s new wave sounding songs throughout the whole thing, I probably would not have believed you prior to listening this album but now that i have, i have no choice but to believe you now. Honestly, this album actually worked pretty well with it's sound considering that this is not the kind of sound that Cohen typically does. It was still very easy to recognize that this was a Leonard Cohen album too due to his voice and some folkish elements. This album isn't the greatest thing ever but for what it does, it does well. Best Song: Everybody Knows Worst Song: Tower of Song
It's nuts hearing this after listening to the milquetoast Songs of Leonard Cohen. 80s synth music is shockingly bad. Sorry not sorry!!
Cool album
Very sick album! Did not know how much of a great combo Leonard Cohen and synths would be. So many of these tracks are brooding, sexy, spiritual, and just so damn cool. Best Track: Jazz Police Worst Track: Take This Waltz
Best Song: Jazz Police Worst Song: I Can't Forget
Effortless artistry. Everybody knows. 4
I'm so tired of Leonard Cohen. When I listen to music the vocalist is probably the most important part for me. If I don't like their voice, I can't enjoy the music. Enter this monotone man who talks more than he sings. The beauty of his lyrics don't matter if the delivery is so incredibly dull.
This is probably my favorite of his albums honestly. I'm Your Man is an absolute banger, plenty of other good stuff too.
I never got into Leonard Cohen's music. Like in Bob Dylan's case, I always thought the covers were way better. He creeps me out
ok
This album is indistinguishable from the one he released in 2016. I like his voice, but it's not terribly creative.
Definitely not my favourite Cohen I've heard but he's one of those songwriters where there's always something to get out of the words even if they don't quite speak to you, so very much still a positive experience
I guess there are some good songs, but the music is rubbish
..(.
In a nutshell: somethings change, some stay the same. Compared to earlier releases in the book, Cohen’s album-making approach had a little shakeup. Cohen’s voice has deepened and he embraced synth. I’ve resigned to the fact that Cohen is simply a great poet with a predictable approach to arrangement. To me, he is the Wes Anderson of contemporary music: same approach, different colour palate, new location. The breakneck pans get boring after a while. As does Cohen’s decision to utilise backing singers and instruments with little style variation on this album. We got that element overload with the juice harp on “Song From A Room” The best way I can sum it up is to quote boygenius: “…I am not an old man having an existential crisis at a Buddhist monastery writing horny poetry…” Overall 3/10
Mr Cohen’s voice:📉📉📉 My pp:📈📈📈 Too much?
non riesco a spiegare perchè, ma non mi ha colpito particolarmente. lui però voce sempre molto bella.
nice. leonard cohen is cool.
I know people love this guy, but this just sounds like bad karaoke to me. Cheesy ass keyboard music …
Disjointed and anachronistic but some good.
#40 The voice of this man is perfection, but not this album
I’m Your Man I’ve listened to this 4 times today and I can’t work out if I like it or not. Lyrically I know I like it, there are some superb lines, couplets or whole songs, like Everybody Knows (a song I was previously aware of from its use in Palm Springs) or First We Take Manhattan. And vocally he sounds great, that older more gravelly tone with a nice hint of creepy sleaziness is excellent. But musically I just don’t know what's going on. Kudos to him for trying something different to update his sound, but in the way that Graceland sounds of its time but timeless, this sounds of its time but very dated. On some listens the hyper 80s keyboards and stacked backing vocals sound great against his voice, a nice, pleasingly odd contrast. And then on the next listen the whole thing sounds cheesy as all balls. I suppose it really comes down to whether the songs that work outweigh the ones that don’t. First We Take Manhattan, I think this is just about on the right side of the line. I like the Pet Shop Boys feel of it and keyboards, despite being a bit cliche, I like alot. The melody and vocal is great, very Nick Cave, but the backing vocals are pretty cheesy and rather obtrusive. I’m not entirely sure about Ain’t No Cure for Love. It has that egregious sax in the intro and a structure lifted almost completely from Every Breath You Take, but I do like the chorus and the lyric. Could go either way, this one. Everybody Knows, I think is great though, excellent lyric and melody and nice pulsing rhythm and keyboard and string riff. The oud is great and the backing vocals work well with the song. I’m Your Man is pretty successful too, despite the keyboard solo. Take this Waltz I don’t think is great. He does some waltz time stuff on his first album and its nice, but this doesn’t sound good. But its not as bad as Jazz Police, an almost Partridgean level exercise in terribleness, with its pitch shifted keyboards and awful backing vocals. I like I Can’t Forget, the pedal steel giving it a nice touch of human warmth and country edge working well with the chorus and backing vocals. Tower of Song is great, the more restrained instrumentation and nicely arranged backing vocals give it an excellently off kilter atmosphere, again with a great vocal and lyric. So overall it’s a bit of a curate’s egg. When it works well like on Everybody Knows and Tower of Song its excellent, but when it’s bad, as with Jazz Police, it’s pretty awful. But, despite that, I still found it fascinating and I certainly didn’t get bored of listening to it. Therefore it’s a bit tricky to rate, it’s inconsistency would make it a 3, but it is weirdly intriguing and I admire him jumping wholeheartedly into a new sound. And the lyrics and vocals are great, and there are a couple of very good songs. I’ll just tip it into a 4 on that basis. 🍌🍌🍌🍌 Playlist submission: Everybody Knows
What the fuck was that!? I'm clearly not the target market for whatever this is. Creepy weirdo talk-singing about nonsense while cheesy 80s synth-pop plays in background is not my cup of tea.
It’s a shame the dated production and backing vocals bring the rating down. The lyrics are actually quite lovely.
Okay why did I actually love this album. This album, and I can’t think how else to describe it, sounds like if Jarvis Cocker wrote my Grade 4 modern syllabus. I really REALLY want to give this a 5/5 for sheer comedic value but that doesn’t distract from the fact that I did think it was a bit shit. Not giggled this much in a while
First listen. Pretty good. Close to five stars.
good vibes
4/5
Look, these songs are lyrically interesting, but they aren't in any way musically interesting. I was out by the time Cohen started playing a trite waltz. This should have been a book.
Much more a lyrical listen than a musical listen. Not my favorite but I appreciate what it’s going for and why some may like it more.
Interesting- the more I listen to cohen the more I am sucked in
Best Song: Take This Waltz. A classic from the king of melancholy. I also always like when Cohen contrasts his deep and sonorous voice with a higher register female vocalist. Worst Song: Jazz Police. Hard to believe this song isn't a parody. Overall: As much as I love Cohen, I am not a fan of this era of his, when his voice (and more importantly, his lyrics) are constantly drowned out by overproduction. Proof that the 80s made even good artists worse.
Leonard Cohen and synth is an odd combination. But you know, I like when artists do weird stuff like this, good or bad. This is just more bad than good, as usual Cohens writing is good, but musically its a big miss.
I’m tired of Leonard Cohen albums. This synthy nonsense did not do it for me. Nice to hear where the bummer opening song to Justice League came from at least!
Painfully 80s at points, Leonard not clicking for me
This fucking sucked.
I want to like Leonard Cohen. I really do. But his voice is so monotone and dull that I really struggle, even though he’s got beautiful lyrics and really interesting songs. And he got worse with age - his stuff from the 60’s is more interesting to me. So this is only a 3 star album, because of the potential it has more than what is presented.
Apart from the cheesy 80s synth, a classic. Great songs...
I don't normally tend to check others' reviews while I've literally got the album on but I just had a peek at some for this. Alternately scathing, hilarious, and in some cases richly insightful. A bit like the man himself. There's a full spectrum of responses from active dislike, through simply not getting into it, right up to hero worship. Put me somewhere in the middle. I find the music and production here quite unedifying for a lot of the time, though the sarky, sardonic, poetic lyrics always hold plenty interest. 2.5, tending to 3
No idea what was happening here but I kind of dug it.
Very slow and uninteresting
The value of this album lies in the lyrics. It’s great songwriting, somehow still on the nose in our current social and political context. Take this Waltz was my favorite on the album, probably because it was the most distinct song on I’m Your Man (meaning it didn’t have as much of that forced 80s synth sound, coupled with its clever songwriting). Lyrically I also appreciated First We Take Manhattan, Everybody Knows, Jazz Police.
This dude does not like singing. Imma be real the first song pissed me off so much
Very disappointed in this one
His voice is cool and his poetry is quite combative
Really interesting stuff.
I think Leonard Cohen pulled this experiment off pretty well. Overall, it’s an 80s synthpop album, but you can hear elements of darkwave, artpop, and sophistipop mixed in. Cohen’s deep, gravelly voice is still front and center, along with his introspective lyrics and witty, half sung, half spoken delivery. The production gives the album a dark, melancholic atmosphere throughout. I’m sure he had people advising him to try something new since his career was dipping at this point, but this was a big departure from his earlier work, and he and his team did a solid job of pulling it off to revitalize his career.
Ik had niet eens zo heel lang geleden een Leonard Cohen album waar ik onverwacht van heb genoten, omdat het zo'n lekker luisteralbum was. Bij het aanzetten van deze hoopte ik eigenlijk op iets soortgelijks, maar dit is compleet andere koek. Deze is voor de liefhebber van 80's synths en de pornosax. Ome Leonard zit lekker met een foute stem, half zingend een bende verhalen op te hangen. Het is nog wel een beetje catchy, ik vind het weer knetterfout maar het is nog wel te doen deze keer. Ik ga daarom een keer mild zijn, voor een 80's hater dan. Drie sterren.
80's Leonard Cohen.. It's slightly uptempo.. Still not sure why he sings like a bullfrog.