You Want It Darker

Playoff Lenny with his swan song. Common Leonard Cohen W

brilliant album, really enjoyed it

Simplicity at its finest. Leaving the Table is pure perfection.

Incredible final statement from one of the greatest ever to do it.

Normally would not like such talking type of songs but let's add a star for travelling light

Beautiful voice and lyrics. His elegy.

Stands alongside Warren Zevon and Johnny Cash as ruminations on the end of life This is by some distance the most haunting of those three An incredibly immersive listen

Leonard Cohen's final album, released 17 days before his death. Unsurprisingly, themes of god and death are at the fore of this atmospheric album. Rating: 4/5 Playlist track: You Want It Darker Date listened: 18/07/23

5/9, 56%

Mycket bättre än vad jag trodde. Riktigt smooth

Cohen's voice on this album is the voice of eternal mythical being. Knowing that this album was released days before his death, produced by his son, makes this send-off all the more powerful. It's a difficult but hauntingly beautiful listen. "You Want it Darker" is one of those astonishingly great songs that most artists could only dream of writing. It's incredible that this album came out the same year as Bowie's Blackstar.

Haunting, exciting and more importantly eye opening.

4/5 so good 😭😭

What a send off. What a way to settle affairs knowing the end is gaining on you.

When the bassline kicked in on You Want it Darker I though that The Bad Seeds had taken over, had that effortless but menacing groove that Nick Cave thrives on. Some good and some OK, but really distinctive and far more enjoyable - in a dark way - that I had expected.

Leonard Cohen is a poet and I know his work, but I don't think I've ever listened to his albums. I didn't expect this album to land well with me, but it was a very easy listen with some great depth.

I really quite liked this. I haven’t knowingly listened to any of Leonard Cohen’s other work, so I didn’t know what to expect going in, but I was very pleasantly surprised. His voice must be mentioned as those deep vocals are just great to listen to. The album opened very strongly with the title track and kept up those expectations throughout. If I Didn’t Have Your Love and Traveling Light were the standouts for me here. I absolutely loved the former. The contrast of using these incredibly sad descriptions of life lacking beauty or meaning to explain the strong feelings of love he has is just great. I am a sucker for a good love song though so it could just be that. Traveling Light followed it up nicely with a very sad song about losing an ex-lover of his, apparently. That does lead me into the only thing I can find in this album that I didn’t enjoy. Mr. Cohen built these incredible songs with very deep lyrics with a lot of meaning in them. The only problem is that I may just be too dumb or not know him/his life enough to get any of that meaning out of them. I don’t know what he was trying to get across with some of these songs, but he made me feel it regardless with his voice. Definitely glad I got to listen to this.

Haunting and powerful

For all of my hesitation going in, this was an absolutely beautiful album. Leonard Cohen doesn't exactly "sing" so much as speak melodically, but he does it with great effect. The songs are generally pretty minimal and err darker (go figure) in tone. Love the use of different strings throughout and the way that his voice can sound both broken and powerful at once. This is a "pretty" album and certainly is one that pairs best with a certain mood, but even for a fairly distracted listen this was a surprising treat. For me this is a high 4. Opening bassline of You Want It Darker made me think of Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. Glad its not that... This song is actually pretty badass -- sounds somewhat like a Nick Cave song. His voice is so deep and haggard. Treaty is a really beautiful song, as is If I Didn't Have Your Love. The fiddle line in Steer Your Way reminds me of a Sublime song (We're Only Gonna Die For Our Arrogance -- which is itself a cover actually).

I think I may have listened to parts of this album back when it came out, because some of it sounded familiar to me today. Either way, I thought this album was great. Lyrically, it definitely lives up to its name, and after reading about the context in which it was recorded, it makes sense why Leonard Cohen would make this album. I really loved the themes that Leonard Cohen explored here; the lyrics are full of imagery of death, mortality, religion, and love. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him to watch his body essentially fail him as his health declined over his final days. The instrumentals, while bare and stripped down, did a perfect job of complimenting the dark tone of the lyrics, and I think the instrumentals on this album would still be beautiful without the lyrics. My favorite songs here were "Traveling Light" and "It Seemed the Better Way." I love the way that they sound like poems read over music. "On the Level" had some awesome backing vocals, and I also loved the way that "Steer Your Way" built to a quiet crescendo at the end. Overall, this was a really solid album, and I'm excited for the other Leonard Cohen album on this list.

This album is incredibly dark, but not in a way that is without some kind of light. The sheer contemplativeness in the lyrics, the droning on and on of low notes, the sound is that of a man taking inventory of his final breaths. The album is dark, it is sad, and yet somehow there is a sense of learning, a feeling that as listeners this needed to happen. It did, and there is a gratefulness here whether a person was a fan of Cohen's career or not. It was poetry, and seemingly without the bougie pretentiousness that seems to infect most singer-songwriters that feel like they should be more famous than they are.

Beautiful but bleak. An old man's examination of a long life and all its glories and mistakes.

Didn't like some of the songs, really liked some others. Overall better than I expected.

Reminds me of that Johnny Cash album he did when he was much older. I enjoyed this one too, despite the fact I wasn't much of a fan of some of his other albums. Perhaps something about him being older changed the musical style to be more enjoyable to me..

he has such a unique voice

Phenomenal opening track, sounds suprisingly like the halo 1 soundtrack. Stays very true to its name. Would recommend for times when you want to feel like the protagonist to spooky cowboy.

Cohen and Bowie both in the same year managed to write and release albums that were ponderous reflections on the end of their lives just days before they each passed. And both of them are just amazing. This album is a wonderful reflection on the life Cohen lived and his comfort in the end of it. Sad but great album.

Rest in peace, king.

It's a good album. It's very stripped back but beautiful. I do like Blackstar more which came out in the same year and has the same themes. Actual score is a 3.5 but it's closer to a 4 than a 3 I think.

Wasn't sure what I was getting into at the first song, but I was pleasantly surprised. A very interesting album clearly focusing on death and life. It's not super depressing throughout; I appreciate the matter of fact view he has on death. It also hits harder knowing he died 17 days after the release of this album at the age of 82. The focus is clearly on the lyrics, like poetry, and it does a good job making sure lyrics are clear and powerful. I would like to listen to this again while reading the lyrics instead of working. Steer Your Way was a standout to me. This album has taken the throne for latest album at 2016! (previously held by In Rainbows)

I'm so excited. I've waited and waited for this to happen.. That the 1001 would change my opinion about an artist I hate and convert me. Well, today was the day. I've always loved Cohen's voice. It's right up there with Tom Waits for gravel and grit. I've always loved his lyrics-- pure poetry. But I've always hated his stupid melodies and accompaniments. This album is different. Sparer and sparse. It's fabulous. So now I like Leonard Cohen-- sort of.

Nearly up there with Blackstar as an end-of-life sign-off.

This is my third Leonard Cohen album in a very short time. Beautifully poetic and relaxing to listen to. I wouldn’t listen to him regularly, however I believe his music is very culturally important.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I could get over the insane raspiness of a 90 year old but I did. Beautiful lyrics, beautiful music, beautiful album. It was cool we got to listen to his first album and his final album that were 50 years apart

mmmm, mieć taki głos...

The album was good, lyrically it was strong. His thoughts of impending mortality were imprinted on every song. I always like Leonard Cohen.

There's one of the 5 stars reviews in here that perfectly explains how this album of Leonard Cohen, released only 17 days before his passing, is the "lyrical" summation of all the grand themes he dealt with during his life. And I don't really see what I could add to that great review that would be meaningful. God, love, lust, death... The sheer magic of the title track says it all. A *dark* sort of magic, yes indeed. But magic nonetheless. Cohen's deep gravelly voice over those half-scary, half-angelic backgroud vocals is simply incredible by the way. If this doesn't send shudders down your spine, I don't know what will. There's just one thing, though. The music in this album is very good, but on average, it's less stellar than what Leonard had composed decades earlier. Half of said music was composed by others, by the way, but I guess you can't blame a frail old man about to die for asking collaborators to complete the task at hand... This situation allows me to address one common misunderstanding when it comes to Leonard Cohen: indeed, people often focus on his wonderful lyrics, but they also forget to mention how his arrangements and chord changes are as moving and effective as his words in his songs. Cohen proves it again here, with two absolute gems he penned all by himself for *You Want It Darker*; "Treaty" and "Steer The Way". The terrific chord progression and minor-major modulations on the latter, enhanced by a mischievous violin, should be studied in every songwriting schools out there. Most of the music Cohen didn't write for this album was composed by Patrick Leonard, who, believe or not, once co-wrote some of Madonna's most famous hit singles during the eighties (the mere fact that there is now a direct connection between Madonna and Leonard Cohen is mind-boggling to say the least). And fortunately Patrick brought his A-game on two songs in this LP: the admirable title-track, that we mentioned earlier, but also "Travelling Light". When in this one Cohen wrily whispers "I used to play one mean guitar"--while looking back on his life--there's a rush of memories and emotions that will surely flood you, at least if you know a little about the man's long career. So all in all, what we have here is four tracks that can easily rival with anything Cohen wrote and perfomed from the late sixties to the early nineties. Which is quite a feat given how legendary some of those earlier songs are. Of course, it's very hard to compete with such a brilliant past. Under that light, *You Want It Darker* will have to wait a little before being fully included in my own list of essential albums, contrary to *Songs Of Leonard Cohen*, *Songs Of Love And Hate*, or *I'm Your Man* (I'll first need to check if there's enough room for it at the end). But waiting right in front of the gates of heaven is, after all, the sort of situation that would have made the Canadian poet smirk a little. And I know he went through those gates, eventually. So I imagine he won't hold too much of a grudge against me, if ever we meet up there one day... 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of "essential" albums. Which means 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5). Number of albums left to review: 594 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 193 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 91 (including this one) Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 122

Totes emosh

Beautiful album. 4/5

Genre: Rock Review: Great music. Very deep and soothing voice, apparently the guy made this album when he was in his 80s! Released only a few weeks before he passed away. The quality of the music was fabulous. Rating: 7/10

as it turns out, I did

I've always liked Leonard Cohen ever since Natural Born Killers. This album is great! I like the dark overtones, his deep voice, and the sinister of it. The only thing I don't like is how much biblical and god references there are.

Another really heavy album. Cohen's anguished vocals are perfect for the tone of these songs.

The music was nothing special but his voice and lyrics were amazing. What an artist!

Cool villiany music

Gorgeous.

1. First song gives off dark choir piano sounds. His voice is very crisp grimly like reading a book. Good 2. Ballad song sound good. Sound like a vampire. Is this christiany music? Very good 3. Instrumental is calming. Woman in background voice is good. Good 4. Guitar strings is 👌🏾. Background solo 😍. Calming. Perfect 5. So calming. Perfect 6. Spanish vibes in beginning. Very poet. Groovy in background. 🎻. Good 7. Eerie in background with drums. Very violin feel like in movie. It's okay but love the melody. 8. Feel very folk vibes. Bluegrass. Okay. 9. Very 1800s in beginning. Grand cello. Violin. Very beautiful relaxing. Perfect.

moody and lovely, gravely and dark.

The last recorded album by Leonard Cohen before his death. It seems he knew the end was coming for him as he kind of hints and writes about the end of life. It's quite haunting at times, but some songs also have some very pretty passages as well. It's incredible that Cohen was still able to release a work such at this given his ailing health. He has left us with a huge body of work, beautiful songs that will forever stick with us. The mix is allright, but the instrumentation sometimes feels a bit tacked on. An essential farewell album and an astonishing end to a career. Favorite lyrics: -There's a lullaby for suffering. And a paradox to blame. - I'm so sorry for that ghost I made you be. Only one of us was real and that was me. - They oughta give my heart a medal For letting go of you - Steer your way through the pain that is far more real than you. That smashed the cosmic model, that blinded every view. Key tracks: You Want It Darker, Treaty, On The Level, Leaving The Table, It Seemed The Better Way, Steer Your Way. 8 out of 10

It was very Cohen. About what I expected from him. While I certainly enjoyed it, there are other entries in his catalogue that I am more drawn to.

A worthy finale for Cohen. Melancholy and spiritual, no easy platitudes but a portrait of a centered man.

The vocals caught me off guard but grew on me quickly. So much gravel. Finished the album before realizing it was released in 2016. Raw gritty simple and cool.

Mesmerizing. The poetry, his voice, the instrumentation choices.

First thought: dammit not more Leonard Cohen. Second thought: this rules. I love haunted old men with broken, ruined voices and filthy souls

Mix of cinematic and impressive restraint on the music, just wish the goals were turned down a bit in the mix (but I get it).

This was one long death rattle. https://pics.me.me/kids-could-you-lighten-up-a-littlet-29298587.png

This is an interesting album for sure. My favorite tracks seem to be the title, Traveling Light, Treaty and Leaving the Table. Not like anything else I’ve heard.

I can't imagine introducing anyone to Leonard Cohen with the last album of his long lifetime. I think a proper appreciation of the man and his music requires a chronological approach, from first album to last. In exploring the work in this way, the listener eases into the more shocking aspects of Leonard Cohen (namely, his sagacious old-croak of a voice and his late-career synth-pop and midi-music). The listener also arrives at the conclusion that YOU WANT IT DARKER is a very satisfying swan-song for such an alluring artist. Favorite track: 'Steer Your Way'

Similar to David Bowie's Blackstar, this is a very fitting "final album, even if it isn't technically his last. It just feels so emotionally driven and his voice is absolutely haunting, bringing it all together is the orchestral sound. While I have enjoyed what I've heard of Leonard Cohen's guitar playing, having instead a hard hitting orchestra makes his words have so much more depth to them. I was worried I wouldn't like later Cohen due to the voice change, but if anything this may be my favorite one I've heard so far. It only misses the mark for five stars because some of the songs do go in one ear and out the other, or sound too similar to another song, but that hardly hinders this cool thirty-six minute album.

Dark but good

Love love love

Som tri baixado, grande mestre

he Voice interesting, may relisten

The list heard me talking shit and gave me more Leonard Cohen. I liked this one more though. My favorites were Traveling Light and Steer Your Way.

Very atmospheric music, great voice, bumped it up to a 4 because of “You Want It Darker”

There is a lot to this album; too much to be fully appreciated from one or two listens. Really subtle.

En af de største lyrikere. Optaget i hans køkken mens han var dødsyg af kræft. Fornemmer stemningen i hans stemme. Synger både om det mørke univers samtidig med at han synger om det han mener er livets stærkest kraft kærlighed. Det er store og flotte konklusioner, draget af en af de store poeter

Love the super low voice. Great songs and lyrics. 4.5

Vond dit eerst heel heftig en zwaar maar nu ik er over nadenk waardeer ik het steeds meer. Eigenlijk wel lekker om een beetje in die zwaarte te hangen! Lievelings: treaty en on the level

When I saw Leonard Cohen pop up I was hoping it would’ve been one of his older ‘classics’ as he’s another one who I heard the odd song by, liked, but never dived in. That said, I still really enjoyed this, can definitely see why Matt Berninger / Mark Lanegan often get compared to him. His lyrical style is up there with the best and the time flew by. Will definitely check this out further and look into his back catelog.

Hallelujah aside this is my first experience of Leonard Cohen, guessing it's a strange point to enter his catalogue! Powerful stuff to hear him grapple with his life and faith shortly before his death and he's got the gravelliest voice I've heard. Really good.

Solid 4 star. Memorable and melancholy.

Indulgent, great lyrics

The title track is marvellous.In fact the whole album is very good, but as the title suggests, it's very dark.Very, very dark.Unless you are in the mood to contemplate infinity, it's a bit much. Fortunately I often am, so that's OK.

Better than expected

I do, I do want it darker

Almost spoken word, his voice is so low. Captures him at the end of life, still the wordsmith.

Loved this. A nice new gem of an album to listen to from time to time.

You want it darker? Be careful what you ask for. Even in his 80s, Leonard Cohen was still a badass!

fuck this guys voice is deep. I don’t think this is made for me but that’s ok I’m not mad at it. sounds like jarvis cocker putting on a voice lolllll. no fucking way they worked together. what da hell. ok now it gets an extra point. respect, rip. 4.5

This is a great album but I won’t listen to it again.

Dense lirycs and haunting vocals. A lot of religious themes, but at times it sounds more like the devil himself is being summoned. You Want It Darker and Treaty are the best tracks. I just knew the classic Cohen from 'Suzanne' and 'So Long, Marianne', I'm glad to have discovered this darker side. He was 82 at the time of recording.

From the ripping and spectral opening track, Cohen establishes one of the finer albums reflecting on his own imminent mortality. Ever the poet Cohen looks into his past as a generation's troubadour indelibly tied with the death's coming. His voice is aged and creaky, weight is felt with every line. Meditations on nascent spirituality and lovers felt fill the album on this finely crafted first piece of a diptych. Thanks for the Dance is well recommended as a listen following as it completes many ruminations here. 8/10, this and Blackstar by Bowie are the greatest albums written around mortality of this generation.

Actually very cool album. Usually I find like slow music at all, but I thought the story he was telling throughout each song was pretty captivating. Also the backup singers on the second to last song were cool as well

Kolejny Cohen, tym razem przygotowany na niego bylem, bo jak moglbym nie przesluchac ostatniego albumu wydanego za zycia takiego artsty, jest to jeden z tych krazkow ktore sa pozegnaniem z sluchaczem jak i z swiatem, Cohen zmarl 16 dni po wydaniu plyty, wiec prawie tak dramatycznie jak w przypadku Bowiego, ale jest to skromniejsze pozegnanie, bo nigdy szol menem on raczej nie staral sie byc, no i jest to album artysty 82 letniego, wiec slychac go juz tutaj jedynie lirycznie i wokalnie, gdzie wokal jest tak wymeczony zyciem, ze ciezko poznac tutaj czasami tego artyste ktorego sie znalo z klasycznych albumow, kolejna rzecza ktora odroznia ten material od tego co mozna uslyszec u tego pana wczesniej, to dobor instrumentali, bo jest on bogaty, ale jednak nie przesadzony, wiec dobrze pasujacy tworczosci takiego barda, gdzie liczy sie najbardziej slowo, w nagraniach tego 36 minutowego krazka bralo udzial 10 artystow, najwiekszy udzial wydaje sie miec pan Zac Rae, ktory gra ogrywa glowne gitarki i klawisze oraz kilka bardziej egzotycznych instrumentow, za produkcje i niektore kompozycje byl odpowiedzialny syn Cohena, Adam, material krotki, ale trafiajacy do czlowieka, ale w taki sposob, ze zostawia wolne pole do nadinterpretacji liryki, ktora wydaje sie byc pisana prawdziwym szyfrem, ciezko czasem odnalezc sie do kogo utwor jest skierowany, kto jest podmiotem lub calkiem odwrotnie jest zbyt latwo zeby tylko przy koncu utworu sie znowu zgubic, ale wspolnym mianownikiem nagrania bedzie przemijanie, ciezko wybrac hajlajtowe momenty, bo sluchac wypada jedynie jako calosci, albo najlepiej w polaczeniu z posthumusowym krazkiem, ale na plejke dodam tytulowy opening i traveling light, no i sluchajac takiego pozegnania czlek sie zastanawia jak bedzie wygladalo pozegnanie Dylana, z ktorym to chyba najbardziej Cohen byl najbardziej porownywany zwlaszcza w 70s, czy w ogole doczekamy sie jeszcze plyty takiego kalibru od tamtego pana

The first track gave me goosebumps.

Pretty awesome.

Classic. Great listen.

Bit of a bummer innit.

L’arrangement est fantastique. L’histoire racontée est super touchante. La voix grave et le phrasé de Léonard Cohen sont incroyables Je recommande!

Oh wesh il a une voix suave tah les fous ! Pour moi c'est Christopher Lee qui chante, dwonc bien joué le compte dooku. Ptite vibe a la Jhony cash 3.5/5

Leonard makes me want to cry and scream. Just what I needed!

Leonard is definitely growing on me. This album is very slow, quite dark, but the lyrics are beautiful. I enjoyed most of it.

Leonard is king. This album will always be special because of the effort it took for him to work on it. It is dark and beautifully done. 4.5/5

Favorite Songs: You Want It Darker, Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, Traveling Light, Steer Your Way, String Reprise Least Favorite Songs: It Seemed The Better Way Much like David Bowie's 'Blackstar', here we have an artist with a rich catalog of material reflecting on their life, career, and eventual death (which would come 17 days after the release of 'You Want It Darker'.) These songs are brooding, sweet, subtle, and yes... dark. You can hear a man who has loved so many say his goodbyes. A man who was deeply spiritual make peace with a creator. A man who has done alot of reflection on what went wrong and how to cope. On a musical level, there's a minimalist approach to many of songs here. Even when a choir erupts, a guitar plucks along, a violin is bowed, or a piano jangles it isn't anything but a backing track to the words and gravel coming from the main event: Mr.Leonard Cohen.

Liked it unexpectedly. Very sad but strong album.

I heard this album when it first came out but never really gave it a second listen. I'm glad I got the opportunity to revisit it. Cohen's voice may not be what it once was but the poetry is as vivid as ever, and the backing music, especially the chorus, is enchanting throughout this wonderful album.

Lenny!!!! His face in MTL should be bigger lol

This is some form of divine pathetic fallacy intervention for me today. The deeply ominous sounds of this album perfectly mesh with the broiling internal rage I'm currently experiencing because of shitty workplace motherfuckers that have pushed me beyond my capacity for patience. Well done, Leonard, you know what it's like when people be hasslin' and harassing you. Travelling Light is the way to go it seems, good life philosophy.

Leonard Cohen never went into dotage. This album is beautiful and powerful.

Not particularly a fan of Cohen's recorded stuff, but this knocked me for a loop. Absolutely mesmerizing. 4/5.

Excellent final sendoff album. Gonna need to revisit 👍

What a wonderfully unique goodbye from Leonard, in a way just he could have done it. Simplistic background with a Blues Touch, paired with pretty much only melodic speaking and storytelling. Great atmosphere

This is sort of a tough one to rate. It's a Leonard Cohen album, no doubt about it. It's certainly not my favorite Cohen album. Like most of his works (at least the ones that I've listened to), the album is heavy on the poetry and light on the music. There's nothing wrong with that, since even in his waining days, Cohen could still carry an album on the strength of is poetry and his voice. His albums always leave me wanting something more. I've not heard any that I didn't like, but this one especially feels a bit stripped down. It's good, but also not in the same galaxy as Blackstar by Bowie in terms of albums made during an artist's dying days. Setting that comparison aside, this album is worth a listen, though not one that I'm likely to come back to 4/5

Chilling echo's or Bowie's Blackstar in that this album was recorded with Leonard Cohen knowing that his time was short. A suitability dark Leonard Cohen album it understandably is missing some of his almost trademark sardonic humour. I was too sad about his passing to give this a proper listen when it came out. Listening to it now I am struck by how sparse it is, but this suits the themes and the lyrics perfectly

like the dark twin of I'm Your Man, or the cousin of Blackstar. First song is incredible, and the rest keep up the doom perfectly. What a terrible year 2016 was

I was waiting for Leonard Cohen to appear on this list. So we all know he has HIS sound, but man does he come across as tired and exhausted on this album. This is my first time hearing it and reading about it and apparently he recorded this in his living room after touring a ton and having medical issues for years. Then the release of this album came out only like 2-3 weeks before his death. It's fitting that the first track's main hook is "I'm ready, my lord." "Leaving the Table" is really amazing. It's such a Leonard Cohen song. Lyrics are really A+ for me. You can tell that he knew this was his last one, and it of course brings a sadness to that fact, but I love his tongue and cheek humorous acceptance. "Traveling light It's au revoir My once so bright My fallen star I'm running late They'll close the bar I used to play One mean guitar"

"You Want It Darker" is Cohen's 14th album and the last one released during his lifetime. These songs seem to be about some aspect of his impending death and limited time left whether it's addressing his current and former spirituality and God, saying a farewell to lovers or looking back at relationships and comparing that to himself now. Cohen speaks his lyrics with his deep voice which is musically progressed with strings, piano or guitar....very sparse. All these songs are worth listening to just for his lyrics alone. "You Want It Darker" has organs, minimal drums and a background male choir giving the song almost a church chamber feel. "If I Didn't Have Your Love" is a staight-forward love song looking back at a lover. "Traveling Light" has a spanish-style guitar and strings. Cohen lyrics have a dual meaning about traveling light in former relationships and also now as he is departing. Surprisingly, I did not find this album depressing or extremely dark at all but rather spiritually uplifting in his lyrics and especially the background male and female vocals; it gave some of the songs more of a soulful feel. Similar to my comment on Wire yesterday, everything I've heard from Leonard Cohen is worth checking out to some extent.

haunting songs and voice

Olin vähän skeptinen sen suhteen että näin uusi LC levy vois olla hyvä mutta hei mitä vittuu. Täähän oli ihan loisvaa synkistelyy ja vähän komiikkaankin! Jatkoon! 4/5

Onhan tää kaunis. Artistin top3-levyjä varmasti.

Itse mestari. Cohen on tehnyt pohjatyönsä vetämällä 70(?) vuoden uran ennen tätä levyä, mikä antaa hänelle suvereenin oikeuden pohtia kuolemaa ja uskontoa eri tavalla kuin muut. Levyn avausraita on musta mestariteos upeassa ristiriitaisuudessaan, ja myös Treaty on kova veto. Leaving the Table ja Travelling Light on teksteiltään hyviä, mutta musiikillisesti levyn loppupuoli ei koskaan oo saavuttanut musta alkupuolen huippua, joten jätetään nyt 4/5.

This man can write. His gravel voice delivery works for most of his material

This was way better than I expected. I had briefly listened to his older material which didn't click with me. Here, it's most likely from age and his deeper vocals that his delivery and way with storytelling has changed to something more weary and reflective than before. The album is of course contrasted with his recent death after release, making it as equally prophetic as Bowie's last record. Overall, it was a warming listen.

I never really listened to Mr. Cohen much before. I wasn't particularly enthralled with what I had heard. However, I rather enjoyed this for the most part. There's a Tom Waits-ish quality, but much less "out there" than what Waits might do. It's also incredibly moving given the context of the album. The only downsides were that sometimes some of the songs were a bit too slow moving and mundane and well, it's just a downer of an album. It's not something to throw on anytime and enjoy. I'd give it a 3.5. Bumping to 4 of course.

2016. You Want It Darker, Leaving The Table, String Reprise/Treaty

I’ve never given Leonard Cohen much thought, so I guess it’s ironic I would get his last album, his “death” album as my first taste. At first it felt pretentious, but maybe that’s just Cohen. Half way through I felt I knew him and could identify. I like the global feel of the music, the darkness and starkness of the vocals and sound. I could listen to this a lot more.

It was good! Love his voice.

Wow, darker it is. This is the sound of a man close to the end of his life, and he knows it. Clearly, he was in a lot of pain, but there is joy and quiet celebration here to. The production is understated and sympathetic (not universal amongst Cohen's albums). I hear a lot of metaphors about war and conflict in here, but often with a quiet resolutions through diplomacy, treaties, spycraft and quiet agency. It is impossible to separate this from the circumstances of its recording and release, 17 days before his death, putting it in with Warren Zevon's final album and Bowie's Black Star in that small group of albums that face imminent mortality.

what's not to like, still can't believe I missed a chance to see him live

Really enjoyed this, need to come back to Leonard!

Envie de crever un peu Prefs: You Want It Darker, Treaty, Leaving the Table, If I Didn't Have Your Love, Traveling Light Moins pref: It Seemed the Better Way

Great, I thought. Another Leonard Cohen album. How do 3 of these make a 1001 list? But, my goal was to challenge myself to listen to music I was not exposing myself to... Reading the wiki notes about this being close to the 'finale' life-wise for Cohen made me curious. The pathos of the lyrics and voice here added a quality that made me enjoy the album as a farewell note.... Would have been slightly better as a night time listen.

This is such a beautiful album. I really can't imagine a more fitting final work for an artist with the depth of Leonard Cohen. Musically, it's spare and stripped down with songwriting that is contemplative, intimate, and dark. Not an album I could listen to every day, but really excellent. Fave Songs: Leaving the Table, Steer Your Way, Treaty, You Want It Darker, Traveling Light, String Reprise/Treaty

Very solid album, I like it. Songs start to blend together, but the melodies are unquestionably brilliant.

Very cool

Wow, the title of this album was truly apt- bleak, mournful, reflective. A perfect epitaph to a musical legend

As I have said before Leonard is one of my musical heroes. I love his poetry and his sardonic, wry lyrics. His use of top notch musicians to back him is also a credit. This is obviously a sad sad album being his last studio album before he died (There is a posthumous album completed by his son Adam "Thanks For The Dance") Love "You Want It Darker" "Treaty" (I wish there was a treaty between your love and mine!) "Leaving The Table" (Shadows of Roy Orbison on the guitar here) "Traveling Light" These are all songs of love, life and coming death, beautiful in their simplicity and more powerful when you realise that the man was suffering in great pain from his ailments and the vocals were recorded at his home whilst his collaborators were working in studios elsewhere. (lockdown before lockdown eh!) Farewell Leonard my musical friend for the last 40 years! Rightfully on the list I believe.

Sad!!

Much more listenable than I feared it might be! What a turn of phrase that man had.

Haunting. Appropriately dark for these tragic and uncertain times.

Inesperado

This album is wonderfully melancholy. I'm not sure anyone else could pull this kinda thing off without it sounding like a pretentious beatnik poetry wannabe. But, somehow, Cohen's simple melodies and talk/sing vibe is just cool. I can't explain it - which is good.

It is de facto a concept about God... Such an amazing last album. (7/10) FT: You Want It Darker, Leaving the Table, Traveling Light

mesmerising

A dying battery. A vegetable garden at the end of autumn. A human heart. What are the odds that immediately upon casting my vote of 1 star for Leonard Cohen’s 1988 release, 'I’m Your Man,' the very next assignment I received was another Leonard Cohen LP! The music review gods are fucking with me. That is, if you believe in said gods. One would gather that Leonard Cohen would advise against such indulgences for the greater sake of discovering the truth, no matter how sorrowful. But I don’t believe Cohen is the atheist people want him to be. In fact, I don’t think he’s an unbeliever at all. I think he’s a wounded believer. An unbeliever has no logical reason to address God, as Cohen does from the get-go (and has throughout his career) with a brashness so endemic to his peculiar tradition- Here I am, Lord. I can take as much as u can dish out. And in spite of lyrics like ‘I’m so sorry for that ghost I made you be. Only one of us was real, and that was me (‘Treaty’),’ the more accurate lyric from the same song seems to be, ‘I’m angry and I’m tired all the time. I wish there was a treaty… between your love and mine.’ Again, on the following track (‘On the Level’), ‘I heard the snake was baffled by his sin, he shed his scales to find the snake within. But born again is born without a skin, the poison enters into everything!’ Cohen’s on the other side of the remaining western (wailing) wall in Jerusalem, lamenting both God’s seeming abandonment of him, but more so his own of God, his loss of faith. Or, perhaps, the consequential loss that choosing to not believe any longer brings. And how the music is a perfect reflection of that, too, as if it’s aged along with Cohen’s human body, and retained only the parts necessary for essential functioning- a piano here, a guitar there. Gorgeous stringed instruments with a bit of a middle eastern/Mediterranean flare, in minor keys, of course. A banjo never even got close to this LP, thankfully. And be advised to have a box of Kleenex on hand for the closing lullaby. Leonard, from my own troubled faith, also not easily reconcilable with human existence, I believe I have not heard the cry of the needy on your prior recordings, and I confess to a missed opportunity to practice the understanding my discipleship requires. This is a deeply, profoundly moving work of art- and creativity beyond- that you have shared and I’m both humbled by and grateful for its passion. I still think 'I’m Your Man' is dreadful, but I doubt you care, nor should you. This one- 'You Want It Darker'- paradoxically, is the one that truly illuminates your gift. Leonard Cohen presumably died, integrity intact, rather than with/in the false, illusionary hope (and comfort) of his own faith tradition. Is that always the right course of action? The Rolling Stones, following Altamont, seemed to intentionally shed a little light into the prior darkness they had been nurturing, choosing against integrity for the greater sake of, quite literally, saving lives. Loving life, even. The next several years and LPs released remain their very finest period as well as some of the finest rock n’ roll records ever recorded. Who’s to say?

4. Classic lyricist/poet with a great time-worn voice.

Loved this.

Massive fan of his earlier stuff, still love this album and reckon it will grow on me further in due time. Couple of songs that show he never lost his writing ability even right up to the end <3

היה ממש כיף ושקט ואני צריך לישמוע אותו עוד פעם ליפני השינה

Mörk röst swag

Pretty hard to seperate from his death shortly following the album’s release, obviously by design. His low voice is really captivating here. I wish it went harder on the strings

Väldigt bra, kraftfullt skrivet och gillar produktionen väldigt mycket.

The experience of this, the nearly-final Leonard Cohen project, suggests that my weakness for old-man-death-albums is fixed. This is absolutely going on my list to listen again, though the second track drags an already slow album and the penultimate song's fade is early and redundant. Not much thematic variety, but it doesn't need that: Cohen's inflections and the subtle changes in instrumentation are enough.

1001 already sent us Bowie's Blackstar album recorded in the last year that he was looking at the blades rather than the roots, and now we get Leonard's similar offering. I never thought that so many artists spent there last year recording a final album. I know John Lennon also did this but it's not quite the same case. This album is reminiscent of his early albums in that the arrangements and production are very simple. Gotta love the line in Traveling Light: "I use to play a mean guitar" That's right up there with "I was born with the gift of a golden voice" I was surprised to see Alison Krauss doing background vocals on "Steer Your Way". I'm not sure what the story is behind her and Leonard becoming acquainted but he has always managed to find excellent background vocalists.

I guess for comparison you could listen to Bowie's Black Star, in terms of albums that were conceived and recorded while the artists were dying, but I think Bob Dylan’s Time Out of Mind would be a better comparison since they’re both around 80, i.e. well past their best-before dates. I would say by comparison, Cohen is still on his game. While he sounds tired (half-dead actually) his spoken words are less cryptic, more powerful and relevant, especially in songs like It Seemed the Better Way and You Want it Darker (even though he sounds a bit like he's channeling William Shatner in that one). The songs are sad and the lyrics pull you in. I like the way the violin creeps into the last three tracks and the final is instrumental until the very end. A lovely finish.

This has to be one of the most spine chilling albums I've ever heard....Leonard's voice is pretty haunting anyway and add to that the fact he is on deaths door and writing quite openly about it. Really interesting album and a nice collection of songs

So so gruff! Really beautiful poetry, though the low voice is stepping on the toes of Tom Waits / Hades from Hadestown. Enjoyable swan song from the lyrical ledge. I'll revisit it at some point

Oh Leonard, the Darker the better! Cheers brother, I'm sure you are up there still singing. Thanks for all you gave us.

Leonard's Swan Song. According to folklore, swans sing most beautifully before they die, and hence this phrase came to be used to describe someone who was leaving in style. Wonderful album. 4/5.

Really Good, the sound of this thing is incredible, like Midnight Mass in an ancient church

Let's keep it on the level When I walked away from you I turned my back on the devil Turned my back on the angel, too They oughta give my heart a medal For letting go of you. When I turned my back on the devil Turned my back on the angel, too At first I thought you would need to be in the mood to listen to this. But this album just stopped me in my tracks no matter what I was doing. There's something about Cohen that just grabs me and makes me listen. The coolest dude ever. The lyrics and that amazing growling voice hit so hard. The melodies are heartbreaking. Instrumentation is surprisingly varied for each song, but it's never too much. Just enough to complement and amplify the song and the words. What a way to go, Mr Cohen. Stand outs: You want it darker, On the level, Leaving the table, Traveling light, Treaty (both versions)

Like the title suggests this a dark plodding album that is still quite fulfilling ecause of Cohen's incredible lyrical sense and dramatic delivery. The music matches the lyrical themes perfectly. I found something to enjoy in most every song. 4 🌟

Would be a 5 if there was a bit more singing, but really good either way.

Hieno levy! Cohenin tuotannosta tuttua oli oikeastaan vaan Hallelujah-hitti mutta tämä yllätti oikein positiivisesti. Todella vähäeleisen tyylikästä tunnelmointia. Hieman Nick Caven tyyppistä mutta rauhallisempaa ja vähemmän angstista. Varsinkin jouset toivat upean dramaattista tunnelmaa kappaleisiin. Erityismaininta levyn lopettaneelle kauniille instrumentaalikappaleelle (vaikka joitakin sanoja kappaleen loppuun löytyykin).

I've dabbled in Cohen here and there but had not heard any of this album. Fantastic. I listened twice and will likely again.

Jag har sedan Twin Peak nådde mig på 90-talet varit ett illa dolt David Lynch fan. Har älskat att försvinna mig in i Lynch mörka, mystiska men också lekfulla världar där det bisarra och mörka får ta precis så mycket plats som helst. Precis den känslan av att kliva in i en helt annan värld får jag av denna fantastiska skiva. Titelspåret I want it darker är som tagen ur en Lynch-rulle. Cohen var 82 år när skivan släpptes och texterna känns som Cohens sista uppgivna försök att acceptera sig själv, sina livsval och kommande öde. Och precis som Lynch lyckas han leverera allt detta med inte bara svärta utan också finess ”I was fighting with temptation but I didn’t want to win”. Så, det här är vad du ska göra nu. Gör dig själv en ”damn fine cup of coffee”, släck ner och slå dig ner i en fåtölj. Stäng av allt vad digitalt heter och så lyssnar du på skivan, då, och enbart då lovar jag dig att du också får ta del av den här världen jag så varmt pratar om

Mörkt som jävulen! Gillade den första låten bäst

Good Album, but you'd not want to be in poor form listening to it.

7/10

It's really hard not to love a Cohen album and this one reminds me a lot of Bowie and Blackstar. When you're staring death in the face, what kind of art might you be able to make? Well, this answers that question.

I had only heard a couple of Leonard Cohen songs before this and this was my first album. What an album it is. The songwriting mixed with Cohen's haunting, deep voice makes for a really good, ominous-sounding album. Gives me total True Detective vibes. Fav songs: You Want It Darker, Leaving the Table, String Reprise/Treaty

The old rogue does it again. I've long suspected that Cohen left the heavy lifting of creating decent, listenable music to others, adding gloss by way of his basso profundo doggerel. But he is the most charming of frauds on this album, and he possessed a voice that, pitched between old man Tom Waits and old man Kris Kristofferson, is quite irresistible

7,5/10 Muito bom

The You Want It Darker song is probably the best one from this, but there are some other good ones

very Leonard Cohen

En 81-årig Leonard Cohen sjunger sitt avsked. 17 dagar efter att albumet släppts dog han. Och vilket avsked! Det är mörkt, stämningsfullt, och otäckt. Cohens mörka basröst ackompanjerar den minimalistiska produktionen perfekt. Och som alltid när det gäller Cohen (top-3 bästa låtskrivare någonsin) är texterna och poesin i fokus. Lyssna till exempel på hur han använder rim för att skapa rytm i titelspåret You Want It Darker. Titelspåret, som inleder albumet, är fantastiskt. Andra höjdpunkter är den sorgsna kärlekslåten Treaty (inklusive sista spåret String Reprise/Treary), samt Traveling Light, med ett klassiskt Cohen-tema om ensamhet och bohemliv. Faktumet att Cohen dog kort efter releasen gör texten i Leaving the Table ännu mer mörk: "I don't need a reason For what I became I've got these excuses They're tired and lame I don't need a pardon, no, no, no, no, no There's no one left to blame I'm leaving the table I'm out of the game" Bästa låt: You Want It Darker.

some good poems here

Am album I feel like I could sit down with, and contemplate everything. Cohen's lyrics are simple, sometimes to the point of either brilliance or inanity. Love the feeling of the record, somewhere between hymnal and drunk older man singing at a dead bar. Favorite tracks: "You Want It Darker", "Leaving the Table", "Traveling Light"

Like Bowie's Blackstar earlier in the year, Cohen's swansong was released just days before his death. He stares into the void and growls his goodbyes over sparse instrumentation; when it comes to the forefront, it warbles, just like the man singing from a therapy chair in his living room. Cohen said what he had to say and bowed out, and his unflinching contemplation of mortality is left for us to consider. Best track: You Want it Darker

This entire album sounds like Frank Zappa trying to do a Fat Albert Impression. And it’s pretty good. Nothing else to say here 4 stars

Fabulous. Cohen has the lyricism of Dylan and the musicality of Waits and is way more than the sum of those two parts. He is a national treasure and for all the credit he already gets, it doesn’t seem enough. All of his albums are amazing and this one is near the top.

It's a collection of poems that lure you into the darkest stages of human nature, passing through it's beauty as well. A fine work of art saved for certain moments, like a fine wine.

I didn't finish this one admittedly but holy hell is his voice the lowest of gravelly tones as possible. Here for it. And here for the religious content—at first seemed almost satanic? Felt like the devil was whispering in my ear. Made me want to watch True Detective all day.

Didn't expect this. It was really good. I do want it darker, Leonard. You should have done this years ago. Dead now though, eh. You silly bollocks.

Good this. I do want it darker. I want SHACK being left in charge of a pack of boy scouts levels of darker. Let's see if you can match that for darkness Leonard.

One of our best

Leonard Cohen finally clicked for me on this album - I always acknowledged he was a great artist before, but he never did it for me. This album, released shortly before his death, is dripping with all of the emotions that you expect from a man at that stage of his life; grief, loss, awareness, regret, exhaustion, love... Here's a man who's on borrowed time, being able to reflect on his life from the outside in, and the result is kind of special. It reminds me of Bowie's Blackstar in that respect - an opus to outlive himself, by design.

Praticamente a quest'album ho dedicato più di qualche ascolto. Musicalmente sembrava abbastanza lontano da ciò che mi colpisce solitamente di un album, ma alcuni testi mi hanno lasciato una sensazione strana ma bella, ed ho sentito la necessità di ascoltarlo ulteriormente coi testi sotto mano. Mi piace quello che scrive e come lo fa anche in maniera semplice. Calcolando che quest'album è uscito prima che morisse, lo rende come una sorta di testamento recitato con la sua voce roca e profonda. Sono partito con un 3 al primo ascolto, ma con il secondo penso di averlo interiorizzato (anche troppo) tanto che mi sono emozionato.

Nice existential late-night chill

Very cool, modern. Love the deep richness to his voice

4/15

Cohen at his most earthy and percussive. Not my favorite Cohen era, but there's still lots to love here!

Good album. Speaky.

Don’t listen when on a downer!

Wirklich tolles Album.

Wirklich gutes Spätwerk. Ich hätte nicht gedacht, dass ich da mal sage aber i want it brighter

A dark journey though a man's struggles to accept that he's at the end. Haunting.

Wonderful stuff - originally wasn’t expecting what I got - will be back to this for sure

Wonderful stuff - wasn’t expecting what I got - will be back to this for sure

Such a great voice from Cohen. Some songs were great, some od them probably won't stuck in my head.

Mature excellence

First time listening to this. I love Leonard Cohen. Such a gorgeous album. That man knew how to write a song.

I like it!!!!! :)

Oh..dark

Leonard Cohen isn’t necessarily a good singer although like the really deep half-talking on most of this album. It sounds like an entire album created by Hades from Hadestown which is kind of cool. I don’t think I could put most of these songs on playlists but the album is definitely still good. Also Cohen is a fantastic songwriter and the arrangement is always tasteful. Leaving the Table stands out to me as a good song that might be better with more normal vocals but there are also songs like You Want It Darker and It Seemed The Better Way that are certainly elevated by Cohen’s haunting vocals. Favorite songs: Treaty, On the Level, Leaving the Table, It Seemed the Better Way Light 8/10

i can see why people like it, but i cant imagine listening to it often

Geweldig plaatje. Ken niet zo veel van Cohen, maar viel niets tegen.

Lekker donker - zoals het prachtige eerste nummer al meteen duidelijk maakt. Mooi en sfeervol. Ik zou voor 3 sterren gegaan zijn, maar nadat we het net samen nog een keer luisterden kwam Nieke tot de conclusie dat haar 3 sterren er eigenlijk 4 hadden moeten zijn. Dus die extra ster krijgt Leonard dan bij deze van mij.

Okay it was rainy and cloudy and I went for a walk listening to this and the vibes were impeccable. Fantastic as an album, but not a whole bunch of situations I'd really enjoy listening to it? 4.5 stars

One of best posthumous albums ever!

His voice freaks me out from time to time but overall interesting to hear a Leonard Cohen album with modern production standards and strong backing vocals. Some of the songs kinda reminded me of The Division Bell purely because of how the backup singers sounded but pretty good overall.

The title track is great. Cohen is an interesting guy because you can really tell he's a poet/writer first. The rest of the album is still good although it stands out less than You Want It Darker.

impressive 4/5

Es emotivo porque es poesía muy bien musicalizada. Leonardo es un personaje oscuro y aunque el disco es muy bueno, no es su mejor presentación. Destaca traveling light

Tres bon. Different des anciens mais il y aune touche special 4.25*

Wer sonst hat das Bedürfnis, nackt zu sein?

Siempre he sentido que había dos Leonard Cohens, los dos son poetas consumados, uno es romántico, sensible, profundo y nostálgico; el otro es pesimista, muy muy oscuro, espiritual, cansado y reflexivo. El segundo es mi favorito y este es uno de los dos discos que mejor siento lo representan. Hablan mucho de cómo Dylan es un poeta y en mi opinión aunque es muy brillante para escribir sobre situaciones de su vida y para armar canciones la musicalidad propia de las palabras, la verdadera poesía del sentir un significado ulterior de una frase que lleva a algo más profundo la manejaba muchísimo mejor Cohen. Un disco inteligente sin sentirse presumido, con corazón y con un sentir de verse cercano al fin. Minimalista y con un gran peso emocional. La música cumpliendo su función como siempre en sus canciones no es la parte central pero tampoco deja nada a deber, calmado acompasado y con coros crea el ambiente correcto en cada canción. The Future me sigue gustando más pero éste es un disco con grandes ejemplos que recuerdan que la música puede tener un verdadero valor literario y, si me apuran... ese Nobel estuvo dado incorrectamente incluso.

deep voice

Ok, i was late on this one, but i thoroughly enjoyed it! I wasn't sure what to expect going in, but oh man did i make a mistake on not listening to this sooner! the lyrics were poignant and sung with such a rawness and feel to them that they can almost cut you and make you feel simultaneously. the music is brilliant, i mean, they aren't deep, like, say, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats, but still great in their own right.

Beautiful album, a fitting final album released before his death. 4 stars.

Not my style at all but so beautiful I'll revisit it for sure!

how his voice so deep yo

Que discazazazazo, solo recuerdo a otra eminencia recitando poesía mientras hay música (In My Life cover de Sir Sean Connery). Leonard siempre tan sombrío y explorando esos sentimientos que muy pocos se atreven. Aparte entra en una side list de los discos que se grabaron poco antes de la muerte del artista (ya pasó con Bowie y espero esté Cash)

Actually really enjoyed it. Really high quality production and some very interesting musical ideas

Simple yet meaningful, poetry

Really interesting and dramatic. What a deep voice.

I found it quite good actually. I like Leonard Cohen, it's slow but I like it.

This man can craft some devastating songs. Does his voice sound smooth or pristine here? No, but that's not the point.

Great album, such a stark, haunting yet beautiful tone throughout. 'Leaving the Table' is the highlight, but it's definitely worth a full listen.

Late classic Cohen.

7/10 FT: You want it darker

Lyrically, like with most Leonard Cohen, a masterpiece, but suffers from a lack of creative producing. He needs a foil to the straightforwardness of his melodies and smaller vocal range.

Wow that was depressing.

The poetry was beautiful. Idk if I cared for the music or songs as much. Love Leonard abundantly - brilliant poet and songwriter. This one, as heartbreaking as it is, doesn’t catch me as his other works do. Title track is absolutely life altering, though. Listening to Leonard Cohen makes me want to live as long as I possibly can on this hell rock just to keep experiencing the greatest feeling of love over and over and over again. Although this album doesn’t hit me like his other works, I’ll never deny the precious and delicate genius this man had.

You want it darker - 3 Treaty - 3 On the level - 4 Leaving the table - 3 If i didn't have your love - 3 Traveling light - 3 It seemed the better way - 3 Steer your way - 4 String reprise / treaty - 3

At first I didn’t like the album because it wasn’t the “vibe” I was looking for. But upon continuing I gained a massive respect for Cohen. The style of what feels like poetry with music in the background isn’t for me but I appreciate it now. I was surprised to find out he sang Hallelujah so I had to give that a listen!

Boring

75

Great poetry, but definitely not an album to "just have on in the background"

Somber but still pretty good. Continue to feel like I just want to listen to a better singer cover every song Leonard Cohen records.

The rhyme schemes were a bit rudimentary, but effective in their way. Crazy to get back to back Cohen. This one is not the most cheery haha. Maybe came out around trumps election, which explains a lot. Also one of his last albums at the sunset of his life/career, I respect this, but don’t think it’s an all time effort.

Seriously dark and seriously funny croaking sardonic almost songs about death. Spare and spooky. Respect but repeat listen

A pretty dark, sparse record reflecting on life and death. He has a bit of a Tom Waits vibe going on with his voice, but rather liked it. Highlights: "Treaty" and "Traveling Light"

Always enjoyable with a very distinct voice and mood.

J’aime bien les mélodies dans l’ensemble, mais je suis pas très fan de Léonard Cohen en fait je pense. Je trouve ça assez plat. Je n’apprécie pas assez les paroles pour passer outre Quand même le début de chaque chanson me prend. Juste c’est un vieux quoi Je sais apprécier la beauté de cette musique mais j’y reviendrai jamais 6/10

This is one of those things where I wish I got it, but I don't, not really. I know there are lots of folks that hold Leonard Cohen in high regard, and I even understand the issue. For example, I really like the Grateful Dead, like, a lot. I also have a soft spot for Bob Dylan. Much like black licorice or coffee, these are acquired tastes. People who love them, love them. People who don't get it, don't. Unfortunately, while I appreciate the quality and the effort, this isn't my bag. Dig it?

A couple of the tracks were great, first one especially but I didn’t connect with this on a deep level. Definitely not ideal for my first Leonard Cohen album but I will probably revisit this. Solid 3 for me.

i was really dreading this one because he's my first repeat artist in this list and i hated his first album so much that it made me decide i hated 2 whole genres of music. but instantly this one is more my speed. what a difference 50 years can make! it's still a bit too slow and monotonous for my taste but i like it more than my last listen from him. it makes it hit harder seeing that he passed just a few months after this came out bro's all up in my ear tho. actually i think that's a big reason why i like this one more fave track: leaving the table

Dark evil stuff, jäbä delas kans

You Want It Darker is a profound and deeply reflective final statement from Leonard Cohen. With sparse, elegant arrangements and his weathered voice at the forefront, the album confronts mortality, faith, and acceptance with remarkable clarity and grace. Somber yet beautiful, it stands as one of the most moving and dignified late-career works in modern songwriting.

Little dark and heavy, he eats gravel

This was somehow heartbreaking and scary at the same time. Very dark. Goodbye felt like quite a commanding voice. Simultaneously hopeless and hopeful

His last album and it's one of his best. Raw and honest. Particularly liked 'Leaving the Table', which foreshadows his imminent death with a resigned acceptance, acknowledging his age and that bygone times now have little relevance to him. An album of confrontational prayer with a higher power and musings about his inevitable demise. I'll be returning to this often...

3.5

You know what? I do want it darker. I want it so dark that the darkness turns purple. Leonard Cohen, before you pop your clogs to the other end of love just after making this album could I ever so please squeeze your droopy old man arms? And if it’s 10 years since you’ve been buried could I exhume you and squeeze what’s left of your muscles anyway? “When your corpse so mangled it erupts a hyena And the hyena feeds you tea and oranges that come from China If you angry so mad, ee tongue burst, and mouthjuice run gall-bladder bitter Then hyena gets you on her wavelength and river answers you’ve always been her lover. Then ee arth welcome, welcome to Cohen Jam”

I liked it at first but it grew a bit repetitive

I didn't know what to expect coming into this album; I've mostly heard Leonard's hits. As I was listening I realised the few expectations I had were mostly true though; quite a pleasant voice, songs rather slow and mellow kinda thing. I have to admit it was better than I expected though, so props for that. A solid 3 for me.

- I wrote a lot about it on my last Cohen review, but tldr version: pedo (and prob a Zionist) - I lol'ed when I read this review "Blackstar but for depressed cowboys". - I really liked the first two songs - his voice is in a very low register, and he's using a lot of light growling tones that really work for the songs. - The other songs don't really live up to the openers - for me, it got less compelling as it went on. - I'm kind of ambivalent about the instrumentation. I agree with another review saying that he should have left it more stark. There's a lot of light instrumentation throughout that's maybe a little too light and mostly sitting in the high and mid registers. I know his voice is the low end, but it just felt a little unbalanced because the instrumentation sounds kind of thin. - The album is definitely more of a mood... I don't think that I left remembering any of the songs, in particular. - I appreciate that the album is pretty short.

This was very good. I look forward to listening to an earlier album. This is a weird first introduction to Leonard Cohen.

This feels like some shit a discord mod plays when they fail to get in a relationship for the third time. “You wouldn’t understand me I’m too sigma” or some shit. The instrumentals were cool tho

I don't think I know the context of this artist to really enjoy this. He's talking very interesting poetry at me, but the production is not really for me. 5/10

It’s all very good but I just can’t listen to Leonard cohen speak for that long striaght

хороший, приятный альбом, который переслушивать не буду, но потраченного времени не жаль - 3.5

Not bad. I prefer earlier Leonard Cohen before he’s excessively Leonard Cohen. It is was nice

Це хороша музика, але я не можу уявити, щоб я повертався до цього альбому. Тут супер класна, емоційна лірика, але окрім неї важко щось виділити: інструментал мінімалістичний, вокальне виконання також. Це ідеальний альбом для того, щоб відкинутись у кріслі і роздумувати про життя, але мене (соромно визнати) альбом один раз ввігнав у сон. Хоча знов ж таки, це якісна музика, просто не та, до якої буду повертатись. Оцінка: висока 6/низька 7

I never really got into Leonard Cohen so his dark death album does t do much for me. It’s a dark and haunting exploration of life, religion, death and having humor about it. It’s fine, but not really anything I’ll circle back to.

I’m glad I listened to this album. I don’t think it’s something I would’ve picked up on my own. There’s a lot of interesting texture and it made for a very interesting listen.

Almost so dark it’s hard to listen to in one sitting. When it finished I listened to Elliott Smith to cheer myself up. Deserving of being on the list for sure but I don’t know how many times I’ll choose to put this on.

Too slow

Poetry with music

A bit slow for me

This one is kind of tough to rate if I'm being honest. On one hand, it is melancholic, thought provoking and quite dark at points. The instrumentation is great and Cohen has some great deep singing if you're into that kind of voice. That being said, I had this album on a Friday, listened to it then, and haven't thought about the album since I listened to it. It is now Monday and I'm struggling to come up with stuff to say about it simply because it doesn't have that staying power to me. Feels more like an album for people who are already Cohen fans rather than someone getting introduced for the first time, like me.

This was incredibly mid.

Det kan vist ikke blive meget mørkere. Er meget vild med den minimalistiske produktion, der virkelig giver plads til at lyrikken kan skinne. Er også svært glad for koret på You Want It Darker og It Seemed the Better Way. Jeg er desværre ikke en kæmpe fan af Leonard Cohens spoken word-stil og synes at albummet kan komme til at virke meget ensformigt og langsomt, hvilket får albummet til at føles betydeligt længere end det er. Der er dog ikke en finger at sætte på den smukke lyrik. Standouts: You Want It Darker, On the Level, If I Didn't Have Your Love

Considering the man and the meaning behind this album, I'm glad I listened to this. Will I listen to it again? Probably not..

eh. just not my thing

I appreciate the artistry and emotion but it just isn't for me.

Not really my thing, but damn is he ever talented. Not something id listen to on my own time without this challenge but its good.

Darker and deeper, what a unique voice. Quite enjoyed this although with that voice a whole album does tend to blur into one a little as there’s not much, shall we say, “range”.

On the first song. I'll be honest. I kind of hate the whispery rasp in this song. Ok as it went on it got better, but was still a little off putting. I think I would like it more after more listens but as of now I am in the middle.

No es mi estilo. La primera canción te atrapa un poco más

another pretty good album that I'lll never listen to again

This is a gorgeous album, his vocal style just isn't my thing.

It's... fine. Not really my cup of tea, and it felt like it was dragging on for too long. But it wasn't a horrible listen all in all.

I could do without the synth. It feels off on his stuff. Decent songs though.

Super moody

Given the history of this album, I can understand its ‘darkness’. But unfortunately, it doesn’t really appeal to me. Still, 3 stars...

It's good, it's very good. Its the production that stands out

It's quite the vibe. I don't think I was ready for something this heavy on my Friday morning. Something I'll likely come back to in a time of grief or uncertainty and reevaluate.

Cold. Inspiring.

Cohen levererar precis som Bowie sin svanesång från dödsbädden och släpper den i samband med sista andetaget. Det ger förstås en extra dimension till textrader som ”I’m leaving the table, I’m out of the game”. Han har aldrig varit något stor sångare sett till register, men här blir det knappt någon sång alls, utan snarare reciterade poemer till musik. Till skillnad från Bowie slutar Cohen inte på helt på topp. Ett bra och värdigt slut, men inte högsta Cohen-nivå.

Jag Cohens tre sista album är bra. Men jag håller Old ideas och popular problems något högre. Det känns som han sagt vad han behövde säga med de två albumen och att you want it darker blev någon form av upprepning av föregångarna.

Not bad at all

Cohen doing his best Tom Waits impression.

At its best, this album’s spare instrumentation and cohen’s gravelly voice are haunting, especially in the context of the album coming out at the end of his life. Still, though, I found a lot of the tracks to be repetitive, especially lyrically. There’s something to be said for hitting the theme consistently, but the album seemed to echo itself, rather than enhancing those themes.

I get the appeal of Leonard Cohen, but this album didn’t really do anything for me. Just kind of became background noise. Good background noise, but I’m not compelled to come back.

An incredibly uneventful album, with a surprisingly fitting title, as it really sounds "dark". Whilst the first few tracks feature interesting guitar playing, the later half seems to lack any guitar playing completely and focuses on a more orchestral sound. The vocals are what makes this album soud "dark" and feel like the last breath of a dying person (no wonder). Still, it could have been more musically complex.

🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 One of those weird averaging scores representative of neither extreme. Conceptually, poetically, lyrically damn near a 5—incredibly profound and moving stuff. This, if anything, is what will bring me back to You Want It Darker. Musically, instrumentally, it amounts to a stale 3, perhaps even a 2 sans vocals—there's nothing wrong with sparseness, per se, and Cohen's incredible, gruff voice and piano is often enough to carry the emotions, but after five songs or so, it sort of overstayed its welcome. This makes me feel like a shallow zoomer, maybe even one who's ontologically evil, especially given how much a thematically similar album like Blackstar means to me, hypocritically. This is a lyrical treasure, but musically falls flat, and I'm guessing Cohen hits harder with those oriented more towards the former. Me, I'm a feeler—the sound that words can't contain means more to me. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing

Pretty good but it's just too nice outside for this to have the impact it deserves.

Old man asmr

I like the sound of his voice and the music is beautiful, I just wish he would sing more than he spoke. It's an interesting blend.

Interesting - crazy narration like singing

6/10

Wow. The title track. Epic. The rest of the album, totally fine with some tasty moments. Good stuff.

worth a listen

Runonlausuntaa laulun muodossa. Puhetta melodialla. Synkkä, melankolinen. Taiteellinen. Käsittelee jotain elämää suurempaa - - kuolemaa. Viimeinen kappale kaikista kaunein.

As he aged, his voice grew impossibly deep, resonant. At times it cracked a little, but it always commanded attention. Some say he never died, he just went subsonic and now sings to the whales in the atlantic. A fair album with nice arrangements, although the vocal melodies are generic. The lyrics as always are lofty and mysterious. He speak/sings about passion like a man in his 20s.

Always nice to get something a bit different. Obviously a different sound to his earlier works but good nonetheless.

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