You Want It Darker

Moody and atmospheric. Sad to see this removed from the physical book.

Hallelujah without the candles. Awesome in it's dark majesty.

7/10

For some reason, this album was pulled from the list today to be replaced by less important albums. I thought it was great. I’ve been a fan of his earlier albums for a while but, like most artists of the era, I’ve never wanted to dip into their later releases. This is surprisingly good (unlike the newest Rolling Stones album that bumped it from the list).

Pretty cool, not at all what I like normally and I don't think I really understood what it is aiming for, but was interesting nonetheless

Not thrilling but fine. Liked the strings at the end the best.

I feel like this may be like the case of Blackstar and Bowie: an album regarded maybe a little higher than it should because of the artist's death so close to its release. And this isn't a bad album, but it doesn't grab me like some of his other albums.

eh

Old man mumbling into a microphone is not my idea of a good time

Like my last Cohen one, it's nice to listen to becuase of his voice but feel I need to give it a deeper listen to really get it

4.5/5

Slow and his voice so deep I could barely hear in the car

Album #303 Leonard Cohen: You Want It Darker Unfortunately, You Want It Darker is now mostly remembered for being completely outshadowed by David Bowie’s eerily similar Blackstar; I mean, two of the greatest musicians of all-time releasing their final album, which is a bleak affair where they wrestle with their own impending deaths, and they came out in the same year? Even though Bowie may have stolen the spotlight, You Want It Darker is a masterpiece in its own right. Cohen has never relied on his vocals, so his coarse and gravelly delivery doesn’t detract from anything here; his songwriting has always been his appeal. Cohen’s lyrics are as poetic and curious as ever; the theme of mortality creates an incredible motif for him to work around, and it results in one of his most personal and timeless albums. The orchestrations on the tracks are consistently beautiful and take the album to another level; it really feels like Cohen is talking to you from the gates of heaven at times. There is no weak spot here, and I might be crazy for thinking that the title track is the worst of the bunch, but I can see an argument for any track here being the standout. Cohen goes out in the only way he knows how, painstakingly thoughtful and bleak; I hope his enjoying his eternal sigh in the afterlife. Best Songs: Travelling Light, Treaty, Steer Your Way Worst Song: You Want It Darker Score out of 10: 9.5

Tom waitsian with less interesting instrumentation. 3.

Dejlig mørk stemning og stemme med Cohen's spoken word

Han formår sgu at skabe en stemning.

Endnu et MASTERPIECE To i træk - wow! Der er så meget lore omkring det her album, og teksterne, stemningen, atmosfæren er fuldstændigt uforlignelige. Elsker det 5.0

A million times 5, que belleza.

I’m a big Leonard Cohen fan, and this is one of his best albums. Definitely mood music, but masterfully written and composed. Easy 5 stars for me.

A bit sleepy. Beautiful lyrics

Holy shit, no thanks.

I like Leonard Cohen he certainly has a way with words I've been a fan for awhile but only ever really listened to collections of his songs this was the first full album of his I'd listened to and I really enjoyed it just a nice relaxing listen with amazing writing and great back up singing and his voice is at be times very haunting loved it

The history of this album is what made me fall in love with it, but also his voice. It feels like it should be in a shrek movie

A kind of Requiem. Dark atmosphere facing death.

who's this man omg his voice relaxed me sm i'm gonna listen to him when going to bed

Great spoken word piece by Cohen. Really enjoyed this. Atmospheric, dark, and deep. A belter to listen to.

Cool but it gets old really fast. Kinda depressing.

Ok

Its constantly like he is standing under a flickering street lamp chain smoking and singing into nothingness. Of all his albums this is the best and seems to flow a little better but still not good. It just gets old after a while and feels like he is just pounding a point home that nobody cares about anymore. Some of the lyrics are good and I kind of like the violin in It Seemed the Better Way but still just blech. Made me feel slightly dirty and yucky by the end

Ooohhh this is so haunting. You Want It Darker as the opener really sets the tone for what's ahead here. Leonard invites us into his head and his heart as he tells the world goodbye and wishes love a fond farewell. I love how every song is unhurried, a reminder to savor the time we do have. The whole thing was incredibly touching and beautiful. This project is the reason I'm a Leonard Cohen fan (from getting I'm Your Man early on), so it's fitting to get this towards the end of the project as a bookend to his life journey, and to my journey with him.

wapardo

i couldn’t get through this, like late stage bob dylan. respect the context of this album but as a huge fan of his early stuff its just night and day, a consequence of time.

i love his voice but the music just isnt for me

Great atmosphere, great voice, great pretty as always. Could've used a bit more variety, though. The title track is just awesome.

Rather dark and reflective. Very thought provoking.

A portent of what was about to happen perhaps. When you want it darker, listen to Leonard Cohen. But this album has moments of light within the shade, and in places, is hauntingly beautiful.

Mesmerising, beautiful, soulful

After Johnny Cash, I wonder if there is an alternative 1001 - Albums to Make Before You Die. At least in this case you can understand why it's so low key. 2*

Not for me. 1/5

Baffling inclusion #7 Hardly essential, an ancient Leonard cohen talks over some soft beats. At this point what does he have to say? Massive waste of time. ⭐️

Leonard Cohen lives forever. That's not just me being funny; he said that he intended to do so a couple of years back. While it's very much ironic-Cohen died weeks later-I think his music has the true reasoning to live on for as long as it should. Which is why it pains me to say...this one's not his best. Is it heartbreaking? Yes, of course, but I feel like I should want more.

Someone once said “this is reaper reciting Maya Angelou at at the old grain mill” … correct 😃 You not even on beat fam.

The worst one thus far. Do you even have to ask?

Niiiice

I like Cohen but hadn't listened to this one. Great, late career album. More consistent than a lot of his other work and with a handful of great songs that's enough to put this in the top tier of Cohen's work

Dark but enjoyed the lyrics.

Great poetry, his last album and one of his best.

I missed this when it was released, mostly due to struggling with Cohen’s work in the 80s and 90s, notably the gravelly vocals. With this album I was apprehensive because they are even more gravelly, as they should be. The turnoff didn’t last as this is a beautiful and haunting album, albeit one that’ll be tough to revisit.

Woof

What a beautiful voice

Rosalega er hann djúpraddaður

Heyrðu, bara helvíti gott.

Meh. Its slow and boring. I cant get into the lyrics, I am not a poetry nerd so hearing it over slow and depressing music is not for me.

Very chilled listening. Not my normal vibe but found myself swept away by it.

What a hauntingly profound piece of work from the late great Leonard Cohen. His deep, iconic voice sent chills through me as he essentially gave a farewell to the audience as he spoke on life, peace, themes of love and happiness, along with the acceptance of the end. A glorious piece of work and it feels just like classic Leonard even being that late into his career. Gorgeous project.

This album was very haunting given Cohen’s voice and the lyrical content. It didn’t feel like singing to me and more like someone was reading to me dramatically on several of the tracks. I went back to some of Cohen’s earlier work to see if he sounded the same and he mostly did, so the talk / sing thing is just his style. If I heard some of these songs in a mix with other artists, I would probably be into it because of the distinct sound, but I did not particularly enjoy hearing his songs back-to-back because they started to bleed together for me.

7.2/10. This album was filled with some classical arrangements, some jazz, some blues, and a lot of spoken word/poetry. Cohen's voice is deep and slightly raspy, sounding almost evil when he wanted it to, reminding me a lot of Mark Knopfler's voice (of Dire Straits). Its use of a choir on some of the tracks makes it feel more grand and spacious in its atmosphere. The tone of the album as a whole feels like a reflection of a journey (which it was of Cohen's life), and gets heavy with the themes that are brought into many of the songs.

Not my thing

Cohen at his gravely, growly best.

Didn’t think I’d like it but I actually did. End of story. Ok bye.

Liked Travelling Light.

Musically and creatively fascinating, Cohen is a poet. Not something I'd listen to on repeat, but cool to experience.

I wish I liked him more

Jesus Christ this hit hard. It is helpful to think that Leonard went out doing what he enjoyed, and turned tragedy into art Fave track: Leaving the Table

It's sad, soft, slow spoken words over minimal instrumentation. Wasn't really something I was in the mood for, and I seriously doubt I'd revisit. The story behind the album is very sad. 3/5

Malo

Loved it! Felt very balanced from one song to the next and the lyrical themes were nicely connected

The music performed well if not original whatsoever, while Cohen’s words are intelligent and his delivery largely the same between tracks. However the value of this “impending death” album is Cohen’s attitude toward dying - matter of fact and poetic, humorous but serious. It’s an oddly uplifting album about recognizing the end of life. There are certainly worse ways to die.

Beautiful final album from the maestro.

Boring

A great songwriter, but he made far better albums. He was never a great singer but here he barely sings. These are the final breaths of a dying man.

Not everyone is going to like this, but I quite like a bit of depressing Leonard. This one is especially depressing as it deals with Leonard's own mortality towards the end of his life. This is not happy clappy music!

Great album

Sounds like parody, but I featr it is meant seriously.

Great deep voice. Very dark mood but a little too restrained for my usual listening.

This is the most recent album from Leonard Cohen I’ve heard. He’s still got it. Or at least he did 10 years ago.

Fav: Steer Your Way L: If I Didn't Have Your Love 3 It wasn't working for me. If I reach 80 years old and this is my outlook on life, death, love than something has gone wrong. Cover: 3.5 Name: 2.5 Minecraft Parody: In the Nether (On the Level)

I think I'm supposed to be a Leonard Cohen fan. Maybe he has better albums. The songs themselves weren't very interesting. Playing a song slow with a rich voice doesn't make it all too valuable automatically. Idk, it was fine. It might need to stew a bit longer. 2.5/5

MY KING YOURE BACK SO SOON HELLO! House MD x AMC’s Interview with a Vampire journalist vibes on this album cover. Is this title a question? Answer is yes. (Said in the style of “the answer is no!” à la early Leonard in Teachers) This is the deep voice Leonard I’ve heard ravings about!!! I thought I knew. I did not. Jaw genuinely dropped from like, line one, and remained dropped. Brutal, introspective, devastating, yet still with his classic sass and d r a m a. Released just before his death and I’m floored! He’s the greatest gift this project has given me. I can’t believe mere months ago I thought he was lynyrd skynyrd and now he is my identity. This may be the first album where I’m like “I’d give this 10 stars if I could”

Ik merk dat het niet helemaal mijn ding is, heb wel eens naar hem geluisterd, maar kon er ook nooit echt inkomen. Terwijl je al snel geneigd ben op 4 sterren te beginnen, puur vanwege de naam. Maar dat moet je dan eigenlijk niet doen he. Het is best prima om naar te luisteren, maar die schurende praatstem wordt ik gewoon niet heel warm van. En dan is het muzikaal ook niet interessant genoeg om het op te tillen zeg maar. 3 sterretjes dus.

bello e profonda voce

The soundtrack to the end of life, the mental struggles of your body giving up intertwined with religious imagery and a sombre tone. He's near the end here and it's evident in the vocals and lyrics. I'm a nurse and I worked in a care home for a few years, so saw a lot of people going through this process. It does add extra weight to the lyrics and themes here. I am not likely to listen again because it's not my thing. I can however respect it as art. Edit: Listened again and loved it. It really is Dark as treacle. Upgraded to 4* .

Are they really songs? Or is it poetry over music? Who cares - it is brilliant.

Didn't really like it. Would probably read pretty good as poetry, but I don’t feel the gap was bridged here. Dark and fairly monochromatic, laid over music that didn’t lend any favors — no style or tempo changes made this listen much more like a spooky spoken word session than a musical work. Maybe I just don’t get it and it’ll grow on me. Until then.

And darker it is.

Humorous and a little dark. I liked it if even if it was a sorta one-note. Light 7

When I’m in the mood I’m quite partial to a bit of depressive music to sit and wallow in something or other which seemed important at the time but in reality wasn’t. Generally accepted that Leonard Cohen is the king of all things gloomy, bleak and cheerless. But I take my melancholy with other artists better suited to my mournful tastes. I listened to this album first thing on a Sunday morning in bed. I got up afterwards feeling at peace and not a bit glum so the darkness of this album did not work on me. Leaving that aside I did enjoy the listen albeit Leonards’s voice does tend to grate after a while but not bad enough to make me reach for the pills or razor blades. 3/5 13/9/26

I Did Not Want It Darker

Listening to You Want It Darker after only being familiar with Cohen's earliest work is a strange experience. It's still very obviously Leonard Cohen, but it's interesting to hear what 50 years do to a man. His voice gives a new meaning to the word "weary". It's a perfect match for these chamber folk arrangements, though, and I love it. It just pulls you in and refuses to let go. The mood is strange, as sinister as it is spiritual, a contradiction that keeps you invested. The lyrics are absolutely beautiful and they perfectly complement this atmosphere, but that's barely a surprise from such a masterful lyricist. Cohen is negotiating and even arguing with God, embracing his faith and condemning what it implies. Overall, not a grand farewell like we experienced with other artists like Bowie. Quite the contrary, it's gorgeously solemn and, most importantly, authentic. Favourite track: You Want It Darker

Musicality- 0.8 Vocals - 0.8 Vibes - 0.5 Listen to again - 0.1 Execution - 0.7 Total - 2.9

It's dark, it's grim, it's written and performed by a man who knows he's dying. All that being said, I'm not sure if I liked it, but I appreciated it. Not something I'd seek out to listen to again but I'm glad I heard it. 3.5* rounded down to 3*

3/5

no, im OK thanks giving sensual or maybe even grandpa singing you to sleep (respectfully)

Feels an odd place to start with Leonard Cohen, but that’s not up to me. I can see some of the beauty in this, with the arrangements as sparsely lush as they are and Cohen’s own sense of poetry in the face of death and all that, but it’s just not really music for my tastes on a sort of baseline level. The chamber folk poet bit isn’t really my bag.

To be near the end and keep the creative spark alive.

Haunted gospel feat. Uncle Scar

That voice! This was a strong entry to his catalog, and a fitting capstone, as he died within a few weeks of it's release. He speaks the lyrics almost more than he sings them, but for his poetry, it works.

Sad

God bless him, what a man.

unexpected spoken-word? very sad; not my kind of thing but I respect the emotional/spiritual depth