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Leonard Cohen Songs Of Leonard Cohen (1968)  Rating (Out of 10): 8.5 Tracklisting: Suzanne/Master song/Winter lady/Stranger song/Sisters of mercy/So long Marianne/Hey that's no way to say goodbye/Stories of the street/Teachers/One of us cannot be wrong The music of Leonard Cohen needs little to no introduction. At 72 years old, he has had a career spanning 4 decades, released 17 albums and is one of the most highly respected singer songwriters in the music industry. There is a very long list of quality musical talent that has come out of Canada; a list that boasts the likes of Joni Mitchell, Ron Sexsmith, Neil Young and Gordon Lightfoot; and Leonard Cohen would most definitely be at the top of the list. But writing and performing songs is only one of his many talents. By the time Cohen’s first album, ‘Songs of Leonard Cohen’ was released in 1968, Cohen was already 34 years old and had already lead quite an accomplished life carving out a successful literary career for himself and had published 3 collections of poetry and 2 novels. Rather than being seen as a change of career, releasing his first album can be taken as an extension of his literary career. Many of his songs are poetry put to music, and all of his songs are exceptionally emotional and have a very literary feel. Despite having released 17 albums to date, his first remains one of his best and contains some of the best songs he has ever written. The opening track ‘Suzanne’ is still a favourite amongst Cohen fans. There is a tremendous atmosphere about it. It is smooth, beautiful, and captivating, and like many Cohen songs it isn’t just a song, it tells a story, takes us on a journey. ‘Sisters of Mercy’ sees Cohen give a terrific vocal performance and is another song that has lasted the test of time and is still popular today. ‘Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye’ has been covered by that other wonderful Canadian singer songwriter, Ron Sexsmith, and whichever version you prefer, there is no doubt that it is a beautiful song. Right from the beginning it was clear that Cohen possessed a huge amount of talent, and it isn’t just his poetic and lyrical ability. He also possesses amazing vocal talent. He is far from being a conventional singer. His voice is very unique, and is filled with character and he uses it to very successfully deliver his stories and express his poetry. In the 1960’s and 70’s no serious music fan would have been without ‘Songs Of Leonard Cohen’ taking pride of place in her record collection, and the same could still be said today. 38 years later it is still relevant and enjoyable and still shows what an amazing talent Cohen was and still remains. Send A Comment |
