The Best of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen
 

The Best of Leonard Cohen by Leonard Cohen

Producers: John Simon, Bob Johnston, John Lissauer. Includes liner notes by Leonard Cohen. Personnel: Leonard Cohen (vocals, guitar). This 1975 compilation does a good job of synopsizing the early career of one of the world's finest songsmiths. Cohen's initial modus operandi was to deliver dark, poetic imagery in a sedate-but-effective manner over his own nylon-string fingerpicking. Musically, early tunes like "Suzanne," "Bird on the Wire" and "Sisters of Mercy" adhere to traditional folk ballad form, but the literary depth of the lyrics and the fragile, human imperfections of Cohens voice were virtually unprecedented. As he moved into the '70s, Cohen explored darker, less polite avenues. "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Last Year's Man" are portraits of emotional devastation similar in style to the work of Jacques Brel. Cohen's irreverence and black humor always kept him from going over the top, as exemplified by the frank, ironic tone of "Chelsea Hotel," a song written for Janis Joplin. THE BEST OF LEONARD ...

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thevoid99
1391

For Some Dark & Somber Songs For You, Leonard Cohen is Your Man

bythevoid99 Apr 27, 2002
44 Helpfuls 45 Helpfuls Was this review helpful?
Pros Excellent Latter-Day Compilation from Leonard Cohen.
Cons Some missing gems from his "Recent Songs" album.
Recommended it? Yes


Throughout his thirty-five year career, there has been no singer-songwriter who possessed a chilling yet, enduring influence as had Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen did. Cohen?s music always contained a sense of sadness and poignancy that matched his deep and somber vocals that had... Read full review »

47

The master of melancholia

byzazen1 Oct 31, 2000
29 Helpfuls 30 Helpfuls Was this review helpful?
Pros mood music
Cons can be depressing and unpopular
Recommended it? Yes


Leonard Cohen was the Nick Cave of his time , "The Best Of Leonard Cohen" released in 1975 was a 12 track summary of his best work ,which is still readily available . In later releases his voice has lost its sharpness. I do not like all the tracks on this CD but there are some choice songs on... Read full review »

44

A Poet From Montreal...

byflyingdutchman Mar 10, 2000
25 Helpfuls 26 Helpfuls Was this review helpful?
Pros Lovely collection of Cohen's earlier songs
Cons See if you can find one...
Recommended it? Yes

Leonard Cohen's older work definitely is another of my "tender spots"... I heard it ever since I was a kid, my parents had a few albums taped. Nearly thirty years later, it hasn't let go of me and it probably never will. While I think Cohen's more recent endeavors aren't that fantastic, the sublime... Read full review »

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Product Details and Features

Key Information

Album Duration 46m:19s
Number of Discs 1
Artist Leonard Cohen
Record Label Columbia (USA)
Genre Rock and Pop
Subgenre Folk Rock
Release Date March 29, 1988

Song List: Disc 1

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