Track Listing

1. Avalanche
2. Last Year's Man
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag
4. Diamonds In The Mine
5. Love Calls You By Your Name
6. Famous Blue Raincoat
7. Sing Another Song Boys
8. Joan Of Arc

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #84106 in Music
• Number of discs: 1

CD Description
It doesn't get darker than this. Though Leonard Cohen had already established himself as the doyen of doom with his first two albums, his third, SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE, finds him kicking off the 1970s with the sharpest repudiation of the '60s peace-and-love/flower-power ethic the world had yet seenfrom the "sensitive troubadour" corner of the music map. Though it's not really a "concept album", SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE feels like a guided tour through one man's battle-scarredlove life. The utter emotional degradation of "Avalanche", the suicidal frenzy of "Dress Rehearsal Rag", and the bitterregret of "Last Year's Man" all sound like stops on the same ill-fated journey. The arrangements are wisely based around Cohen's world-weary voice and hypnotic acoustic-guitar patterns, with occasional orchestrations rising like dark clouds in the background. Possibly Cohen's finest album, LOVE ANDHATE would stand as a monument to explorers of the musical Dark Side for decades to come--such as Nick Cave, who memorably covered "Avalanche"--and to anyone nursing a bitter, broken heart.

Customer Reviews

Ageless music
Contrary to popular opinion, Cohen could sound harsh and bitter long before his collaboration with Phil Spector in 1978 that led to the much maligned Death of a Ladies' Man.

Other musician seem to like these songs more than Cohen does; for the collection Essential Leonard Cohen he selected only one track from this album, Famous Blue Raincoat. Among those who highly esteem Songs of Love and Hate is Jennifer Warnes who covers Famous Blue Raincoat on her album of the same name which also contains a duet with Cohen on a longer version of Joan of Arc.

On the soundtrack album Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man The Handsome Family interprets the same song whilst Tori Amos performs it on Tower of Song:The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Famous Blue Raincoat is very popular as Judy Collins included it on her Cohen tribute album along with Dress Rehearsal Rag and Joan of Arc.

And on the appealing 1991 tribute I'm Your Fan, there is a French version of Avalanche by Jean-Louis Murat. Sing Another Song Boys is Cohen at his bitter best, its harsh chorus atypical of the of the poetic folkie's 1960s sound, pointing to later songs like Lover Lover Lover on 1974's New Skin for the Old Ceremony.

The fierce uptempo Diamonds in the Mine rocks in the same vein, where the celestial female vocals are particularly effective in balancing Cohen's raw voice on this tale of striking imagery. In tone, theme and delivery Diamonds in the Mine and Sing Another Song Boys are not too remote from tracks like Iodine, Paper-Thin Hotel or Don't Go Home with your Hardhat on his much-criticized Death of a Ladies' Man.

The bonus track is a second more produced version of Dress Rehearsal Rag with full instrumentation. The rest of the original songs is typical early Cohen. With astonishing elegance and simplicity, the haunting melodies, melancholy lyrics and ragged voice have a way of establishing themselves in the consciousness of the listener.

Few other musicians touch the strings of the soul in the way that Cohen does. Definitely Emmylou Harris & Dylan can; Nick Cave does, as do Nick Drake, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson and also Swans on their more gentle songs. Songs of Love and Hate is another jewel in Cohen's crown of ageless music.

Beautiful and brutal
This is the first of Leonard Cohens albums I've bought after hearing the odd track here and there over the last couple of years or so.

I have to say it is simply and truly excellent - especially "Dress Rehersal Rag" a powerful and brutal song that confirms Cohen as a master poet and indeed, vocalist.

This album oozes power, emotion, class and mostly sorrow (see Famous Blue Raincoat).

Truly excellent.

Excellent
I have been listening to Cohen for quite a few years now (even thought I was only born in early 70s), and agree it take more than one hearing to really find the beauty of his songs.
The Love and Hate is in my opinion a master-piece and excellent album I can listen to 100 times and still feel enriched.
However I do not recomend it for first-time Cohen listeners as I believe this is quite difficult one to like for someone who is not used to his style. For anyone who does know Cohen and does not have this album I can only say: Buy it. Now!