Track Listing

1. Suzanne
2. Master Song
3. Winter Lady
4. Stranger Song
5. Sisters Of Mercy
6. So Long Marianne
7. Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye
8. Stories Of The Street
9. Teachers
10. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53718 in Music
• Released on: 1991-10-28
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.co.uk Review
Time has been extraordinarily kind to Songs of Leonard Cohen. While it attracted considerable fanfare upon its release in 1968, not everyone was immediately captured by its dusky charms. Randy Newman, for one, couldn't resist the temptation to parody "Suzanne", the album's brooding opener, on his 12 Songs album. (Conversely, director Robert Altman brilliantly drew upon the dirges here for the soundtrack to his classic anti-western, McCabe and Mrs. Miller.) But what some once found to be pretentious and affected has come to feel penetrating and ageless. Seeded with what have become signature songs of the Canadian wordsmith ("Sisters of Mercy", "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye", "So Long, Marianne"), the album has a narcotic quality that owes as much to producer/musical director John Simon's inspired folk-baroque soundscapes as to Cohen's lofty lyrics and earthbound vocals. -- Steven Stolder

CD Description
Leonard Cohen's debut album encapsulated the performer's artistry. A successful poet and novelist, he came to music through the folk idiom, and this set combines the aural simplicity and visual clarity of these two passions. Cohen's lugubrious voice brought an intensity to a haunting collection bound together by beautiful melodies and deeply personal lyrics. Members of contemporary group Kaleidoscope join producer John Simon in creating a delicate backdrop for some memorablelove songs. Cohen's ability to be both intimate and universal is a rare gift and results in a body of work that is bothtimeless and enthralling, albeit a bit sombre.

Customer Reviews

All-Time Great Album
Leonard Cohen's first album is his best. Although I have heard all his albums and enjoyed them to varying degrees, "The Songs Of..." is the one I always come back to.
It's a brave album in that he lays his emotions bare in a way that no-one had previously. None of the bluster of Edith Piaf, none of the schmaltz of Sinatra, none of the goofiness of Dylan. The delivery is sad but very romantic and his love of and lust for women is so naked it's at times embarassing.
The classical guitar playing, although without the panache of Reinhardt, has tremendous energy and drive and I have never heard a style like Leonard's. The voice. What more can I say? Rich like the darkest treacle, his voice insistently begs for your attention. You know great sadness has been there but also great joy. Beautiful but transient women have been lovers.
The songs speak for themselves. "Suzanne" is simply a classic, "Sisters Of Mercy" is the most bittersweet symphony there has ever been, "Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye" is top 10 pop in a melancholy 1968 way.
Have I said enough? Probably more than enough. Buy it and love it.

THE ORIGINAL MASTERPIECE
The lilting poetry of Suzanne lures the listener into Leonard Cohen’s world of romantic despair while introducing the essence of his sound: a deep monotone voice framed by sublime female backing vocals over a simple but engaging melody. Master Song, Winter Lady and Stranger Song reinforce the desolate landscape although the melodies are less immediate. Cohen’s genius shines brightly on the immortal Sisters Of Mercy, a strange mixture of the spiritual and the sensual that must be one of the most beautiful song-poems in the English language. This delicate gem is followed by the powerful and evocative So Long Marianne and the understated Hey That’s No Way To Say Goodbye, both masterpieces of words, melody and arrangement – the female vocals on Goodbye is especially impressive.

DEPRESSING? NO WAY!
The early works of Leonard Cohen are unique in their appeal, and this debut album is my favourite. People who dismiss this record as depressing and miserable are not hearing what I hear, a peerless collection of songs and poems combined with superb arrangements. While Cohen's lyrics are quite rightly celebrated, what many overlook is his skillful guitar work, which is evident on every track. Classic after classic, one after another, the tracklisting speaks for itself... lesser known titles such as Master Song and Winter Lady are as good as, if not better than, the usual suspects here such as Suzanne and ...Marianne. Cohen's certainly an acquired taste, though I can't understand why! One of the best albums ever made, great songs and playing combined with subtle, haunting arrangements. Excellent!