The Essential Leonard Cohen

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Artist(s):

Leonard Cohen

Label: Columbia Records
Publisher(s):

Columbia Records

Studio: Columbia Records
Manufacturer: Columbia Records
Binding: Audio CD
List Price: £13.99
Our Price: £9.27
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours

Track Listing

Number of discs: 2
1.

Suzanne

The Stranger Song

Sisters Of Mercy

Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye

So Long, Marianne

Bird On A Wire

The Partisan

Famous Blue Raincoat

Chelsea Hotel #2

10.

Take This Longing

11.

Who By Fire

12.

The Guests

13.

Hallelujah

14.

If It Be Your Will

15.

Night Comes On

16.

I'm Your Man

17.

Everybody Knows

18.

Tower Of Song

19.

Ain't No Cure For Love

20.

Take This Waltz

21.

First We Take Manhattan

22.

Dance Me To The End Of Love

23.

The Future

24.

Democracy

25.

Waiting For The Miracle

26.

Closing Time

27.

Anthem

28.

In My Secret Life

29.

Alexandra Leaving

30.

A Thousand Kisses Deep

31.

Love Itself

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

The two-disc retrospective The Essential Leonard Cohen traces the Canadian bard's musical maturity from poet and novelist who sang a little, to multidimensional artist whose oracular vocals and increasingly rich arrangements are every bit as compelling as his verse. Even when Cohen came to prominence through the 1960s songcraft of "Suzanne" and "Bird on a Wire", the "folksinger" tag never really fit. Later highlights ranging from the deadpan drollery of "Tower of Song" and "Everybody Knows" to the apocalyptic anthemry of "First We Take Manhattan" and "Democracy" suggest that other labels might be more appropriate: cabaret surrealist, spiritual gadfly, sensual prophet, agent provocateur.

Cohen chose the selections, drawing more than half of the 31 tracks from three landmark albums--his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1988's I'm Your Man, and 1992's The Future--along with four from 2001's Ten New Songs. The collection justifies its title as deep as it goes, though it's a shame that Cohen's commercial profile couldn't justify the more elaborate box set his artistry warrants (one that would at least include lyrics and musician credits). Those who sample the consistently inspired music here might come to the conclusion that everything Cohen records is essential. --Don McLeese

Customer Reviews

All power to the tower of song!

This compilation has served as my introduction to the work of Leonard Cohen having only heard a few cover versions of his songs before purchasing this. It is a most impressive set and almost all the material hits the spot. The only slight gripe I have is that Len has shown a slight bias towards his latest material. The general concensus regarding Cohen's first three albums is that they are as near perfect a trio of recordings as you could hope for and although the debut provides 5 songs here, the second and third albums are only represented by a meager 3 songs!

The importance of this is that Cohen's early material is very different to the later songs. It is almost like two different personas. His early recordings are enigmatic, poetic and the music is stripped down to the absolute basics (pretty much acoustic guitar a lot of the time). Then around the time of 'Various Positions' things start to change - the voice gets lower and more gravelly, the songs get longer and the instrumentation is more varied (synths, a lot of synths!). The lyrics remain superb but this new persona is more 'in your face' confident and there is evidence of a very dry sense of humour at work.

Anyhow as I said this is no major gripe because give or take a few tracks I like all of the material on this compilation. The early style has clearly influenced other acoustic artists with a poetic bent who I greatly respect like Will Oldham, Mark Eitzel and Smog - the latter day stuff has most likely been an inspiration for the Tindersticks and the National amongst others.

Heartily recommended.

Songs reminding of new attitude towards life and social problems

The CDs are interesting to listen, because they remind of the need to look critically towards life and social problems.

The first CD unveils songs of early period of L. Cohen. Mainly, they deal with tragic love and many allusions.

In the second CD the low voice of L. Cohen reminds of social problems and the need to change them...

Listening to these two Cds will give many insights about culture, society, love and the new approach towards social life...

Soulfood Essential

This is as fine an introduction to the works of Leonard Cohen as could be imagined. The track list, selected by the man himself, covers almost every period of his recorded output (Cohen is not prolific in the way, say, Bob Dylan is, or Neil Young), but I do feel some truly great stuff has been overlooked, i.e. the hushed, but haunting version of 'Story Of Isaac' from 1973's LIVE SONGS, which is one of the most profound things that anyone has ever written, the great live recordings from FIELD COMMANDER COHEN: Tour Of 1979, which admittedly was not released until after THE ESSENTIAL LEONARD COHEN appeared. Of those songs, I feel the title track is as good and epic a song as any he's recorded, and the version from NEW SKIN FOR THE OLD CEREMONY would have sufficed over e.g 'Take This Longing' which already appears on his GREATEST HITS. As for the Passenger version of 'Lover Lover Lover', what can I say? It is blistering! Likewise (from that same album) versions of 'The Window', 'The Smokey Life', 'The Stranger Song', 'The Gypsy's Wife' (long since a staple of the live act) and an unforgettable reading of 'Memories' from the unfairly-maligned DEATH OF A LADIES' MAN, are all worthy of inclusion. In fact, it's true to say that all Cohen's output is essential, but I would also have included 'Ballad Of The Absent Mare' and 'Came So Far For Beauty' from RECENT SONGS, 'The Old Revolution' from SONGS FROM A ROOM (if only for discovering it had been a minor hit in the UK: hats off to Dale Winton for pointing that out to me!), the live 'Joan Of Arc', 'One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong' and 'Hallelujah' from 1993's COHEN LIVE, 'Coming Back To You' and 'The Captain' from 1984's VARIOUS POSITIONS, but the greatest omission surely has to be the Lorca-inspired 'Take This Waltz' from the brilliant I'M YOUR MAN. I could eulogise forever. Suffice to say, if your not familiar with the man's work, this is the perfect place to start. After that, buy THE SONGS OF LEONARD COHEN, his debut (perhaps, alongside Jeff Buckley's GRACE and THE VELVET UNDERGROUND AND NICO, the greatest debut of all time, for my money).

It's like sipping your best brandy whilst puffing on a quality cigar

The voice is the first thing you notice. The early poetic renditions on such classics as "Suzanne", "Sisters of Mercy" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" are presented in a voice that is deadpan but not as gruff as in later years. This was at a period when he was a well kept secret and with a style and presentation that not everyone took to. Move onto disc 2 and you notice how the voice deepens and the songs become bigger. One thing that Cohen has never failed to deliver is quality songs with curious stories to tell. He has an almost hymn-like or gospel touch on a lot of his work, usually enhanced by superb backing singers and wondrous musicians and arrangements.

I move between both of his periods with equal ease, but I find the latter stuff more appealing these days. Some people could sing the contents of the telephone directory given the right voice, he is one of them. "Democracy", "Tower of Song", "First we take Manhattan" and "Hallelujah" are stand out tracks but I defy anyone not to get lost in "Closing Time". This is by far my favourite. A fun song, with so many catchy hooks it just pulls you off your seat and invites you to dance with the nearest partner. You can almost smell the smoke and alcoholic fumes as if you are drinking in the bar with him. A tremendous talent......but what great assistance from his backing singers.

This is a great selection of his work. If you are a fan, you'll want it in your collection. If you are just curious, buy it.........it's a great introduction.

A lesson for what really music is

There's nothing missing from this collection. Not the quality, not the deep, truthful voice, not the fully poetic and inspirational lyrics, nothing. My boyfriend bought this CD and we can't get enough of it- especially DISC 2.
Cohen is and will remain unique in this industry, mainly because he has something solid yet so delicate to say, because he is a musician, because he possesses the gift to sing stories instead of 'telling a song'. Great music, great lyrics, great singer.

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