Songs Of – LEONARD COHEN***

Suzanne/Master Song/Winter Lady/The 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

Songs Of Leonard Cohen was the debut album from the archetypal bedsit singer-songwriter, the Canadian Leonard Cohen. More a poet than a songwriter, there is no getting away from the fact that most of his songs sound very much the same. (US:83 UK:13)

"Cohen's first and most classic album is naturally marked by his calm voice tone chanting his trademark and captivating storytelling poems. The instrumentation generally consists of droning acoustic guitar backed by quiet and superb chamber instruments, as well as equally discreet electric guitar and horns. What a soothing listen, a handsome folk album in which everything matches perfectly."

"It's not good that every song sounds pretty much exactly the same. I'd heard Suzanne a little while before and found it's gentle lilting tone quite soothing. I was disappointed that every single song sounded identical to this. No, not disappointed, intensely irritated."

"He's known as the 'poet of existential despair', a man of soaring visages and terrible nightmares, all put to beautiful and classic melodies." "Leonard Cohen is one of the artists that defined what it meant to be a singer-songwriter and his entrancing acoustic riffs, poetic storytelling lyrics and masterful use of non-folk instruments expanded the boundaries of what folk music could be and mean."

"This album is for people with a true love for folk music and people who won't be put off by a general lack of melody. These songs are all beautifully written, but they need to be listened to closely to be really appreciated. It's a fair assessment that all these sound more or less the same, but that just means all ten songs are good."

"This album is soaked in emotion. Cohen's deep, soothing and yet slightly sinister voice makes him the greatest adult storyteller, and his finger picking guitar style adds to the creepy atmosphere that acts as the scenery to Cohen words. Such is the language used; you can visualize a different story on every listen."