OPINION
I first heard of Leonard Cohen at a friends house as a record, the song was "Suzanne" and I loved it. I remembered the name and to my delight I found his CD in the Woolworths price crunch a while back now. His songs are so calming but have lyrics that explore ideas of religion, isolation, ... Read review
I first heard of Leonard Cohen at a friends house as a record, the song was "Suzanne" and I loved it. I remembered the name and to my delight I found his CD in the Woolworths price crunch a while back now. His songs are so calming but have lyrics that explore ideas of religion, isolation, sexuality and complex interpersonal relationships, so as calm as they seem their underlying provocations are deeply moving. ...a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. His earliest songs are rooted in European folk music, his 1970's music encompasses pop, chaberet and world music and since the 1980's his high baritone voice took on more low registers, often accompanied by electronic synthesizers and female backing singers. His writing has influenced lots of singer-songwriters and more than a thousand renditions of his work have been recorded.
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OPINION
I first heard of Leonard Cohen at a friends house as a record, the song was "Suzanne" and I loved it. I remembered the name and to my delight I found his CD in the Woolworths price crunch a while back now. His songs are so calming but have lyrics that explore ideas of religion, isolation, sexuality and complex interpersonal relationships, so as calm as they seem their underlying provocations are deeply moving.
ARTIST
Leonard Cohen is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. His earliest songs are rooted in European folk music, his 1970's music encompasses pop, chaberet and world music and since the 1980's his high baritone voice took on more low registers, often accompanied by electronic synthesizers and female backing singers. His writing has influenced lots of singer-songwriters and more than a thousand renditions of his work have been recorded.
TRACK LIST
1. Suzanne 2. Sisters Of Mercy 3. So Long Marianne 4. Bird On The Wire 5. Lady Midnight 6. Partisan 7. Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye 8. Famous Blue Raincoat 9. Last Year's Man 10. Chelsea Hotel No 2 11. Who By Fire 12. Take This Longing
The first song on the album "Suzanne", its lyrics were taken from his 1966 book of poetry Parasites of heaven, the poem titled Suzanne takes you down. A few other songs of his debut album were also based on his poetry, because of a lack of material.
"Bird on the wire", was written when he lived on the Greek Island Hydra and saw a bird sitting on one of Hydras' recently installed phone wires. It came about when his girlfriend Marianne, helping him to overcome depression passed him his guitar, whereupon he went about composing the song.
Other songs include "Famous Blue Raincoat", a song in the form of a letter, and tells the story of a three-way affair. And "Chelsea Hotel No 2" inspired by the chelsea hotel a well-known residency of artists, musicians and writers in the neighbourhood of Chelsea, Manhattan in New York.
The only thing I will say is that "Hallelujah" would have been a welcome addition to the list.
PRICE GUIDE
Amazons price is £4.47 or used from £2.32
Play.com has it for £3.99
base.com for £4.57
On ebay there is a listing of £5.99 including postage
The case is standard. The cover art was taken in 1968 in a Montreal hotel room. Its a really great buy and at a more than reasonable price. Recommended to all!
Advantages: Good intro to Leonard Cohen's work Disadvantages: A compilation, & so someone else's selection!
I brought this on vinyl years ago, & it fitted nicely on half of a 90min tape whence I played it continually (to the delight of all).. until unfortunately, one day the tape wore out, & even more unfortunate: I no longer have a working record player.
However, on a recent visit to my cousin in Bath I re-discovered this on CD in FOP for a marvellous £4.99! The tracks do not include a few of my favourites - Avalanche, , First ... ...Your Man> - but does include a number of absolute classics:
1. Suzanne 3:47
2. Sisters Of Mercy 3:33
3. So Long, Marianne 5:37
4. Bird On The Wire 3:23
5. Lady Midnight 2:50
6. The Partisan 3:20
7. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye 2:54
8. Famous Blue Raincoat 5:05
9. Last Year's Man 5:55
10. Chelsea Hotel #2 3:02
11. Who By Fire 2:29
12. Take This Longing 4:05
Suzanne is probably Leonard's most famous song - a beautiful mournful ballad. ...
badjabadjabadja 24.08.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Greatest Hits - Leonard Cohen
Advantages: Excellent introduction to Mr Cohen Disadvantages: Disadvantages? are you crazy?
...musings by one of the greatest lyricists of the twentieth century and beyond. This collection is a good starting point for those wishing to explore Mr. Cohen's back -catalogue, including the important early works. Beginning with the timeless 'Suzanne', you will be drawn into his brooding and introspective world - a beautiful and haunting a depiction of transient and impermanent love, 'Suzanne' is tangible in it's imagery and nostalgic whims.
The ... ...an early age by his father to express himself. By the time he reached his teens he was already a competent guitarist and a fixture iwithinn the Montreal Cafe circuit, performing his own poetry to the Canadian beatniks. His poetry achieved critical acclaim and was published in under the title 'Let Us Compare Mythologies'; this was then followed by two novels 'The Favourite Game' (1963) and 'Beautiful Losers' (1966). It was then that he decided to ...
tlws 07.03.2006
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Greatest Hits - Leonard Cohen
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