Tracks
- 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 is a calm album. The songs are folk. The songs center on Leonard Cohen's guitar-playing and singing. There are exceptions, of course. Perhaps, because of a lack of a rhythm section, many of the songs lack energy and seem sad. Even the ones with some bass accompaniment aren't terribly uplifting, either. The lyrics, which are well-written and interesting, and Cohen's voice, which is not very strong, might contribute to the sense of sadness, too.
I really liked this album. I'm not very good at interpreting lyrics, but I enjoy painting a mental image from them. Leonard Cohen writes lyrics and creates a mood where the mental images are clear.
Yet, I'm not exactly clear why this album is on the 1001 Albums list. I'm guessing that it's because he is at the forefront of a group of folk singers who perform their own songs and write lyrics which are more introspective than political or universal.
I think this album is certainly worth listening to, but for those who aren't keen on folk, it's not going to win them over. It's a well-balanced album song-wise, so it's hard to pick out any stand outs, but if I were pressed to choose them, I would say Suzanne, Master Song, So Long, Marianne, Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye and One of Us Cannot Be Wrong are the ones I'd choose.
★★★★★★★★★☆
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