Details
Track Listing
1. Suzanne
2. Sisters of Mercy
3. So Long, Marianne
4. Bird on the Wire
5. Lady Midnight
6. Partisan, The
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
| Details | | Distributor: | Sony Music Distribution ( | | Recording Type: | Studio | | Recording Mode: | Stereo | | SPAR Code: | AAD |
Album Notes
Producers: John Simon, Bob Johnston, John Lissauer.
Includes liner notes by Leonard Cohen.
This 1975 compilation does a good job of synopsizing the early career of one of the world's finest songsmiths. Cohen's initial modus operandi was to deliver dark, poetic imagery in a sedate-but-effective manner over his own nylon-string fingerpicking. Musically, early tunes like "Suzanne," "Bird on the Wire" and "Sisters of Mercy" adhere to traditional folk ballad form, but the literary depth of the lyrics and the fragile, human imperfections of Cohens voice were virtually unprecedented.
As he moved into the '70s, Cohen explored darker, less polite avenues. "Famous Blue Raincoat" and "Last Year's Man" are portraits of emotional devastation similar in style to the work of Jacques Brel. Cohen's irreverence and black humor always kept him from going over the top, as exemplified by the frank, ironic tone of "Chelsea Hotel," a song written for Janis Joplin. THE BEST OF LEONARD COHEN is a satisfactory starting point for neophytes, and those who find themselves intrigued should simply start at the beginninmg of Cohen's very consistent catalogue and work their way through.
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