From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Leonard Cohen
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Music Box [2]
Pitchfork Media (9.6/10)[3]
Rolling Stone [4]
Piero Scaruffi [5]
Q [6]
Uncut [7]
Songs of Leonard Cohen in UK and spent nearly a year and a half in the UK album
charts.
Album information
Cohen’s lonely and emotional songs were informed by
his literate approach, part and parcel to a burgeoning
singer/songwriter movement in popular music. Seen by
later critics as a reaction against the psychedelic band-
oriented styles (as were the country-rock developments
of 1968 and 1969) enjoying a vogue in 1967, determining
whether indeed the singer-songwriters were ’reacting
against’ the baroque tapestries of Sgt. Pepper or the San
Francisco bands is problematic.
Instigated by the work of Bob Dylan, singer-songwrit-
ers appeared to be folk singers on the surface, but were
Studio album by Leonard Cohen
not allied to the folk movement’s politics or repertoire,
Released December 27, 1967 instead performing original material in styles at times
(limited release); reminiscent of the folk singers of the late 1950s and early
February 1968
1960s. Songs of Leonard Cohen was one of the first in this
Recorded August 1967 new sub-genre, along with the debut albums of Laura Ny-
Columbia Studio E, New York ro, Tim Buckley, Neil Young, and Joni Mitchell, propelling
Genre Folk the approach to an eventual position of dominance in
the early 1970s. Judy Collins, one of the first of the ’tra-
Length 41:09 ditional’ folk singers to champion new writers such as
Label Columbia Mitchell and Cohen, along with actor Noel Harrison pre-
viously had hits performing the song "Suzanne" (in 1966
Producer John Simon
and 1967 respectively).
Leonard Cohen chronology Cohen and John Simon, producer and musical direc-
tor, managed to give the album a distinct sound while al-
Songs of Leonard Cohen Songs from a Room so relying on typical sixties effects such as instruments
(1967) (1969)
panning from channel to channel. Although Cohen was
granted much freedom in the recording process, they did
Songs of Leonard Cohen is the debut album of Canadian mu- not always agree on how the record should be mixed. Fi-
sician Leonard Cohen. It foreshadowed the future path of nally, Simon departed for his Christmas holiday and left
his career, with less success in the United States and far the final mix to the artist himself. In a 2001 interview
better in Europe, reaching #83 on the Billboard chart but Cohen told British music magazine Mojo: "We did have a
achieving gold status only in 1989, while it reached #13 falling out over the song "Suzanne." He wanted a heavy
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Songs of Leonard Cohen
piano syncopated and maybe drums and I didn’t want
drums on any of my songs, so that was a bone of conten-
Selected cover recordings
tion." Judy Collins recorded "Suzanne" on her 1966 album In My
On some of the tracks Cohen was backed by strings, Life; and recorded "Sisters of Mercy" and "Hey, That’s No
the band Kaleidoscope and Nancy Priddy’s vocals. The Way to Say Goodbye" on her 1967 hit album Wildflowers.
original producer was John Hammond, who signed Cohen The seminal British folk-rock group Fairport Convention
to Columbia, but he was replaced by Simon because of were also among Cohen’s earliest admirers, recording a
health problems. performance of "Suzanne" (sung as a duet between Sandy
"Suzanne", an ode to a "half-crazy" woman who lives Denny and Iain Matthews) for the BBC in August 1968;
near the St. Lawrence River in Montreal and who is ca- the recording was released on their BBC sessions compi-
pable of profound personal/spiritual connection with the lation Heyday. Other early versions of "Suzanne" included
song’s narrator, was ranked 41st on Pitchfork Media’s those by Pearls Before Swine, Françoise Hardy, Tori Amos
’Top 200 Songs of the 1960s’.[8] The track "So Long, Mari- and Harry Belafonte. Peter Gabriel recorded a syncopat-
anne" also featured on the list – ranked 190th.[9] ed version of "Suzanne" for the Leonard Cohen tribute
Three of the album’s songs, "Winter Lady," "The album Tower of Song, and Geoffrey Oryema performed it
Stranger Song," and "Sisters of Mercy," were used in the on the earlier tribute I’m Your Fan. Italian singer Fabrizio
1971 Robert Altman film McCabe & Mrs. Miller. de André sang an Italian version of the song on his CD
Songs of Leonard Cohen was released on CD in 1989, Canzoni. The British experimental rock group The Fly-
while a digipak edition was released in some European ing Lizards released a version with detached, cold vocals
countries in 2003. A remastered version, with bonus sung over dark samples on their 1984 LP Top Ten. Nick
tracks, was released in the United States on April 24, Cave performed "Suzanne" in the film Leonard Cohen: I’m
2007, and in Japan on June 20, 2007. The Japanese version Your Man.
was a limited edition replica of the original record album The song "Sisters of Mercy" was the inspiration for
cover with lyric card insert. the name of the Post-punk/Gothic rock band The Sisters
In 2009, the album (including the 2007 bonus tracks) of Mercy, who also took a line from the song "Teachers"
was included in Hallelujah - The Essential Leonard Cohen Al- as the title of their 1992 compilation album Some Girls
bum Collection, an 8-CD box set issued by Sony Music in Wander By Mistake. Sting and The Chieftains performed a
the Netherlands. Celtic music-influenced version of the song on Tower of
On the vinyl and remastered versions is a picture of Song. "Sisters of Mercy" was also covered by Area, a dark-
Saint Bernadette of Lourdes[10] in a fire looking towards wave band from Champaign, Illinois on their 1988 CD The
heaven. According to the liner notes, apparently Cohen Perfect Dream. Beth Orton performed "Sisters of Mercy" in
had collected the picture when he was much younger. the film Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man.
"Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye" was sung by
Roberta Flack on her album, First Take (1969), and by The
Track listing Vogues in 1970. It was performed by Ian McCulloch on I’m
All songs written by Leonard Cohen. Your Fan; by Michael Monroe (singer of Hanoi Rocks) on
his Whatcha Want album as a tribute to his late wife, Jude
Side one Wilder; and by The Lemonheads on their album Varshons
1. "Suzanne" – 3:48 (2009). Brian Hyland released "So Long, Marianne" as a
2. "Master Song" – 5:55 single in 1971, while the britpop group James recorded
3. "Winter Lady" – 2:15 it on I’m Your Fan. Indie rock band Straitjacket Fits also
4. "The Stranger Song" – 5:00 covered it on their 1988 debut. Harvey Milk covered "One
5. "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:32 Of Us Cannot Be Wrong" on the album Courtesy And Good
Will Towards Men. Will Oldham, recording under the name
Side two Palace Music, released a version of "Winter Lady" on his
1994 EP Hope.
1. "So Long, Marianne" – 5:38
"Winter Lady" was performed by Kate and Anna
2. "Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:55
McGarrigle with Martha Wainwright in the film Leonard
3. "Stories of the Street" – 4:35
Cohen: I’m Your Man.
4. "Teachers" – 3:01
On September 4, 2009, Beck announced that his sec-
5. "One of Us Cannot Be Wrong" – 4:23
ond Record Club cover album would be Songs of Leonard
Cohen. Contributors include MGMT, Devendra Banhart,
Bonus tracks on 2007 reissue Brian LeBarton, Andrew Stockdale of Wolfmother and
1. "Store Room" – 5:06 Binki Shapiro of Little Joy. Andrew VanWyngarden of
2. "Blessed Is the Memory" – 3:03 MGMT chose the album.[11]
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Songs of Leonard Cohen
Guilt Machine covered "The Stranger Song" on their 6404-the-200-greatest-songs-of-the-1960s/2/.
debut album, On This Perfect Day. Retrieved 2009-05-12.
[9] "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork
References Media. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/
6400-the-200-greatest-songs-of-the-1960s/2/.
[1] Allmusic review Retrieved 2009-05-12.
[2] Music Box review [10] Cover of "Songs of Leonard Cohen"
[3] Pitchfork Media review [11] Stereokill.net
[4] Rolling Stone review
[5] Piero Scaruffi review
[6] Dave Everley Q, May 2007, Issue 250.
External links
[7] David Cavanagh Uncut, May 2007, Issue 120 • The Leonard Cohen Files
[8] "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork
Media. http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Songs_of_Leonard_Cohen&oldid=468026807"
Categories:
• 1967 albums
• Leonard Cohen albums
• Debut albums
• Albums produced by John Simon
• Columbia Records albums
• English-language albums
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