Leonard Cohen

"Jesus was a sailor when he walked along the water
and he spent a long time watching from his lonely wooden tower
and when he knew for certain, only drowning men could see him
he said 'all men will be sailors then until the sea shall free them'
but he himself was broken, long before the sky would open
forsaken,
almost human,
he sank beneath your wisdom like a stone"
- from "Suzanne"

Leonard Cohen is one of the few folky singer songwriters who stops me in my tracks and hang on every word he says. His distinctive monodrone voice and Spanish style finger-picking guitar perfectly suit his songs of love and hate. As far as songwriters go, Cohen is pretty much the penultimate truth (especially, his early stuff). His fixations are crazed women, sex, the Bible, the impoverished, the crazy, the lonely, the rich, the idle, the suicidal etc, and he spins a yarn unlike anyone else (he began as a poet and novelist before writing songs).

His early albums, 1968's The Songs Of Leonard Cohen and 69's Songs From A Room, are classics that have jewels like "Suzanne," "The Partisan" and "Stories From The Street" and are essential listening. HOWEVER, 1971's Songs Of Love and Hate, is the real business. Possibly the best A-side to an album ever with "Avalanche," "Last Year's Man," "Dress Rehearsal Rag," and "Diamonds In The Mine"- all visions of harrowing genius.
(To Download or Play, Left Click and Follow Instructions)

MP3- Suzanne

MP3- Avalanche

MP3- Dress Rehearsal Rag

MP3- Stories Of The Street

MP3- Diamonds In The Mine

MP3- The Partisan

MP3- Master Song

MP3- Stranger Song

MP3- Story Of Issac