114. Leonard Cohen — Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)

1. WTF 1001 Albums book, I thought we were in 1968! What’s this 1967 album doing here??
2. This is a truly lovely folk record, the first time I’ve really dug in on Leonard Cohen’s stuff. Album opener “Suzanne” grabs you immediately, one of the sweetest love songs I can recall hearing. Cohen’s lyrics are very much the centerpiece of the album, which is unsurprising given his past as a poet and novelist (he was in his mid-30s by the time he made this, his debut album), but his guitar work is also striking — touches of flamenco scattered about, beautifully unique finger picking and minor keys, just washing over the record.
3. The story behind the stories in these songs are also quite interesting. “Sisters of Mercy” is the most interesting to me — he allowed a couple of backpackers to crash in his hotel on a snowy night in Edmonton, and when they immediately passed out, he spent the night writing a song for them, playing it for them when they woke in the morning. I imagine those ladies were mostly grateful for the bed, but what a gift to receive.
4. The production of the album was evidently a point of contention for Cohen. There are a number of flourishes that pop up throughout, bells and chimes and strings and such to help fill in the songs beyond merely vocals and guitar. Cohen just wanted it to be himself and the guitar. But listening, I think the flourishes are mostly well placed — rarely overwhelming the song itself, often sneaking in in the background, adding color but not coloring over the music.
5. I’m not sure I’ll ever get an answer for this, but what on earth happened to Leonard Cohen’s voice between 1967 and 2016? His final album, You Want It Darker, features some of the deepest bass vocals I can recall from an artist, but he’s singing here in a lovely baritone. It’s inconceivable this is the same man. What range. Wild.

One Essential Song:

Listen on Spotify: