- Audio CD (23 May 1994)
- Number of Discs: 1
- Label: Sony
- ASIN: B000024CRK
- Other Editions: Audio CD | Audio Cassette | Vinyl
- Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 86,855 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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Product Description
Audio CD.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Ageless music,
By
This review is from: Songs of Love and Hate (Audio CD)
Contrary to popular opinion, Cohen could sound harsh and bitter long before his collaboration with Phil Spector in 1978 that led to the much maligned Death of a Ladies' Man.Other musician seem to like these songs more than Cohen does; for the collection Essential Leonard Cohen he selected only one track from this album, Famous Blue Raincoat. Among those who highly esteem Songs of Love and Hate is Jennifer Warnes who covers Famous Blue Raincoat on her album of the same name which also contains a duet with Cohen on a longer version of Joan of Arc. On the soundtrack album Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man The Handsome Family interprets the same song whilst Tori Amos performs it on Tower of Song:The Songs of Leonard Cohen. Famous Blue Raincoat is very popular as Judy Collins included it on her Cohen tribute album along with Dress Rehearsal Rag and Joan of Arc. And on the appealing 1991 tribute I'm Your Fan, there is a French version of Avalanche by Jean-Louis Murat. Sing Another Song Boys is Cohen at his bitter best, its harsh chorus atypical of the of the poetic folkie's 1960s sound, pointing to later songs like Lover Lover Lover on 1974's New Skin for the Old Ceremony. The fierce uptempo Diamonds in the Mine rocks in the same vein, where the celestial female vocals are particularly effective in balancing Cohen's raw voice on this tale of striking imagery. In tone, theme and delivery Diamonds in the Mine and Sing Another Song Boys are not too remote from tracks like Iodine, Paper-Thin Hotel or Don't Go Home with your Hardhat on his much-criticized Death of a Ladies' Man. The bonus track is a second more produced version of Dress Rehearsal Rag with full instrumentation. The rest of the original songs is typical early Cohen. With astonishing elegance and simplicity, the haunting melodies, melancholy lyrics and ragged voice have a way of establishing themselves in the consciousness of the listener. Few other musicians touch the strings of the soul in the way that Cohen does. Definitely Emmylou Harris & Dylan can; Nick Cave does, as do Nick Drake, Lou Reed, Richard Thompson and also Swans on their more gentle songs. Songs of Love and Hate is another jewel in Cohen's crown of ageless music.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and brutal,
By A Customer
This review is from: Songs of Love and Hate (Audio CD)
This is the first of Leonard Cohens albums I've bought after hearing the odd track here and there over the last couple of years or so. I have to say it is simply and truly excellent - especially "Dress Rehersal Rag" a powerful and brutal song that confirms Cohen as a master poet and indeed, vocalist. This album oozes power, emotion, class and mostly sorrow (see Famous Blue Raincoat). Truly excellent.
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sparse Acoustic Anguish,
By
This review is from: Songs of Love and Hate (Audio CD)
The album title alone tells you the story of this album.4 desperately sad songs, 3 angry songs and 1 closing, emotionally ambiguous song - all in all an exceptional album makes. When Mr Cohen is sad, his baritone groan brings the listener down, when Mr Cohen is angry, his lyrics (not forgetting his somewhat rudimentary voice) get the blood boiling. Musically, the album is rather simple. If we ignore the child choir on 'Dress Rehearsal Rag' (used sparingly, to great effect), the sparse band on 'Diamonds In The Mine' and the seemingly drunken cacophony on 'Sing Another Song Boys', the album consists of mainly Leonard's voice, acoustic guitar and limited bass guitar. The simplicity works, with wonderfully melancholic results. Avalanche is 'Depression', Dress Rehearsal Rag is 'Bitterness', Sing Another Song Boys is the Merchant of Venice re-written as a plaintive lovesong and Famous Blue Raincoat is, simply, 'Heartbreakingly Lonesome'. These are songs for life-moments, written by Leonard Cohen and waiting for the stage direction to enter your life as perfectly scripted musical cues. The bottom line is that if you're the type of person who listens to Leonard Cohen and thinks "He really can't sing", that's only because he's waiting for you to join in at the moments of your deepest despair. You need to own this album.
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