Leonard Cohen
Born: 1934 - 2016
Location: Westmount, Quebec, Canada
Genre: Singer-Songwriter, Folk
Years Active: 1978 -
Real Name:
Meaning of the Name:
Way of Working: Sings his own songs
Essential Releases
Songs of Leonard
Cohen (1967)
Debut. Poetic introduction to Cohen's folk sound.
Songs of Love
and Hate (1971)
Darker. More Challenging. Bleak, personal lyrics about failed relationships and betrayal.
New Skin for the
Old Ceremony (1974)
More complex arrangements. Bittersweet epiphanies embroiled in the profane.
Various Positions (1984)
Updated his sound to include synths. Includes 'Hallelujah'.
The prevailing sentiment in the sixties was that music involved writing only on the periphery, but that was about to change. Over the next six decades, Leonard Cohen proved that some of the best lyrics are poems put to song. After all, he published his first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies, in 1956, eleven years before releasing his debut album at the age of 33, and also wrote novels, such as Beautiful Losers (1966).
Starting his career as a man grown, Cohen's bleak songs featured many of the same themes as his novels, such as desire, desperation, and spirituality. In 'Diamonds in the Mine', for example, which is about moral decay, Cohen sings, "the trees are burning in your promised land" before alluding to a fallen civilisation (Rome) where Christians fight lions and opposing forces consume one another.
His lyrics presented a flood of symbolism, from dissatisfied witches to doctors performing abortions and polluted rivers full of empty cans. It's no surprise then, that Cohen didn't reach the same commercial heights as his contemporaries such as Bob Dylan.
While Dylan had many hits, Cohen only made the US singles chart once. Many listeners were simply not willing to spend as much time with an album as they would with a book.
Nevertheless, through sheer persistence he did find a dedicated audience, and his last four LP's topped the chart in his native Canada. His work was distinct from the mainstream as the result of a deliberate artistic choice. Cohen positioned himself as a serious artist and conveyed this via his public persona.
He regularly wore dark, tailored suits which stood in stark contrast to the bedazzled '70s stars such as Elton John. He was a truthful auteur who mined the depths of the human experience while Bowie sang of a Starman waiting in the sky.
With his reputation as a philosopher well-cemented, Cohen's work also featured frank tales from his personal life that grounded his abstract ideas in the spit and sweat of the real world. On 'Chelsea Hotel #2', for example, he revealed a tryst with Janis Joplin. The lines "giving me head on an unmade bed" and "we were running for the money and the flesh", candidly address the base drives that contradict his image as a 'thinking man'.
Ultimately, Cohen, with his deeply literate songwriting, challenged the present orthodoxy by demonstrating that nuanced subjects could be tackled in depth through song. His magnum opus, 'Hallelujah', took five years to perfect and has since become a modern anthem, covered endlessly.
The song's power lies in its sardonic contrast, where the phrase 'praise God' is set against themes of betrayal, sexuality, loss, and human frailty. Cohen uses the biblical story of King David to explore how spiritual belief is often most necessary in our darkest moments.
It's this multi-faceted unveiling of a man that compels many listeners to place Cohen on a par with great authors such as Dostoyevsky. Cohen's unflinching exploration of the human condition connected with fans, and inspired artists such as Nick Cave and Jeff Buckley, because the man himself was so flawed, or to put it another way, so human.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
Mental Impact
Originality
Artistry
Authenticity
Live
Production
Musicianship
Singing
Songwriting
Danceability
Fun
Consistency
Range
Cool
Charisma
Commercial & Critical Success
Awards >>>
- Grammy Award WINNER! x3:
- Grammy Award Nominee x8:
- Juno Award WINNER! x9:
Certifications >>>
- Songs of Leonard Cohen: Platinum in Australia; Gold in USA, UK
- Songs from a Room: Silver in UK
- New Skin for the Old Ceremony: Silver in UK
- Various Positions: Silver in UK
- I'm Your Man: Platinum in Canada; Gold in Australia, UK
- The Future: Platinum in Canada; Silver in UK
- Ten New Songs: Platinum in Canada; Gold in UK
- Dear Heather: Silver in UK
- Old Ideas: Platinum in Canada; Gold in UK
- Popular Problems: Platinum in Canada
- You Want It Darker: Platinum in Canada; Gold in Australia, UK
Charts >>>
- Songs from a Room: #2 in UK
- Songs of Love and Hate: #4 in UK; #8 in Canada
- The Future: #7 in Canada
- Ten New Songs: #4 in Canada
- Dear Heather: #5 in Canada
- Old Ideas: #1 in Canada, Holland; #2 in Australia, UK; #3 in USA
- Popular Problems: #1 in Canada; #5 in UK
- You Want It Darker: #1 in Canada; #2 in Australia; #4 in UK
Critics >>>
- Independent: You Want It Darker - Best Albums of 2016: #3
- Mojo: You Want It Darker - Best Albums of 2016: #5
- Pitchfork: Songs of Love and Hate - 100 best albums of the 1970s: #74
- Rolling Stone: The Songs of Leonard Cohen - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (2020): #195
- Rolling Stone: You Want It Darker - Best Albums of 2016: #9
- Slant: I'm Your Man - Best Albums of the '80s: #29
