leonardcohenforum.com

Woah, woah, woah...

I am aghast to see how Dear Heather comes so low (bottom!) of most people's lists.
I discovered LC through the early recordings and deeply relished the melancholy, the aching heart, the longing and the beauty.

But the post-monastery albums - 10 New Songs and ESPECIALLY Dear Heather, have an exquisite spaciousness about them, a wide open, free-hearted depth to their exploration. Like others I find it impossible to separate the albums out with their different tones and feels, but actually I listen most to the recent albums, and most of all, to Dear Heather. Having been a committed meditator for 20 years, I deeply appreciate the stillness and freedom at the heart of the recent songs. When I teach meditation retreats I often cannot resist playing a few tracks in the evening, especially vilanelle for our time. I sit there swaying with some ecstatic / agonised look on my face and its ALL THERE!

I see here I am hoping to convince some of you - which of course is futile, and I bow to your love for whichever albums are your favourites. But I had to write in support of Dear Heather. In its spacious, effortless wry exploration, it is unparalleled among his other work. So there!

Reshaping narrow law and art...we rise to play a greater part

Martin

PS - forgot to add:

Manchester, 18th June
Lyon, 9th July

I think Ten New Songs is Leonard's most consistent album,every track is good.It might not have some of the high's of his other albums,but it doesn't have any of the low's either.It is my favorite!

Bruinsy 19, i agree with you about ten new Songs. I almost didn't buy it because I already had The essential leonard Cohen that already had four or five song from TNS and i figured those were probably the best ones from the album. But with reading people posts here i went out and bought it a few weeks back and actually some of my favorites are songs that aren't on Essentil Cohen. i was pleasantly surprised and it is now my favorite album also. Musically it is definetly one of his best.

i'm gonna be non-controversial and say "Songs Of", but I would put "New Skin" and "I'm Your Man" after that. It takes a while to get used to the production on "I'm Your Man" but once you do it's grand. His voice is so resonant on that record. It's like he created a whole new way to sing for himself when he started losing some of his register.

including the proviso that on any given day I could name a different album, if there was one and one only that I could keep and had to lose the others it would be.....


Ten New Songs

I'm Your Man
The Future
New Skin For the Old Ceremony
Ten New Songs
Death of a Ladies' Man
Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Love and Hate
Songs From a Room
Various Positions
Recent Songs
Dear Heather

If you asked me tomorrow I'd more than likely give you a different answer.

Recent Songs
followed by
Various Positions
followed by
The Future

I tried to limit myself to the top 3 but I have to say I love all of the live albums, especially Field Commnder Cohen.

New Skin For the Old Ceremony
Songs of Leonard Cohen
Songs of Love and Hate
Songs From a Room
Recent Songs
Dear Heather
I'm Your Man
The Future
Ten New Songs
Various Positions
Death of a Ladies' Man

Songs Of Love And Hate
The Future
Songs Of Leonard Cohen
New Skin For The Old Ceremony
I'm Your Man
Ten New Songs
Various Positions
Recent Songs
Dear Heather
Songs From A Room
Death Of A Ladies Man

I'm Your Man
The Future
Songs of Love and Hate
10 New Songs
Songs From A Room

I must have missed a couple of albums when I was not listening to music much for a few years. I was surprised to hear My Gypsy Wife at the Tour. I had never heard it before and now it is becoming a favorite. There are so many individual songs that I like. It is hard to choose favorites.

tricky...mmm. my ranking is somewhat like this (give or take a night or two)


Songs Of Leonard Cohen
Songs From A Room
Various Positions
Songs Of Love And Hate
The Future
I'm Your Man
New Skin For The Old Ceremony
Dear Heather
Recent Songs
Death Of A Ladies' Man
Ten New Songs

I'm very surprised with a lot of trhe above

For me, by a long way, it's Songs of Love & Hate, probably the darkest and full of black humour. And with Famous Blue Raincoat, Last Year's Man, Joan of Arc and Avalanche - 4 of his best songs.

I don't get Recent Songs, for me it was a watered down version of his first 3 LPS

After Songs of Love and Hate, I would probably place Songs of, New Skin, Live Songs (for Passing Thru, Please Dont Pass Me By and Queen Victoria), The Future and I'm Your Man. Also Songs From A Room and controversially, I love Death of A Ladies Man

After that Various Positions, Ten New Songs, Recent Songs and then Dear Heather. I suspect Dear Heather may eventually move up, as Ten New Songs has. Also a special place in my heart for the album by others covering Lenny, I'm Your Fan with special pride of place to Nick Cave for Tower of Song - not so much for chucking the melody away, but for having the balls to totally change the song into a punk rockabilly number - all other people covering Lenny are too damn reverential.

In conclusion, if I have to order them:

Songs of Love and Hate
Songs of Leonard Cohen
New Skin for the Old Ceremony
Death of a Ladies Man
The Future
Songs From A Room
I'm Your Man
Live Songs
Various Positions
Ten New Songs
Recent Songs
Dear Heather