Leonard Cohen was an active poet and writer throughout his 50-year career, but for many he can be best judged by his albums.There are 14 studio releases and about eight other official live releases to choose from, in addition to box sets and greatest-hits collections. There is also a set that comprises his complete studio albums up until 2011. So where to start?It is likely that after Cohen’s death, sales will rise of many of them, spurred with curiosity from obituaries. The curious can settle for a compilation, but there is a lot to be said for some of the comprehensive live albums in which he reprises many of his best songs.Here is a short look at some of the material on offer.One: the early yearsCohen’s move from print, poetry and prose into song was tasteful and assured and he was reluctant to bog down his simple tunes with excessive production. Like Randy Newman, he kept the LPs short with each containing at least a few of the tracks that make up his most performed catalogue. In 1967, “Songs of Leonard Cohen” debuted with compositions about those close to him, such as “Suzanne” and “So Long, Marianne.” “Songs From a Room” is a little underplayed, even with “Bird on The Wire,” though genuinely impressive, and “Songs of Love and Hate” bolstered the backing around “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Possibly the best of the bunch and somewhat of a neglected masterpiece is “New Skin for the Old Ceremony” in 1974 where he added tasteful jazz touches, apparently moving in a Joni Mitchell type of way.Two: the middle yearsAfter “Death of a Ladies’ Man” in 1977, a somewhat failed experiment with producer Phil Spector, “Recent Songs,” a couple of years later, attempted something simpler and then, after a long silence, “Various Positions” in 1984 was a concise comeback, and “I’m Your Man” was even more assured both giving him material which would be live staples such as “First We Take Manhattan” and “Hallelujah.” “The Future” is a mixed album with a strong and driving title track, and it was followed by another silence with Cohen retreating to a monastery.Three: the live albumCohen’s live output was initially sporadic, but his somewhat forced return to the concert circuit in 2008 amid financial worries resulted in a series of titles which for many other artists would be pinnacles, never mind for one in his 70s. “Live in London” is definitive, with just about all bases being covered. “Live in Dublin” from a couple of years ago is not far behind and fans may also appreciate the eclectic collections “Songs From the Road” and last year’s “Can’t Forget: A Souvenir of the Grand Tour,” which contains sound checks and other new compositions.Four: the studio comebackThe comeback by Cohen in the 21st-century has been nothing other than remarkable. The 2001 release “Ten New songs” is fine enough but “Old Ideas” in 2012 was an extraordinary work for an artist of his age, or arguably any age. “Popular Problems” a couple of years later even outshone it with tracks such as “Slow.” He sings: “I’m slowing down the tune/ I never liked it fast/ You want to get there soon/ I want to get there last.”The most recent, “You Want It Darker,” gains an extra point in significance in a sort of David Bowie “Blackstar” way as a farewell statement, so that leads the bunch of an exceptional group of Indian-summer releases.Five: the one-title overviewThe initial LP, “The Best of Leonard Cohen,” released in 1975, had started to date badly within a few years as the old stager penned and recorded new songs. While the title was re-released as “Greatest Hits” in 2009, there are various other ways of obtaining a good overview, of which the best is “The Essential Leonard Cohen.” True, this is actually two discs and this was from 2002 and therefore does not include some of the late masterpieces. However it could be argued that most Cohen song that matters are on here and presented chronologically, starting with “Suzanne,” running on through the likes of “Hallelujah” and ending with “A Thousand Kisses Deep and “Love Itself.”
↧