It’s with great excitement that we greeted news last month of Leonard Cohen returning to the road for the first time since 1993. In the late ’60s, you couldn’t walk two paces without bumping into a poetry-spewing, mopey singer-songwriter like Cohen. But over the years, the man that would come to be known as the “poet laureate of pessimism” quietly set himself apart from the pack by forging a personal path that reflected the wounded majesty of his music.
From threatening producer Phil Spector with a crossbow to romancing Risky Business star Rebecca De Mornay in his senior years. From buying a rustic house on the Grecian island of Hydra on a whim to, more recently, spending five years living in seclusion as a Zen Buddhist monk on Mt. Baldy. Oh, and did we mention the Miami Vice cameo?
Having entered the songwriting game at 32, after establishing himself as a novelist of some repute, Cohen didn’t really get proper recognition until his mid-fifties. U2, R.E.M, and Johnny Cash have all covered his songs. So did the late Jeff Buckley, who transformed Cohen’s “Hallelujah” into his own musical signature. Fellow Canadian Rufus Wainwright called Cohen, “The greatest living poet on earth.” It’s an assessment that’s hard to argue, especially when taking in one of his classic songs like “Chelsea Hotel No 2,” which explicitly relates the details of Cohen’s affair with Janis Joplin.
Besides plotting his tour, Cohen will also be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March and release a new album sometime this year. While specific dates and venues have yet to be announced, it wouldn’t hurt to go camp out at your local ticket outlet now.
In the meantime, here’s a quick album guide to get you up to speed.
Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
Introducing his sharp lyrical twists and deadpan vocal style, Cohen's stylish first album remains a morose masterpiece.
Songs from a Room (1969)
More tentative and less focused than the debut, his second outing still offered rough gems such as “Bird On A Wire” and “Lady Midnight.”
Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
This one includes heavy selection like “Famous Blue Raincoat” and “Joan Of Arc,” the ones that likely established his reputation for making music to slit your wrists to.
New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974)
Strings, percussion and background vocalists enter the mix, making tunes like “Lover, Lover, Lover” and “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” among his richest to date.
Death of a Ladies' Man (1977)
Cohen describes this ill-advised experimental collaboration with Phil Spector as “grotesque”—at least it yielded the classic “Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On.”
Recent Songs (1979)
A reaction to its noisy predecessor, on this album Cohen stripped back the arrangements and upped the abstract poetry.
Various Positions (1984)
Recorded with Jennifer Warnes, who would later score a hit with an album of Cohen's songs, the songwriting was beefed-up, resulting in favorites such as "Hallelujah" and “Dance Me to the End of Love.”
I’m Your Man (1988)
A victim of the era’s harsh production styles, this keyboard-infused comeback disc nonetheless turned up another batch of outstanding compositions, including “Everybody Knows,” “First We Take Manhattan,” and the title track.
The Future (1992)
“Anthem” and the title song found a place on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack, but for the most part the dated synth washes threatened to overpower the famous baritone.
Ten New Songs (2001)
Co-written with former backup singer Sharon Robinson, who also performed all the music, this one sees Cohen drifting into the background, offering just a few of his trademark observations.
Dear Heather (2004)
Released a month after he turned 70, this one finds Cohen's cigarette-ravaged voice taking stock of an excitable life over primal rhythms and more cheap synthesizer flourishes.