Description
Leonard Cohen – The Essential Leonard Cohen – Double Compact Discs
The Essential Leonard Cohen offers a sweeping overview of the work of Leonard Cohen, one of the most distinctive songwriters of the twentieth century. Spanning decades of recordings, the compilation brings together many of the songs that defined Cohen’s career, highlighting the poetic writing, understated arrangements, and deeply resonant voice that made him such a singular presence in music.
Cohen first emerged in the late 1960s, already well known in literary circles as a poet and novelist before turning his attention to songwriting. That literary background shaped his music from the very beginning. His lyrics often read like carefully crafted poems, filled with spiritual reflection, romantic longing, and philosophical questions about faith, love, and the human condition.
The songs featured on this collection illustrate the remarkable range of his writing. Early recordings such as “Suzanne” and “Bird on the Wire” reflect the folk traditions of the late 1960s, built around acoustic guitar and sparse instrumentation. These songs introduced listeners to Cohen’s quiet, contemplative style, where the focus remained firmly on the words and the emotional atmosphere they created.
As his career progressed, Cohen’s sound gradually expanded. Later recordings incorporate richer arrangements, including synthesizers, background vocalists, and darker electronic textures. Tracks like “Hallelujah,” which eventually became one of the most widely interpreted songs of modern times, demonstrate how his songwriting could evolve while maintaining its poetic core.
Cohen’s voice itself became one of the defining elements of his music. Over time it deepened into a rich, gravelly baritone that carried both authority and vulnerability. That voice, combined with his deliberate phrasing, gave the songs a sense of quiet gravity that few artists could replicate.
The Essential Leonard Cohen ultimately functions as both an introduction and a tribute to a remarkable body of work. The collection captures the evolution of a songwriter whose influence stretched far beyond folk music, touching rock, pop, and contemporary songwriting. Through these recordings, listeners encounter a voice that explored love, faith, doubt, and redemption with unusual honesty and poetic depth—qualities that continue to resonate long after the songs were first written.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Suzanne
The Stranger Song
Sisters Of Mercy
Hey, That’s No Way To Say Goodbye
So Long, Marianne
Bird On A Wire
The Partisan
Famous Blue Raincoat
Chelsea Hotel #2
Take This Longing
Who By Fire
The Guests
Hallelujah
If It Be Your Will
1Night Comes On
I’m Your Man
Everybody Knows
Tower Of Song
Ain’t No Cure For Love
Take This Waltz
First We Take Manhattan
Dance Me To The End Of Love (Live)
The Future
Democracy
Waiting For The Miracle
Closing Time
Anthem
In My Secret Life
Alexandra Leaving
A Thousand Kisses Deep
Love Itself
