Description
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions – Vinyl Record
Leonard Cohen – Various Positions, released in 1984, stands as a profound, transitional, and quietly revolutionary album in Leonard Cohen’s career. Initially met with lukewarm reception—even his record label, Columbia, famously refused to release it in the U.S. at first—Various Positions has since come to be regarded as one of Cohen’s most significant artistic statements, largely due to the inclusion of one of his most enduring and mythic songs: “Hallelujah.”
Various Positions represents a shift in sound for Cohen. After the stark minimalism of his 1960s work and the dark folk-pop of the ’70s, here he embraces more polished, synthesizer-based arrangements, courtesy of producer and longtime collaborator John Lissauer. While the synth textures and electronic flourishes mark a departure from the acoustic melancholy of earlier albums, they are balanced by Cohen’s unmistakable baritone and the rich vocal harmonies of Jennifer Warnes, whose contributions are essential throughout the album. Rather than diminishing his poetic gravitas, the new sonic palette casts his lyrics in a broader emotional and spiritual light, adding dimension and theatricality to the material.
The album’s opener, “Dance Me to the End of Love,” is a perfect example of this shift. At first blush, it may sound like a romantic ballad, but it’s actually inspired by the Holocaust, referencing the orchestras that were forced to play at concentration camps. It sets the tone for the entire album—beauty and darkness intertwined, always dancing around each other in Cohen’s lyrics.
Then there is “Hallelujah”—a song that has since become a cultural touchstone, covered by hundreds of artists across genres. But Cohen’s original version is slow, measured, and spiritual, weaving together themes of love, loss, brokenness, and divinity. Far more than a religious hymn, it is a meditation on the sacred and the profane, on the failures of love and the redemptive nature of honesty. It took years for the song to gain recognition, and it’s almost ironic that its origin is on an album that was initially rejected by Cohen’s label.
Other highlights include “If It Be Your Will,” a solemn, prayer-like closing track that feels like a whispered benediction, and “The Law,” a bluesy, philosophical piece about desire, power, and restraint. “Coming Back to You” and “The Night Comes On” are tender, introspective songs that blend spiritual yearning with deep melancholy—hallmarks of Cohen’s writing.
Various Positions explores themes that had long occupied Cohen’s work—faith, eroticism, despair, transcendence—but here, they’re expressed with a newfound clarity and gentleness. There’s less biting irony than in earlier albums like Songs of Love and Hate, and more of a resigned, spiritual wisdom, the kind that comes from confronting life’s contradictions and finding some kind of balance within them.
Various Positions marks the beginning of Cohen’s “late period”, where he would evolve into a kind of modern-day prophet-poet, blending ancient spiritual language with modern existential concerns. It’s an album that shows an artist risking reinvention, staying deeply personal while also reaching toward the universal.
Though overlooked at first, Various Positions has aged remarkably well, and today it’s seen not only as a turning point but as a quiet masterpiece—a work of humility, grace, and haunting beauty.
Brand new, never played and still sealed in the factory plastic
Track Listing
Dance Me To The End Of Love
Coming Back To You
The Law
Night Comes On
Hallelujah
The Captain
Hunter’s Lullaby
Heart With No Companion
If It Be Your Will
