Artist     : Leonard Cohen
Album      : Songs Of Love And Hate
Label      : Legacy
Genre      : Rock
Bitrate    : 178 kbps avg
Source     : CD (LP)
Playtime   : 00:50:35  (67.4MB)
Rls date   : 2007-04-19
Store date : 2007-04-24


[Track List]
1. Avalanche                                       5:07
2. Last Year's Man                                 6:02
3. Dress Rehearsal Rag                             6:12
4. Diamonds In The Mine                            3:52
5. Love Calls You By Your Name                     5:44
6. Famous Blue Raincoat                            5:15
7. Sing Another Song, Boys                         6:17
8. Joan Of Arc                                     6:29
9. Dress Rehearsal Rag (Early Version) (Bonus      5:37
   Track)


Songs of Love and Hate is one of Leonard Cohen's most
emotionally intense albums -- which, given the nature of
Cohen's body of work, is no small statement. While the
title Songs of Love and Hate sums up the album's themes
accurately enough, it's hardly as simple as that
description might lead you to expect -- in these eight
songs, "love" encompasses the physical ("Last Year's
Man"), the emotional ("Famous Blue Raincoat"), and the
spiritual ("Joan of Arc"), and the contempt in songs like
"Dress Rehearsal Rag" and "Avalanche" is the sort of venom
that can only come from someone who once cared very
deeply. The sound of the album is clean and uncluttered,
and for the most part the music stays out of the way of
the lyrics, which dominate the songs. Thankfully, Cohen
had grown noticeably as a singer since his first two
albums, and if he hardly boasts a range to rival Roy
Orbison here, he is able to bring out the subtleties of
"Joan of Arc" and "Famous Blue Raincoat" in a way his
previous work would not have led you to expect. And while
Bob Johnston's production is spare, it's spare with a
purpose, letting Cohen's voice and guitar tell their
stories and using other musicians for intelligent,
emotionally resonant punctuation (Paul Buckmaster's
unobtrusive string arrangements and the use of a
[CENSORED]ren's chorus are especially inspired). And Songs of
Love and Hate captured Cohen in one of his finest hours as
a songwriter, and the best selections (especially "Famous
Blue Raincoat," "Joan of Arc," and "Love Calls You by Your
Name") rank with the most satisfying work of his career.
If Songs of Love and Hate isn't Cohen's best album, it
comes close enough to be essential to anyone interested in
his work. [The 2007 edition includes bonus tracks.]