Search - Leonard Cohen :: Mojo Presents An Introduction to...

Excellent introduction

Pieter | Johannesburg | 11/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This collection of Cohen songs, compiled by Mojo, offers some of the best work of his career, from the 1960s to 2001. It opens with the sublime Suzanne and then the classics just keep coming. These early songs in the simple folk style have achieved the status of hymns in the Cohen canon: masterpieces like Sisters Of Mercy, Bird On The Wire, Joan Of Arc and Famous Blue Raincoat.



Even in those days, he could be quite harsh, more rock than folk, like in the concluding phase of One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong and on a powerful track like Diamonds In The Mine. And Iodine of course, from the much criticized Death Of A Ladies' Man album. The rest of the songs, perhaps because not enough time has passed, have yet to achieve the legendary hymn-like status of the early work.



But they are all memorable, and some, like Take This Waltz and Light As The Breeze, are exquisitely beautiful. In my opinion, That Don't Make It Junk was a poor choice from Ten New Songs; Alexandra Leaving or Love Itself would have been a better choice. From Recent Songs, I would have selected The Window for its gripping esoteric lyrics and heavenly interplay of male and female vocals, or even Our Lady Of Solitude.



Still, it is a representative selection of the magic of Cohen through four decades. As such, the album is the perfect introduction to this masterful musician and poet, showcasing all of his styles. Most people would probably agree that the beauty, power and simplicity of his early songs couldn't be rivalled. Songs like Suzanne and Sisters Of Mercy will continue to be interpreted by artists from all musical genres and will live forever.

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