This is outstanding.

I've always liked Cohen when I heard him, but I really don't know his music that well. I love this, and I love his songs on the Natural Born Killers soundtrack. What album(s) would you recommend for a newbie to start with?

I like this song a lot too, but it's with Who By Fire (from New Skin For The Old Ceremony) that Leonard Cohen gives me chills. It's my go-to song for my more fatalist moments.

New Skin for the Old Ceremony is the best starting place. (And one of the all-time great albums by anyone.)

I really like "Famous Blue Raincoat" a lot too. (Tori Amos does a good version of this) I can't believe someone would call him a "Novelty Singer". No accounting for taste I guess.

First time I ever heard of or saw Leonard Cohen was on one of his teevee appearances. I don't remember if it was Night Music with David Sanborn or Austin City Limits, but my roommate and I were watching rapt, wondering "Who is this guy? He's awesome!". Then they gave his name, and we look at each other and ask "Who is this guy, he's awesome! And, why have we never heard of him?" I was already a Richard Thompson Fan for several years by then, so I would have thought I would have heard of such a great singer/songwriter as Leonard Cohen...

BP, if you e-mail me an address, I'll mail you a Cohen mix.

Some stuff. I would also recomend Jennifer Warnes tribute album Famous Blue Raincoat.

We played a lot of Cohen when the kids were young and they were big fans. I found myself having a drink with Cohen (he mineral water, me white wine) I asked if he would be willing to say goodnight to my sons who were big fans of his music. He asked how old they were and I told him 9 and 10. He said "you have weird kids". I called and he talked to them. I still have the business card he autographed for them. Nice guy.

"Novelty singer" is not necessarily a putdown. I think Cohen is a novelty as well and I enjoy his work.

I think that I have said this before. If Leonard Cohen was a football team, I would go to games shirtless with my body painted in team colors.

I worship him and have for a long time.

Thank you for posting this. I am hoping it is from Various Positions, and not the live cd, which I have.

OH god it IS Various Positions . .my life is complete.

And, the Warnes CD is awesome. . .as is the soundtrack from the recent documentary movie. .crappy movie be wonderful performances, including Rufus Wainright doing the above tune. .I'll post it here in the morning so folks can have the whole set.

The live version. . shorter, slightly different lyrics (I think.)

Thanks for the zip file, arse_hat.. I'm digging it.

Thanks danf! Welcome BP!

If It Be Your Will if I could only have one LC song, this would be it.

I think I read somewhere that his back catalogue is being remastered and reissued sometime soon. I need to get into Cohen as I've always liked the bits that I've heard.

In listening to some of these last night, I think I like the later, deep-voiced, sort of creepy songs better than the earlier folk-type ones.

For those looking to try Leonard Cohen, there's a two-disc set called Essential Leonard Cohen that's fairly comprehensive, with tracks that are unedited. It has an emphasis on later rather than earlier works (if I remember correctly, every track but one of The Future is on there). But it has a good mix of greatest hits and comparatively obscure songs--the songs were selected and sequenced by Cohen himself.

I recently started listening to Leonard Cohen again. Thanks - this is a great thread, and the music is excellent.

If Leonard Cohen was a football team, I would go to games shirtless with my body painted in team colors.

DanF - great comment.