The Official Needles and Grooves 1001 Album Generator Project (aka Preachin’ about the Preachers if today’s selection sucks)

4/7/23
da5406c4fb6603a6768d2aec067976a8108f258f

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen



 
This is the album I know best by Leonard Cohen and of the ones I know, the one I haven't listened to in the longest time. I had just gotten into Mr. Cohen about a year before getting back into vinyl and bought this on CD and it pretty much lived in the player for a few months. Haven't listened to it since I got the turntable. My memory is that it is beautiful both in sound and lyric.
 
This is the first song on the man's first album:
Suzanne takes you down
To her place near the river
You can hear the boats go by
You can spend the night beside her
And you know that she's half crazy
But that's why you wanna be there
And she feeds you tea and oranges
That come all the way from China
And just when you mean to tell her
That you have no love to give her
Then she gets you on her wavelength
And she lets the river answer
That you've always been her lover
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that she will trust you
For you've touched her perfect body with your mind
And Jesus was a sailor
When He walked upon the water
And He spent a long time watching
From His lonely wooden tower
And when He knew for certain
Only drowning men could see Him
He said, "All men will be sailors then
Until the sea shall free them"
But He Himself was broken
Long before the sky would open
Forsaken, almost human
He sank beneath your wisdom like a stone
And you want to travel with Him
And you want to travel blind
And you think maybe you'll trust Him
For He's touched your perfect body with his mind
Now, Suzanne takes your hand
And she leads you to the river
She is wearing rags and feathers
From the Salvation Army counters
And the sun pours down like honey
On our lady of the harbor
And she shows you where to look
Among the garbage and the flowers
There are heroes in the seaweed
There are children in the morning
They are leaning out for love
And they will lean that way forever
While Suzanne holds the mirror
And you want to travel with her
And you want to travel blind
And you know that you can trust her
For she's touched your perfect body with her mind
Like, what is even going on... fucking stunning.
 
I feel like I've been way too critical of the picks lately (hey, I actually like disco to a certain extent!), but I can totally surrender to this. Not my favorite Cohen album (that would be Songs of Love and Hate, I'm Your Man or maybe even You Want It Darker), but still brilliant songwriting from one of the great poets of our time. I will enjoy listening to this throughout the easter weekend! 4,5/5 stars!
 
4/7/23
da5406c4fb6603a6768d2aec067976a8108f258f

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen




This is giving some Dylan vibes, so far

(am up to 'So Long, Marianne')

Of the two Cohen albums we have listened to in the group, I much prefer the other one - 'You Want It Darker', and yes I do, darker Leonard, much, much darker!

I've heard 'Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye' before, and 'Suzanne' rang a bell.

Hmm, I don't feel that it ever really got going. Still a decent listen though.

3 / 5 stars.
 
4/7/23
da5406c4fb6603a6768d2aec067976a8108f258f

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Leonard Cohen




I've always thought Cohen was the better poet, Dylan the better musician. They're both masterful and I can't imagine many who like one and not the other. If there's a difference, Cohen's final work was among his greatest. Dylan hasn't yet put out the explanation point on his career, not that he has to with the massive catalog, but it would be great to get one more from him that carried the punch of Cohen's farewell.

Cohen's delivery can't help but depress me. No matter the lyrical content, his delivery stirs a melancholic reflection of life. It could be that his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness.

4/5 out of Cohen's catalog, but certainly better than others in the history of music.
 
Yeah, I should really spend some more time with this (read, get a copy on vinyl)... it really sounds like they took all of Bowie and the Velvet Underground and gave it their own swagger. You can hear Devo and new wave being born. But its more like New York Dolls living somewhere between Punk and Rock, but its own thing. I dig it a lot.
 
4/10/23
84a609609c0ff7efe635a3faeb7bf9bbbec92681

Television - Marquee Moon



Allmusic Review:


RIYL:

Very catchy so far, loving the bass playing.

I don't know, kind of reminds me of a more rocky CCR.

Got that southern rock twang, at least to my ears anyway!

Maybe even a bit of the Doors.

(Crawling King Snake)

I'm all over the place today.

I think on my first listen through of this record I was rather perturbed that 'Marquee Moon' was nearly 11 minutes long, but it doesn't seem so bad this time. And the main guitar motif is excellent!

Yeah, that was fuckin' awesome.

The second half dragged a touch, but that was great.

3 / 5 stars.
 
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