At a time when a growing number of
pop
songwriters were embracing a more explicitly poetic approach in their lyrics, the 1967 debut album from
Leonard Cohen
introduced a songwriter who, rather than being inspired by "serious" literature, took up music after establishing himself as a published author and poet. The ten songs on
Songs of Leonard Cohen
were certainly beautifully constructed, artful in a way few (if any) other lyricists would approach for some time, but what's most striking about these songs isn't
Cohen
's technique, superb as it is, so much as his portraits of a world dominated by love and lust, rage and need, compassion and betrayal. While the relationship between men and women was often the framework for
's songs (he didn't earn the nickname "the master of erotic despair" for nothing), he didn't write about love; rather,
used the never-ending thrust and parry between the sexes as a jumping off point for his obsessive investigation of humanity's occasional kindness and frequent atrocities (both emotional and physical).
's world view would be heady stuff at nearly any time and place, but coming in a year when
music was only just beginning to be taken seriously,
was a truly audacious achievement, as bold a challenge to
music conventions as the other great debut of the year,
The Velvet Underground & Nico
, and a nearly perfectly realized product of his creative imagination. Producer
John Simon
added a touch of polish to
's songs with his arrangements (originally
wanted no accompaniment other than his guitar), though the results don't detract from his dry but emotive vocals; instead, they complement his lyrics with a thoughtful beauty and give the songs even greater strength. And a number of
's finest songs appeared here, including the luminous
"Suzanne,"
the subtly venomous
"Master Song"
and
"Sisters of Mercy,"
which would later be used to memorable effect in
Robert Altman
's film McCabe and Mrs. Miller. Many artists work their whole career to create a work as singular and accomplished as
, and
worked this alchemy the first time he entered a recording studio; few musicians have ever created a more remarkable or enduring debut. ~ Mark Deming