Customer Reviews

Songs of Leonard Cohen, Herewith: Music, Words, and Photographs

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had this book since 1975, and I have used it to pieces. This book taught me to fingerpick. The six-bar TAB notation is much easier for a guitarist to learn than standard five-bar music notation. The book contains every guitar note that Cohen plays on the album.

Two great things about Leonard Cohen - nobody writes better lyrics, and almost all of us think we can sing and play better than he can (even if our friends disagree!)

One discordant note on "Butcher's Song": a tried again and again to learn this song from the book, but I could never make it sound good. Months later, I finally heard it on an album and I was overjoyed. I had it perfect! It's just a bad song!

This 1969 publication opens with an article on Cohen by William Kloman from a 1968 New York Times. It is part biography and part interview with quotes from his novel Beautiful Losers and the song Stories Of The Street. This insightful essay reveals profound wisdom in the artist's view of the world of that time, the late 1960s. This is followed by black and white photographs of his life in Greece, and in the next chaper, his life in America. The first contains pics of Marianne, Axel, their house on the island Hydra and scenes of socializing in Greek cafes. The next one has pics of, amongst others, John Hammond and Judy Collins. In addition, the page preceding the Contents has a lovely pic of The Buckskin Boys, the artist's first group from his teenage years.

There is a legend explaining the musical notation: the guitar accompaniment for the compositions is illustrated in easily readable tablature. All the lyrics are provided. The songs are: A Bunch Of Lonesome Heroes, Bird On The Wire, The Butcher, Hey That's No Way To Say Goodbye, Lady Midnight, Master Song, The Old Revolution, One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong, Priests, Seems So Long Ago Nancy, Sisters Of Mercy, So Long Marianne, Stories Of The Street, The Story of Isaac, The Stranger Song, Suzanne, Teachers, Tonight Will Be Fine, Winter Lady and You Know Who I Am.

The black and white photograps are by John Berg, David Gahr, Julie Snow, Roz Kelly, Michael A Vaccaro and James Wigler. The combination of photographs, article and these timeless songs from the early days provides a nostalgic look at the legendary singer, songwriter and author. All devoted fans will appreciate it as a unique historical document of a master artist at the outset of his long career.

This book contains the music, written out for guitar and vocals, of the following songs: A Bunch of Lonesome Heroes; Bird on the Wire; The Butcher; Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye; Lady Midnight; Master Song; The Old Revolution; One of Us Can Not Be Wrong; Priests; Seems So Long Ago; Nancy; Sisters of Mercy; So Long, Marianne; Stories of the Street; Story of Isaac; The Stranger Song; Suzanne; Teachers; Tonight Will Be Fine; Winter Lady; You Know Who I Am

There are also a good number of pictures and an article written about Cohen in 1968, pulled from the New York Times.

I gave it 3 stars only because I haven't any clue as how the well tablatures are transcribed, coz I don't play the guitar.