Leonard Cohen – Songs Of Love And Hate (50th Anniversary Edition)

Leonard Cohen’s Songs of Love and Hate, released in 1971, finds him at a crossroads—melding sparse folk with orchestral touches to amplify his lyrical intensity. The album moves between reflection and rage, featuring stark compositions like “Avalanche,” contemplative epistles like “Famous Blue Raincoat,” and emotionally volatile statements such as “Last Year’s Man.” Cohen’s voice is intimately framed by modest arrangements, allowing his words and tonal shifts to carry weight.

Over time, *Songs of Love and Hate* has become regarded as one of Cohen’s most emotionally gripping works. It embraces its own contradictions—beauty and brutality, surrender and resistance—while offering songs that feel lived and charged. Its atmosphere lingers: a record that reveals more with each listen rather than diminishing.

“Songs of Love and Hate is one of Leonard Cohen’s most emotionally intense albums.” – AllMusic

“But, really, this album presents Cohen at his all-time best … he thoroughly examines what it’s like to love and hate.” – Sputnikmusic