LEONARD COHEN Songs Of Leonard Cohen 1968 UK CBS 1st PRESS NEAR MINT
£
70
$
93
£ 70
Sold For
Oct 10, 2019
Sold Date
Sep 26, 2019
Start Date
1
Number Of Bids
Great Britain
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eBay
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Description
LEONARD COHEN Songs Of Leonard Cohen 1968 UK CBS 1st PRESS TOP COPY NEAR MINT
LEONARD COHENThe Songs Of Leonard Cohen
CBS (S BPG 63241) FIRST UK PRESSING (February 1968)
PLAYS BEAUTIFULLY WHICH DELIVERS A DEEP, RICH AND WARM SOUND AND PLAYS WITH LITTLE TO FAULT
PRESSED WITH THE FIRST ISSUE SOLID ORANGE TEXTURED CBS LABELS
MATRIX: SBPG 63241 A1 / SBPG 63241 B1
THE RECORD HOUSED IN THE ORIGINAL FRONT LAMINATED SLEEVE “Printed and made by Ernest J. Day & Co. Ltd., London W11. Patents Pending" WITH *STEREO* STICKER TO THE BACK
COMPLETE WITH THE ORIGINAL POLY-LINED INNER SLEEVE
At a time when a growing number of pop songwriters were embracing a more explicitly poetic approach in their lyrics, the 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 Cohen's songs, he didn't write about love; rather, Cohen 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).
Cohen's world view would be heady stuff at nearly any time and place, but coming in a year when pop music was only just beginning to be taken seriously, Songs of Leonard Cohen was a truly audacious achievement, as bold a challenge to pop music conventions as the other great debut of the year, The Velvet Underground & Nico, and a nearly perfectly realised product of his creative imagination.
Producer John Simon added a touch of polish to Cohen's songs with his arrangements (originally Cohen 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 Cohen'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 Songs of Leonard Cohen, and Cohen worked this alchemy the first time he entered a recording studio; few musicians have ever created a more remarkable or enduring debut
Side 1:
Suzanne (3:47)
Master Song (5:58)
Winter Lady (2:14)
The Stranger Song (5:05)
Sisters Of Mercy (3:30)
Side 2:
So Long, Marianne (5:37)
Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye (3:05)
Stories Of The Street (4:35)
Teachers (2:58)
One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong (4:25)
LABELS: NEAR MINT
Clean, unmarked labels with less than a handful of light spindle traces
VINYL Visual: NEAR MINT
Both surfaces shine like new and even under bright light there is barely a hairline to be seen.
Just a little misting on the run-offs which is no audio consequence
VINYL Audio: NEAR MINT
Plays beautifully from start to finish with practically nothing to fault.
No scratches, clicks or pops just the (very) occasional low-level surface and low-level non-continuous background ticks.
All nothing really and this is one of the cleanest and finest first pressings I have heard and very highly recommended indeed
SLEEVE: EXCELLENT+
The first laminated cover has a deep, glass-like gloss to the front and a remarkably clean white back.
All edges are sharp and unworn with all spine text clear and bold.
There is just a fold/fault in the laminate just below Cohen's eye (please see close-up photos) but nothing major
POST & PACKING:
A PROTECTIVE POLY SLEEVE, NEW ANTI-STATIC LINERS, QUALITY BOX (NOT ENVELOPE) MAILER AND AMPLE STIFFENERS ARE ALWAYS USED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR RECORD ARRIVES SAFELY
UK: £5.00 (Recorded Delivery)
UK: £11.00 (Royal Mail Special Delivery Next Day by 1pm)
EUROPE: Airmail: £15.00 (International Signed For delivery)
INTERNATIONAL: Airmail: £20.00 (International Signed For delivery)
Combined Post: Additional records £1 (UK) £2 (Europe including Russia) £3 (International)
Guarantee: All records are unconditionally guaranteed (including sealed and/or unplayed) and I will offer a complete, no quibble refund upon return of the item should you not be pleased with it in any way
I will email you when payment has been received to let you know when the item will be posted. Please leave feedback upon receipt of the item so that I know you have received it safely. Thanks
856 (GS 7.0.20 (856))
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