The Best of Leonard Cohen
The Best of Leonard Cohen | |
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Greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen | |
Released | January 1, 1975 |
Recorded | 1967–1974 |
Genre | Contemporary folk |
Length | 46:45 |
Label | Columbia |
Producer | Bob Johnston, John Lissauer, John Simon |
2009 re-release cover | |
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Best of Leonard Cohen is a greatest hits album by Leonard Cohen, released in 1975. In some European countries, it was released under the title Greatest Hits. This alternative title was used for the original vinyl release and for CD reissues from the 1980s onwards.
Background
According to Ira Nadel's 1996 Cohen memoir Various Positions, Cohen agreed to the project because there was a new generation of listeners and he was given complete artistic control; he picked the songs, designed the package, and insisted that the lyrics be included. The album was not a hit in the United States but did well in Europe, Cohen's major market at the time. He toured in support of the album in 1976, beginning in Berlin on April 22 and ending in London on July 7. It was during this tour that Cohen recorded the funky, disco-infused "Do I Have To Dance All Night" at Musicland Studios. The single was only released in Europe.
Artwork
The front cover photograph was taken in 1968 in a Milan hotel room by a Gino, according to Cohen's liner notes. Alternative rock band Ween based the album cover for their 1991 album, The Pod, after this photograph.
2009 release
In July 2009, this compilation was re-released in England under the title Greatest Hits with updated artwork and a revised track listing. Four tracks from the original 1975 version ("Lady Midnight", "The Partisan", "Last Year's Man" and "Take This Longing") were removed and nine tracks released after 1975 ("Everybody Knows", "Waiting for the Miracle", "A Thousand Kisses Deep", "The Future", "Closing Time", "Dance Me to the End of Love", "First We Take Manhattan", "I'm Your Man" and "Hallelujah") were added.
Track listings
1975 release
- "Suzanne" – 3:50
- "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:36
- "So Long, Marianne" – 5:40
- "Bird on the Wire" – 3:27
- "Lady Midnight" – 2:58
- "The Partisan" – 3:25
- "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:57
- "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:09
- "Last Year's Man" – 5:59
- "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:07
- "Who by Fire" – 2:32
- "Take This Longing" – 4:05
2009 release
- "Suzanne" – 3:48
- "So Long, Marianne" – 5:36
- "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:33
- "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:07
- "Everybody Knows" – 5:34
- "Waiting for the Miracle" – 3:24
- "Who by Fire" – 2:33
- "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:05
- "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:54
- "Bird on the Wire" – 3:25
- "A Thousand Kisses Deep" – 6:26
- "The Future" – 6:40
- "Closing Time" – 5:58
- "Dance Me to the End of Love" – 4:38
- "First We Take Manhattan" – 5:50
- "I'm Your Man" – 4:26
- "Hallelujah" – 4:38
Year-end charts
Chart (2002) | Position |
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Canadian Alternative Albums (Nielsen SoundScan)[2] | 82 |
Certifications and sales
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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Australia (ARIA)[3] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
France (SNEP)[4] | Platinum | 300,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[5] | 2× Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
Hungary (MAHASZ)[6] | Gold | 3,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[7] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] | Platinum | 300,000* |
United States (RIAA)[9] | Gold | 500,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
References
- ^ Ankeny, Jason. The Best of Leonard Cohen at AllMusic
- ^ "Canada's Top 200 Alternative albums of 2002". Jam!. Archived from the original on December 4, 2003. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2012 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ "French album certifications – Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Leonard Cohen; 'Greatest Hits')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved March 14, 2023.
- ^ "Adatbázis – Arany- és platinalemezek – 2010" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- ^ "Swiss Gold" (PDF). Billboard. 1 March 1980. p. 51. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – Leonard Cohen – Greatest Hits". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 18, 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – Leonard Cohen – The Best of Leonard Cohen". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 15, 2013.
- v
- t
- e
- Songs of Leonard Cohen
- Songs from a Room
- Songs of Love and Hate
- New Skin for the Old Ceremony
- Death of a Ladies' Man
- Recent Songs
- Various Positions
- I'm Your Man
- The Future
- Ten New Songs
- Dear Heather
- Old Ideas
- Popular Problems
- You Want It Darker
- Thanks for the Dance
- Live Songs
- Cohen Live
- Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979
- Live in London
- Live at the Isle of Wight 1970
- Songs from the Road
- Live in Dublin
- Can't Forget: A Souvenir of the Grand Tour
- The Best of Leonard Cohen
- So Long, Marianne
- More Best of Leonard Cohen
- The Essential Leonard Cohen
- Famous Blue Raincoat
- I'm Your Fan
- Tower of Song: The Songs of Leonard Cohen
- Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
- Judy Collins Sings Leonard Cohen: Democracy
- The Songs of Leonard Cohen Covered
- "Ain't No Cure for Love"
- "Avalanche"
- "Bird on the Wire"
- "Dance Me to the End of Love"
- "Everybody Knows"
- "Famous Blue Raincoat"
- "First We Take Manhattan"
- "The Gypsy's Wife"
- "Hallelujah"
- "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye"
- "I'm Your Man"
- "In My Secret Life"
- "Joan of Arc"
- "The Partisan"
- "So Long, Marianne"
- "Suzanne"
- "Take This Waltz"
- "Tower of Song"
- "You Want It Darker"
- Ladies and Gentlemen... Mr. Leonard Cohen
- Angel
- Beware of a Holy Whore
- Bird on a Wire
- I Am a Hotel
- Night Magic
- Looking for Leonard
- Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
- Tower of Song: A Memorial Tribute to Leonard Cohen
- Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love
- Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song
- So Long, Marianne
- Bob Johnston
- Marianne Ihlen
- Sharon Robinson
- Jennifer Warnes
- Perla Batalla
- Julie Christensen
- Anjani: Blue Alert
- Alan Light: The Holy or the Broken
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