NEW LP
New sealed copy. 2018 reissue on 180 gram vinyl.
Released in 1975, The Best of Leonard Cohen (issued as Greatest Hits in parts of Europe) was the first official compilation of Cohen’s work. Unlike many label-driven collections, Cohen personally curated the tracklist, oversaw the artwork, and insisted on including printed lyrics—making it as much a statement of artistry as a commercial release.
The compilation spanned material from Cohen’s early albums, presenting key songs like “Suzanne,” “Bird on the Wire,” and “Famous Blue Raincoat” to a new generation of listeners. While the album did not achieve major success in the United States, it resonated strongly in Europe, where Cohen’s following was deeper, and he mounted a 1976 tour across the continent to support it.
The artwork—an intimate black-and-white photo taken in a Milan hotel room in 1968—gave the album its iconic visual identity, one later referenced by alternative rock band Ween on the cover of their 1991 album The Pod. The European-only single “Do I Have to Dance All Night,” recorded during this period with a surprising disco influence, added further intrigue to the era.
Though not a blockbuster in sales terms, The Best of Leonard Cohen helped to solidify Cohen’s reputation internationally and introduced his poetic, melancholic songwriting to audiences who would become lifelong devotees.
TRACKLIST:
A1 Suzanne
A2 Sisters Of Mercy
A3 So Long, Marianne
A4 Bird On The Wire
A5 Lady Midnight
A6 The Partisan
B1 Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye
B2 Famous Blue Raincoat
B3 Last Year's Man
B4 Chelsea Hotel No. 2
B5 Who By Fire
B6 Take This Longing
