Vinyl Record

Leonard Cohen - Songs of Love and Hate

Leonard Cohen – Songs of Love and Hate on LP: a stark, poetic songwriter classic. Order from Kilmorna near Listowel for local pickup or delivery.

LP · 1971

Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.

Buyer notes: 1971 LP, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection vinyl shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel or ship within Ireland for EUR 5.50.

Few records capture Leonard Cohen at his most unguarded quite like Songs of Love and Hate. The writing is sharply etched—songs that feel like confessions, prayers, and hard-won observations delivered in that unmistakable low register. It’s an album where romance and ruin sit side by side, and even the quietest lines land with weight. Across these eight tracks, Cohen moves from the looming drama of “Avalanche” to the intimate ache of “Famous Blue Raincoat,” balancing narrative detail with a poet’s economy. The arrangements stay focused and supportive, keeping the attention on voice, lyric, and atmosphere rather than spectacle. If you know Cohen for the later, deeper-night albums, this is one of the key earlier statements: concise, intense, and endlessly replayable—one that reveals new angles each time you drop the needle.

Songs of Love and Hate is a cornerstone of the singer-songwriter canon: emotionally fearless, literate, and unflashy in the best way. It distills Cohen’s gifts—storytelling, moral tension, dark humour, and romance—into a compact set that influenced generations of writers across folk, rock, and indie.

This title turns up in many pressings, so condition and mastering matter. For collectors, it’s a “forever copy” album: worth upgrading for quieter vinyl and a clean sleeve. Even if you already own a later-era Cohen LP, this one fills in the essential early chapter—especially for “Avalanche” and the enduring pull of “Famous Blue Raincoat.”

Intimate, mid-forward vocal focus with restrained, moody accompaniment. More late-night chamber-folk feel than full-band rock—built for close listening and lyric detail.

Recommended for: listeners who love poetic, literary songwriting; fans of Nick Drake, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and Tom Waits; quiet, late-night listening sessions; anyone building a classic singer-songwriter shelf.

Is this the album with “Famous Blue Raincoat”? Yes—“Famous Blue Raincoat” is one of the standout tracks on Songs of Love and Hate. What kind of record is it—upbeat or downcast? It leans dark and reflective, but it’s compelling rather than gloomy—more noir poetry than heartbreak pop. Is this a good starting point for Leonard Cohen on vinyl? Absolutely, if you want Cohen at his starkest and most direct. It’s short, powerful, and rewards repeat plays.