Leonard Cohen is horny. Thankfully, his sexual drive conceived an album that demands retrospective reverence and appreciation.
Made in collaboration with the erratic Producer and Songwriter Phil Spector, Cohen’s album “Death Of A Ladies’ Man” departs from his traditional sound and puts the singer on maximalist soundtracks that enhance his lyricism and vocal prowess.
The opening track, “True Love Leaves No Traces,” seduces the listener with its rich instrumentation and lyrical portrayal of a hopeless romantic. The enmeshing of two lovers demonstrates the ephemeral nature of true love and how difficult it can be to recognize when one is really in it.
This is an album that penetrates sexuality in all of its facets. The self-hatred, euphoria, bonding and disassociated voyeurism that can come with sex and intimacy are on full display.
Lyrics such as “Don’t go home with your hard on // it will only drive you insane” would come off as vulgar or selfish if not for the charm and likability present in Cohen’s voice. The song “Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On” is one of the most layered and textured songs on the album.
The poetic prowess within the track is intoxicating. Poet Allen Ginsberg and Singer-songwriter Bob Dylan provide backing vocals to Cohen as his voice drives lyrics of sexual frustration over exuberantly flashy instrumentation.
This album has Cohen stripping sex and relationships one song at a time, with musical experimentation in every song. This is not the minimalist Cohen of “Suzanne” fame.
The titular song on the album “Death Of A Ladies’ Man” is a sprawling nine minute journey that closes the listening experience. His reflections on sexuality and relationships are painted through lines such as “He offered her an orgy in a many mirrored room.”
Cohen’s libido birthed a singular album within his discography. This is a listening experience that everyone, horny or celibate, can revel in.
