The Essential Leonard Cohen

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The Essential Leonard Cohen
Essential Leonard Cohen cover.jpg
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedOctober 22, 2002
Recorded1967–2001
Genre Folk rock
Length2:34:10
Label
Producer Digitally remastered by Leonard Cohen and Bob Ludwig
Leonard Cohen chronology
Ten New Songs
(2001)
The Essential Leonard Cohen
(2002)
Dear Heather
(2004)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
Robert Christgau A [2]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [3]

The Essential Leonard Cohen is a career-spanning collection of Leonard Cohen songs released in 2002. It is part of Sony's The Essential series.

Contents

The songs are arranged in chronological order; all studio albums released before 2002 are represented, except the 1977 album Death of a Ladies' Man . All tracks were digitally remastered by Leonard Cohen and Bob Ludwig. All songs on the compilation were chosen by Cohen himself.

The album was re-released in August 2008 with an extra disc of previously not included tracks (presented as the selection of "fans' favorite" songs).

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "Suzanne" – 3:48
  2. "The Stranger Song" – 5:00
  3. "Sisters of Mercy" – 3:34
  4. "Hey, That's No Way to Say Goodbye" – 2:54
  5. "So Long, Marianne" – 5:39
  6. "Bird on the Wire" (misspelled as "Bird on a Wire" on track list) – 3:25
  7. "The Partisan" – 3:25
  8. "Famous Blue Raincoat" – 5:09
  9. "Chelsea Hotel #2" – 3:06
  10. "Take This Longing" – 4:06
  11. "Who by Fire" – 2:34
  12. "The Guests" – 6:40
  13. "Hallelujah" – 4:38
  14. "If It Be Your Will" – 3:42
  15. "Night Comes On" – 4:40
  16. "I'm Your Man" – 4:25
  17. "Everybody Knows" – 5:37
  18. "Tower of Song" – 5:37

Notes

Disc two

  1. "Ain't No Cure for Love" – 4:49
  2. "Take This Waltz" – 5:59
  3. "First We Take Manhattan" – 5:50
  4. "Dance Me to the End of Love" (live) – 6:04
  5. "The Future" – 6:40
  6. "Democracy" – 7:03
  7. "Waiting for the Miracle" – 7:42
  8. "Closing Time" – 5:57
  9. "Anthem" – 5:59
  10. "In My Secret Life" – 4:53
  11. "Alexandra Leaving" – 5:22
  12. "A Thousand Kisses Deep" – 6:26
  13. "Love Itself" – 5:21

Notes

Disc three (The Essential 3.0 re-release)

  1. "Seems So Long Ago, Nancy" from Songs from a Room (1969)
  2. "Love Calls You by Your Name" from Songs of Love and Hate (1971)
  3. "A Singer Must Die" from New Skin for the Old Ceremony (1974)
  4. "Death of a Ladies' Man" from Death of a Ladies' Man (1977)
  5. "The Traitor" from Recent Songs (1979)
  6. "By the Rivers Dark" from Ten New Songs (2001)
  7. "The Letters" from Dear Heather (2004)

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [24] 2× Platinum140,000^
Finland (Musiikkituottajat) [25] Gold17,896 [25]
Germany (BVMI) [26] Gold150,000
Italy (FIMI) [27] Gold25,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ) [28] Platinum15,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway) [29] Platinum47,000 [30]
Poland (ZPAV) [31] Platinum20,000
Sweden (GLF) [32] Gold30,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [33] Platinum235,749 [34]
United States (RIAA) [35] Gold500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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