Leonard Cohen Reissued

Fans of poet, singer/songwriter, and all-around ladies’ man, Leonard Cohen will be treated to remastered versions of his early classics come this April.

Attention fans of the original ladies’ man.

Leonard Cohen’s first three albums will be re-released by Columbia/Legacy Music on April 24 of this year. In addition to the original classics that appear on Songs of Leonard Cohen (1968), Songs from a Room (1969), and Songs of Love and Hate (1971), each album will feature bonus tracks and alternate takes.

Buy these for the new, improved quality of such masterpieces as “Suzanne,” “Bird on a Wire,” and my favorite, “Famous Blue Raincoat.” Keep it for the rarities, including “Nothing to One” (an early version of “You Know Who I Am”) that features vocal harmonies by David Crosby.

Not enough for you Cohen fanatics? Well, Columbia is also re-releasing the recent album Blue Alert by Cohen’s companion, Anjani Thomas. The album features her impeccable jazz vocals and songs co-written by Mr. Cohen.

This is, of course, all good news after the financial scandal that rocked Cohen and the music world in 2005. If you don’t know the Hollywood-esque story, the singer was left almost penniless after the gross mismanagement of his finances by a long-time friend and manager.

If you can’t wait until April, check out the recent documentary and its accompanying soundtrack, I’m Your Man, about a tribute concert to Cohen. It contains performances by U2, Nick Cave, and Folk101 favorites, The Handsome Family.

Or you can always bone up on your lyrical poetry by checking out some of Cohen’s non-musical classics. He has been and always will be, first and foremost, a poet.

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