Leonard Cohen - Death of a Ladies' Man

One of the most controversial partnerships in either man's career was inaugurated the day Leonard Cohen and Phil Spector decided to make an album together. In the course of just three weeks together, the pair had written 15 new songs, described by Spector as "some great f*ckin' music." And though the recording took somewhat longer, Death of a Ladies' Man still emerged as an album that, while it certainly lives up to Spector's billing, can also be viewed as the most challenging record of both Cohen and Spector's careers. Certainly, Cohen fans were absolutely taken aback by the widescreen wash that accompanied their idol's customary tones, and many hastened to complain about the almost unbridled sexuality and brutal voyeurism that replaced Cohen's traditionally lighter touch -- as if the man who once rhymed "four poster bed" with "giving me head" was any stranger whatsoever to explicitness. It is also true that a cursory listen to the album suggests that the whole thing was simply a ragbag of crazy notions thrown into the air to see where they landed.

Pay attention, however, and it quickly makes sense. The brawling "Memories" bowls along, an echo-laden vaudeville drinking song that invites everyone who hears it to join in with the so-perfectly timed refrain of "won't you let me see...your naked body." "Iodine," meanwhile, swings on one of Nino Tempo's most seductive rhythm arrangements, while Steve Douglas' sax squalls behind Cohen and co-singer Ronee Blakley's rambunctious duet; and anybody looking for a dance smash to sidle wholly out of left field could turn to "Don't Go Home with Your Hard-On," a number that not only captured an almost irresistible funk edge, but also roped Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg into its rambunctious backing chorus.

Cohen himself has never been happy with the record -- Spector's mix, he complained, stripped "the guts out of the record," but when he suggested the producer have another go, his entreaties were ignored. Finally agreeing to write the album off as "an experiment that failed" and trust that his fans would be able to pick out its "real energizing capacities," Cohen allowed it to be released as Spector left it -- and then effectively retired for the next five years. His judgment, and that most commonly passed down by rock history, has not been borne out by time. Alongside Songs of Love and Hate, Death of a Ladies' Man represents the peak of Cohen's first decade or so as a recording artist, both lyrically and stylistically stepping into wholly untapped musical directions -- and certainly setting the stage for the larger scale productions that would mark out his music following his return. It might even be his masterpiece. ~ Dave Thompson, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Perkins Slide Guitar, Pedal Steel Allen Ginsberg Vocals (Background) Art Blaine Guitar Art Munson Guitar Barry Goldberg Keyboards Bill Mays Keyboards Bill Naegels Design Bill Thedford Vocals (Background) Billy Diez Vocals, Vocals (Background) Bob Dylan Vocals, Vocals (Background) Bob Robitaille Synthesizer Programming, Synthesizer, Assistant Engineer Bobby Bruce Fiddle, Violin Brenda Bryant Vocals, Vocals (Background) Bruce Gold Engineer, Assistant Engineer Charles Loper Trombone Clydie King Vocals (Background), Vocals Conte Candoli Trumpet Dan Kessel Keyboards, Guitar, Vocals (Background), Synthesizer, Organ David Isaac Guitar David Kessel Guitar, Vocals (Background) Devra Robitaille Producer, Synthesizer Don Menza Horn Arrangements, Flute, Wind, Saxophone Don Randi Keyboards Emil Radocchia Percussion Gene Estes Percussion Gerald Garrett Vocals (Background), Vocals Gerry Garrett Vocals (Background) Hal Blaine Drums Jack Redman Trombone Jack Redmond Trombone Jay Migliori Saxophone Jesse Ed Davis Guitar Jim Keltner Drums John Cabalka Art Direction Julia Tillman Vocals (Background) Julia Tillman Waters Vocals, Vocals (Background) Larry Levine Engineer Leonard Cohen Composer, Vocals Lorna Willard Vocals (Background), Vocals Michael Lang Keyboards Mike Lang Keyboards Mike Long Keyboards Nino Tempo Arranger Oma Drake Vocals, Vocals (Background) Oren Waters Vocals (Background) Pete Jolly Keyboards Phil Spector Guitar, Rhythm Arrangements, Vocals (Background), Keyboards, Vocal Arrangement, Producer, Composer Ray Neapolitan Bass (Electric), Bass (Upright), Bass Ray Pohlman Guitar, Bass Robert Zimmitti Percussion Ron Coro Design Ronee Blakley Vocals (Background), Vocals Sherlie Matthews Vocals (Background) Sneaky Pete Kleinow Guitar, Pedal Steel, Slide Guitar Stan Ross Assistant Engineer Steve Douglas Wind, Saxophone, Flute Terry Gibbs Percussion, Vibraphone Tom Hensley Keyboards Venetta Fields Vocals (Background), Vocals