Songs from a Room by Leonard Cohen

The production on Leonard Cohen\'s second album is starker than on his first, putting even more focus on lyrics that prove alternately entrancing and lacerating—sometimes both at once. War, mythology, romance, and religion tumble together in songs that wield words as instruments of wonder, wit, and destruction. Whether Cohen\'s deadpan voice is cataloging his attempts at attaining true liberty (\"Bird on a Wire\"), unfolding a bloody allegory (\"The Butcher\"), or indulging in romantic ribaldry (\"Tonight Will Be Fine\"), he\'s working on an almost untouchable level.

For the first time since 1992, Rolling Stone's definitive classic returns to the scene, completely updated and revised to include the past decade's artists and sounds. When it comes to sorting the truly great from the merely mediocre, the enduring from the fleeting, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide provides music buffs and amateurs alike with authoritative guidance from the best voices in the field. Filled with insightful commentary, it not only reviews the most influential albums of all time, but also features biographical overviews of key artists' careers, giving readers a look at the personalities behind the music.This fourth edition contains an impressive -- 70 percent -- amount of new material. Readers will find fresh updates to entries on established artists, hundreds of brand-new entries on the people and recordings that epitomize the '90s and the sounds of the 21st century -- from Beck to OutKast to the White Stripes and beyond -- along with a new introduction detailing changes in the music industry.Celebrating the diversity of popular music and its constant metamorphoses, with thousands of entries and reviews on every sound from blues to techno, The New Rolling Stone Album Guide is the only resource music lovers need to read.

AllMusic provides comprehensive music info including reviews and biographies. Get recommendations for new music to listen to, stream or own.