From eternal optimism to a Leonard Cohen record. Though he was never the miserabilist that dullards pegged him. First, a disclaimer: Seriously, this is not meant to be a definitive list. I just started this forty five days ago and have been pretty much making it up as I went along ever since. First of all, I keep hearing albums that would have been on this list otherwise, (Bent Shapes just now for instance), but I heard them too late. Secondly, the whole idea of writing a list of records in a countdown chart in this day and age is kind of ridiculous. If magazines do it, it's generally to represent a perspective of what their audience expects. If individuals do it on blogs, first of all have you heard everything you might like? Then what criteria are you using? Why not just say you like something, rather than that it's better than some other record.
Many of the official charts are full of Kanye West, Solange, Beyonce and Frank Ocean. I'd have to say that all of these artists generally play a style of music that I'm not particularly fond of, even if they are more current and probably more relevant than the stuff I do. I haven't even heard the Kanye or Beyonce albums so I can't really comment on them at all. Solange's record was just great but for some reason isn't on here. And I just listened to the Frank Ocean and even though I really liked it on previous listens, I didn't this time. So it's gone. Told you this wasn't meant to be definitive! So with Frank gone I needed a late high entry that would merit it. So I'm playing Leonard Cohen's final album for the first time right now and it's immediately obvious that it would grace the Top 5 of any list. so Laughing Len is in. It's resonant. It's funny. It's stately. Of course. It's Leonard! Frank is out. Sorry Frank. You're still a young man! And anyway. These things can't really be measured. Except for stating the obvious that Leonard Cohen is much lamented and will be much missed.
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