Death Of A Ladies' Man  by Leonard Cohen

The fifth album by the Canadian songwriter and poet was the result of his collaboration with music producer Phil Spector, who was responsible for the music and production of the songs on Death Of A Ladies' Man, while Cohen put his stamp on the lyrics.

Throughout the record, we witness the pressured collaboration between the two men. Leonard Cohen had not evolved into what his label, Columbia, predicted, while Phil Spector was experiencing a highly unique and intense period in his life. During the recordings, there was a moment when Spector threatened Cohen with a gun. Things often seemed out of control. The outcome of Death Of A Ladies' Man was not clearly what Cohen's fans expected. Spector had applied his infamous "wall of sound" in the production of the album, featuring brass and choral parts as backing vocals. Unfortunately, the production was very "swampy" and did not allow the songs and Cohen's voice to take the forefront despite Leonard Cohen's valiant efforts. The truth is it was the first time that Leonard Cohen had to sing over such complex orchestration.

There was no commercial success for the album, but now it is perceived as a very - if nothing else - interesting moment in the discography of the Canadian troubadour, one that never occurred again. Perhaps the "success" of the record is that a listener fully absorbs the sense that emanates from the title combined with the cover photo. It is one of the rare times when the "poorly made" seems like a masterpiece (!)