Leonard Cohen Greatest Hits (1975)

My first copy of this record was a mess. It was scratched and the cover was torn and covered in writing. The split seams on each side were "repaired" with masking and/or electrical tape. The record sounded horrible, but that somehow seemed appropriate. It was also the first Leonard Cohen record I ever owned. I listened to it about a thousand times. Years later, I bought the CD and then a replacement copy on vinyl.

I am not sure that my dad understood Mr. Cohen. Sometimes, my dad came home late in the evening from work. If he noticed a light was on in my bedroom, he would come up to say hello. During a certain period of time, I would be playing nothing other than this record. I remember him staring at the turntable in amazement, and I was never sure if it as because of the surface noise and the myriad pops and clicks, or because the music was a far cry from my usual music. He never said. I wish I had kept my beat up copy of this record. But, since I sold it for a dollar at a lawn sale, that's almost as good. I am sure that someone else found something in the music.

If you could only buy one LC record, this is the one to get.