With the exception of his first four, every Leonard Cohen album suffers the same fatal flaw--bad arrangements. The horribly unsuitable instrumentation employed since the early eighties continues on this, his first record in nearly ten years. Always a brilliantly passionate singer/songwriter, the value of songs from this era of his work is only fully realized when covered by worthy contemporaries (notably Jeff Buckley and R.E.M.). Ten years from now these songs will be given the treatment they deserve and will sound great.