Jump to content

[Duncan Ryder] Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah


Recommended Posts

  • Site Administrator

A while back Duncan mentioned that he was the world's biggest fan of Leonard Cohen. Hopefully he doesn't mind me starting a topic here.

 

Leonard Cohen has always fascinated me.

 

I wonder if people really know about him, and the number of current top singers and performers in the world that say that he had some influence in their own style of music.

 

I think the first time I really took notice of Cohen was back in 1992 when

jumped up to the tops of the Canadian charts. What really amazed me was that a then 58 year old man could get play on all the pop stations.

 

Duncan has mentioned that

cover version of Hallelujah is one that he really likes. After watching it I have to admit that it is one hell of a cover.

 

Where I might disagree is looking at

version of Hallelujah. I saw this on TV and instantly fell in love with the words, the performance and the haunting presentation.

 

I guess I should post the link of Leonard's version as well.

 

If you do a search of Hallelujah, you'll be amazed at how many covers of this one song there is.

 

So my question, is there a cover of this song that you like particularly or the original by Cohen, and if so, why?

 

If there is enough responses, maybe we can add a poll.

 

Steve B)

Link to comment

I was in London for New Year's Eve and saw Alexandra Burke (X-Factor UK Winner) sing it live in the O2 before Elton's show. It was fantastic. I was moved.

 

In either Time or Entertainment weekly last week there was a full page article on this song. I'm too lazy to look for a link.

Link to comment

You can start a threat whenever you like Steve!

 

And I like the K D Lang version a lot, though I'd put it at number 5.....

 

For me Leonard's own version is always # 1. I'd put Jeff Buckey # 2, Rufus Wainwright # 3 and John Cale at # 4. (John Cale's version is in the Shrek movie, though it's Rufus on the Shrek soundtrack...)

 

I read somewhere that there are over 100 covers of this song... and a reader in the UK emailed to tell me that a few weeks ago it had three of the top 100 spots there: Alexandra Burke was number 1, Jeff Buckley's was # 2, and Leonard's was #....80 something. The man is now 74.

 

(On a personal note, we went to his Toronto concert at the end of last year, and he sang it. It was amazing. The concert itself was a highpoint of my life. Seriously. He sang all my important songs... including Anthem (which is where "how the light gets in" comes from) and First we Take Manhatten (which is where "everybody's wounded" comes from,) and "Dance me to the end of Love" which I happen to think is the most romantic song in the world ..."Show me slowly what I only know the limits of, dance me to the end of love." (And yeah we held hands and everything....... say awwwwww everyone....<G>).

 

I'm listening to it right now .

Link to comment

KD Lang's is my absolute favorite version. At one point, I spent a day looking at every version of Cohen's Hallelujah that existed at the time on youtube. There was a good version by Swedish quartet. I remember it being in an outdoor setting, but I found an indoor performance by the quartet at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM . Bon Jovi does a nice sounding version -

- but, to me, it lacks real depth. My husband likes the John Cale version best - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUL7U-HhPvI .
Link to comment

This is the version I referred to in my previous post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuXbkrA_AQ I think it's the best by far.

 

I also like Kurt Nilson's version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM (Kurt won World Idol the one year they did it. It was freaking awesome. This song is not from that, though. Just so you know who it is)

Link to comment
This is the version I referred to in my previous post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsuXbkrA_AQ I think it's the best by far.

 

I also like Kurt Nilson's version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2NEU6Xf7lM (Kurt won World Idol the one year they did it. It was freaking awesome. This song is not from that, though. Just so you know who it is)

 

Yes, I like the Nilson version as well. The Alexandra Burke version is nice but to me over produced... I think, for women interpreters, I prefer KD Lange. But I'd still put Buckley and Rufus way, way ahead (and I also, um, prefer watching them perform it....)

 

Here's Rufus singing it live... http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbQEQltOwM&...feature=related

 

And for something complelely different.... here's Bob Dylan's version... http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=g-8Arvz8rHM&...feature=related You can probably give this one a miss....(much as I like Dylan doing Dylan...)

 

I haven't see a youtube version of Leonard that touched his live performance....

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
Yes, I like the Nilson version as well. The Alexandra Burke version is nice but to me over produced... I think, for women interpreters, I prefer KD Lange. But I'd still put Buckley and Rufus way, way ahead (and I also, um, prefer watching them perform it....)

 

Here's Rufus singing it live... http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=mmbQEQltOwM&...feature=related

 

And for something complelely different.... here's Bob Dylan's version... http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=g-8Arvz8rHM&...feature=related You can probably give this one a miss....(much as I like Dylan doing Dylan...)

 

I haven't see a youtube version of Leonard that touched his live performance....

 

I agree that the youtube versions are not so great. The download I have on my IPOD definitely is better than anything I have seen online.

 

I wonder if maybe K.D. was the first time I saw a performance is maybe the reason I like it so much. I guess I'll still use the word 'haunting' when describing it, it just is so powerful.

 

I would go with Rufus next.

 

When I saw the Sweedish one, I thought 'hey, that one guy looks familiar', guess I know why now :P . I still can't believe how powerful of a voice he has and you totally don't expect it from him.

 

So I guess my order would be KD Laing, Leonard Cohen, Rufus Wainwright and indecisive on the rest.

 

 

 

 

 

You can start a threat whenever you like Steve!

 

BTW, I would NEVER start a threat in your forum :D

Link to comment

Buckley gets the throphy, KD Lang the runner up. Kurt Nilson & gang comes 3rd (I think he's Norwegian though, not sure).

 

Damien Rice's cover of Buckley's cover is pretty nice as well, I like his voice. Alexandra Burke also does a great rendition.

 

I...dislike Rufus's cover. *ducks the flying objects thrown*

 

There are also a slew of bedroom singers on youtube that covered this song. Here's some that I like:

Link to comment

For me, Jeff Buckley's version is definitive. He turns a what's basically a song with a catchy chorus into a haunting introspection. He's the only singer who gives me the feeling that he's actually paying attention to the words. And his rendition is the only one that doesn't bore me, despite being among the longest.

 

Everyone else's is good too.... :D

Link to comment

Sure looks like you're on to something here, Steve.

 

Hi Duncan B)

 

I'll have to wait until Wed. when i'm back at work to listen to everyone's links, as my home PC

(Hi WBMS :P ) is mute after a crash.

 

Lovely to see everyone coming out for this!

 

Tracy

Link to comment
For me, Jeff Buckley's version is definitive. He turns a what's basically a song with a catchy chorus into a haunting introspection. He's the only singer who gives me the feeling that he's actually paying attention to the words. And his rendition is the only one that doesn't bore me, despite being among the longest.

 

Everyone else's is good too.... :D

 

I don't agree that it's "basically a song with a catchy chorus." To me, it's much more profound than that. Have you ever read Cohen on what he was trying to say with it? It's really very powerful...and he wrote something like 80 different verses... But then, for me, every song is first and foremost about the words (which is also why I'm a big fan of Rufus Wainwright...though I do wish someone would teach him to annunciate.... it would make ALL the difference... but that's another "threat", lol.)

 

It is interesting though that when Cohen was asked why he thought the song had become so phenominally successful, the first thing he mentioned was the chorus...

 

I do agree absolutely that Buckley's is the definitive cover. Leonard's own versions are still the primal ones for me, but Buckley's is the cover that moves me most deeply. But there are at least two and I think maybe three different Buckley covers.... the one linked here is the best I think.

 

The Cale one bored you? That surprises me. I think Cale is a very fine performer.

 

And to be fair, the Irish performance I linked above is not the best of Rufus's covers...but I couldn't find a different one...

Link to comment
Yeah, he is. His voice is amazing.

 

 

Ok, this will probably get me in trouble but... while I guess Kurt's got a good voice, he is just too....country for me. He reminds me of that guy who had the song about all his low class friends... can't remember...had a great line in it though about "where the beer drowns and the whiskey chases your blues away." (it's ALL about words for me, lol.)

 

I guess I shoud duck now before people start throwing things ...

Link to comment
Ok, this will probably get me in trouble but... while I guess Kurt's got a good voice, he is just too....country for me.

 

I guess I should duck now before people start throwing things ...

Yeah, you should duck. I'm throwing things at you RIGHT NOW. :)

 

And Kurt's voice isn't really country. Remember his first language is Norwegian. But he is doing some country stuff now. His voice is awesome and I am not even a fan of country. So there.

Link to comment
He reminds me of that guy who had the song about all his low class friends... can't remember...had a great line in it though about "where the beer drowns and the whiskey chases your blues away." (it's ALL about words for me, lol.)

Friends in Low Places, written by Dewayne Blackwell and Bud Lee, sung by Garth Brooks, a pretty fair country singer.

Link to comment
  • Site Administrator
Friends in Low Places, written by Dewayne Blackwell and Bud Lee, sung by Garth Brooks, a pretty fair country singer.

 

 

A pretty fair country singer??? :blink:

 

Okay, I see you're point, there may have been a couple of people out at his concerts :P .

Link to comment
Friends in Low Places, written by Dewayne Blackwell and Bud Lee, sung by Garth Brooks, a pretty fair country singer.

 

 

Yes, that's the song <G>. Someone once made me sit down and seriously listen to an entire CD, and there were some beautiful sad sad songs on it... There is a quality in Kurt's voice that reminds me of him.

 

To get back OT, I wonder if Mr Brooks ever recorded Hallelujah......

Link to comment
  • 4 weeks later...
  • Site Administrator

Hey, really like the one of Leonard in Glastonbury.

 

Funny you posted today, I'm a little po'd that he is going to perform in Calgary and the day that tickets went on sale, the first people in line or online were told it was sold out right away. As usual Ticketmaster redirected to their other site where ticket were four times the regular prices.

 

Hopefully Ticketmaster cleans up their act so people can see concerts without taking out a loan.

 

I know I'm :off: , but did want to go see him live myself.

Link to comment
Hey, really like the one of Leonard in Glastonbury.

 

Funny you posted today, I'm a little po'd that he is going to perform in Calgary and the day that tickets went on sale, the first people in line or online were told it was sold out right away. As usual Ticketmaster redirected to their other site where ticket were four times the regular prices.

 

Hopefully Ticketmaster cleans up their act so people can see concerts without taking out a loan.

 

I know I'm :off: , but did want to go see him live myself.

 

Yeah, you're not the only one pissed off about that. Did you join in the class-action lawsuit against Ticketmaster?

Link to comment

Though I had to sit through an interminably long, senseless movie to do it, I finally got to hear Leonard's version of Hallelujah! The movie was "The Watchmen", my daughter's pick, and the music was by far it's only redeeming quality.

 

I realized that I have heard this song before, and when I said "this is Leonard Cohen", my daughter said "about a hundred people have done this song", and thanks to this thread I could have named a handful of them. :music:

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..