I remember seeing various posts in various threads making much of how badly Rufus Wainwright ruined Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” on the Shrek II soundtrack. The Wainwright version is on an MP3 CD I was listening to at work today, and it made me wonder what the Cohen version sounds like. Yes, I know it’s shocking, but I’ve never actually heard Leonard Cohen.
So I acquire a copy of Cohen’s original “Hallelujah” and listen to it tonight.
I hate it. poised to run
I know that’s grounds for an angry mob scene with pitchforks and torches for some folks, but I can’t help it. The song itself is genius. I LOVE the song! But Cohen’s voice and phrasing sucks. He sounds like he’s some random person doing a karaoke version of his own song, unfamiliar with the pitch or the phrasing.
Am I missing something about Cohen? Can anyone recommend anything better as a “starter set”?
Actually, that’s quite a bit BETTER than his usual, classic arrangements. I know it’s counterintuitive but you have to force your way past how god-awful his songs SOUND and…for get about it. Spend time listening to better singers and better arrangements and you might find yourself going back to a the painfully flawed originals. And if you don’t, no problem. Accept the words and the tunes in the manner that speaks to you best.
I meant Cohen’s work, though I am currently acquiring several different versions of “Hallelujah”, including the Buckley one. And Rammstein, though I don’t necessarily know if it’s the same song or a different one with the same name…
I like Leonard Cohen’s version a lot. As for other Leonard Cohen stuff, I think his first album is said to be his best. It’s a good album but you may not like it. The best song off of it is probably Suzanne, but I also really like One of Us Cannot Be Wrong.
Bird on a Wire is a good song of his, and it’s one of the more well-known ones. It was covered by Johnny Cash. I like both versions.
I had an album of his back in high school and of course my mom overheard me listening to is a lot. A while later the subject of Leonard Cohen came up and she said “Is that the guy whose songs all sound the same?” I have thought about her comment almost every time I’ve heard his songs since then. He writes incredible lyrics and he has had a major influence on the music world but he really does sing in a droning monotone.
As for your original question, The Best of Leonard Cohen was the album. It is still very good (hey, I like Gregorian chants in small doses as well) and for the price, I would recommend it to get some of his mainstay songs. They are still his best and it surprises me how often they crop up, either by him or covered by others.
The Essential Leonard Cohen contains a good summary of his best work. (I don’t agree that his best work was generally his earliest - he learned to make good use of his backup singers later.) I happen to dig on Leonard Cohen – and Bob Dylan and Tom Waits and all those “can’t sing” kinda singers – but I guess, like anything, its not for everyone.
If I had to name my 5 favorite songs they’d be
Suzanne
Famous Blue Raincoat
First We Take Manhattan
Alexandra Leaving
and Hallelujah.
the John Cale version of Hallelujah on the Basquiat soundtrack is the definitive one, IMO. I have a very old cassette of Leonard Cohen’s greatest hits that would be a good introduction- nothing too difficult- Suzanne, Bird on a Wire, etc.
I like Leonard Cohen 'cause unlike 95% of singers out there, you can actually tell what he’s saying. And what he’s saying is actually good.
I really like ‘First we take Manhattan’ and ‘Closing Time’ myself.
