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Top Ten Leonard Cohen Covers. One Man’s Opinion.
Thursday, April 17th, 2003While I’m on a musical kick, I present my list….
10. Jennifer Warnes — “Famous Blue Raincoat”
By a whisker over the Tori Amos version. Warnes did an entire album of Cohen covers all by herself. Sad thing is, it may have been her best album.
9. David McComb and Adam Peters — “Don’t Go Home With Your Hard-On”
An odd selection from the I’m Your Man tribute album, but they made it work. A really bizarre song from Cohen, too.
8. Concrete Blonde — “Everybody Knows”
One of my favorites by Cohen. And Johnette Napolitano could sing me to sleep every night.
7. Bill Prichard — “I’m Your Man”
A lazy, almost drunken rendition, complete with sleazy saxophone. Perfect.
6. REM — “First, We Take Manahttan”
What a cover should be. REM’s sincere, literate touch — with some added punch — to Cohen’s classic.
5. Rufus Wainwright — “Hallelujah”
From the Shrek soundtrack. Rufus gets the “best live rendition you can still have a chance to hear” title. John Cale does a great version of the song, too. And you can find a live version of Dylan covering it on Kazaa. Worst version? Bono, on the Tower of Song tribute album. It’s horrifying.
4. Willie Nelson — “Bird on a Wire”
The perfect voice for this song. Perfect composition, too. Spare, kinda’ haunting.
3. Pixies — “I Can’t Forget”
Like the REM song, an uptempo, charged rendition of the classic. Plus, I really like the Pixies.
2. James — “So Long, Maryanne”
Maybe the best song James ever recorded. They add this driving, spoken-word improvisation at the end that’s mesmerizing.
1. Jeff Buckley — “Hallelujah”
Best Cohen cover. Maybe best cover. Spooky. Romantic. Angelic. Ghostly. Beautiful.
Don’t forget Judy Collins — she helped “discover” L.C., or helped the post-folkies find him anyway. And her recording of “Suzanne” is, imo, definitive.
I think the Rufus Wainright version of Hallelujah- while it may be on the soundtrack- is actually not in the movie Shrek. Interesting only in that I think I prefer the version in the movie, but both are very good.
More griping about the Cincy radio scene… The only reason I knew Leonard Cohen even existed is because he has a song on a “Hear Music” cd I bought at FREAKING Starbucks. And First We Take Manhatten? Would have never heard about THAT if my brother didn’t ask me to download it for him.
Good call on putting the Buckley cover first. That song is genius interpreting genius.
Hum.. what about Sting and the Chieftons doing “sister’s of Mercy”? Eh…ok might not be the best but – it is the CHIEFTONS –
> Worst version? Bono, on the Tower of > Song tribute album. It’s horrifying.
Hum.. i kinda liked that – at least better then the Ani DiFranco version of Hallelujah
There’s an upcoming songer/songwriter named Ari Hest that does a great cover of “Hallelujah” as well. I guess we’re now entering overkill territory with covering that song, but I can’t blame any artist for wanting to play it (for better or for worse) cause it’s just so damn appealing….its joyful, uplifting theme is underscored by the haunting frustration of the lyrics
“I heard there was a secret chord/
that David played and it pleased the Lord/
but you don’t really care for music do you?” amazing.
Since she’s a co-writer, I don’t suppose Jennifer Warnes’ recording of “Song of Bernadette,” qualifies as a cover, but it’s achingly beautiful and the definitive version. Aaron Neville does an okay job with it as well. I understand that Bette Midler takes a crack at it somewhere, but down that road I am unwilling to journey.
I agree wholeheartedly with your top 3 – Jeff Buckley’s version of Hallelujah deserves to be top of the chart, and it is. But at the risk of calling all manner of unpleasantness down upon me, my pick for worst version of that song: Leonard Cohen. I just can’t get through his version without either stopping/fast forwarding or laughing my ass off. More horrifying than Bono? Easily.
can’t believe nobody’s even mentioned patricia o’callaghan. on her album “real emotional girl” she did superb covers of hallelujah, joan of arc, and a singer must die. she also turned dylan’s “like a rolling stone” into a delicious jazz-noir ballad.
I think Ron Sexsmith’s cover of “Heart With No Companion” it’s excellent. Why didn’t that make the list?
Coil’s “Who By Fire” and the Bobs’ “Bird on a Wire” are my favourites.
Of course, I must admit I can’t abide Cohen’s voice, so it’s pretty much a covers-only thing.
Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah is the single best song to listen to in the shower.
The Wainwright versoin is definatly in the movie– it is one of those places where you couldn’t have the scene without the music which makes it incredible!!
Honestly, the only way I knew Cohen before that movie was my mom singing Suzanne. THen I found an old record of him singing live and realised why I didn;t hear more of him (shudder). I love the covers though.
Fringe Benefit does a good rock verison of Suzanne.
The John Cale version of Hallelujah is in the movie Shrek, while the Wainwright version is on the soundtrack album. I thought something was odd when I watched Shrek again after listening to the soundtrack album a lot, and the allmusic.com entry for the Shrek soundtrack confirmed it for me.
here’s a couple of interpretations you may not yet have heard and may enjoy:
http://www.allisoncrowe.com/music/hallelujah.mp3
http://www.allisoncrowe.com/music/joanofarc.mp3
cheers, Ad
I am surprised Ian McCulloch gets no recognition for his covers (That’s No Way To Say Goodbye is done excellently).I think if he merely a songwriter, Cohen would be more fondly thought of. His singing tends to sound a tad phony,especially in his later,pseudo soul songs. One of those guys whose originals don’t sound as good as his covers.
While I love the Jeff Buckley version of hallelujah, he borrowed, without credit, John Cale’s arrangement.
Best cover is the haunting Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley!
“Tower of Song” by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds.
It’s on “I’m your fan”.
Gives goosebumps, every time…
The best Cohen cover, if you ask me.
nice and slow
Top Ten Leonard Cohen …
It’s John Cale on Shreck.
John Cale’s version is heard in the movie, but it’s Rufus Wainwright on the Shrek soundtrack. Who knows why?
Allison Crowe’s cover of Hallelujah is my favorite. It’s unlike most versions.
Still, it’s such a brilliant song I like to hear all versions.
I also really like Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” But what about Roberta Flack’s version of “Hey, that’s no way to say goodbye”? That should make the top of the list?
Am I alone here? I looove Cohen’s version of hallelujah – starts so much more mournfully and builds up so much more deeply and powerfully to the crescendo than the others – i find jeff buckley’s version light, disposable and annoying after listening to Cohen’s.
second vote for nick cave’s cover of ‘Tower of Song’