Comments on: Top Ten Leonard Cohen Covers. One Man’s Opinion.

By: marianne

marianne — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 16:29:13 +0000

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’

By: dulaney

dulaney — Sun, 23 Jul 2006 07:59:14 +0000

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?

By: Mel

Mel — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 05:34:03 +0000

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.

By: Bobbo

Bobbo — Tue, 23 Aug 2005 05:11:49 +0000

It’s John Cale on Shreck.

By: Wilhelm Johnsson

Wilhelm Johnsson — Thu, 14 Jul 2005 11:42:53 +0000

nice and slow

Top Ten Leonard Cohen …

By: thondermonst

thondermonst — Sat, 28 Aug 2004 13:21:10 +0000

“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.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Jul 2004 20:02:10 +0000

Best cover is the haunting Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley!

By: zydeco fish

zydeco fish — Fri, 16 Jul 2004 15:35:22 +0000

While I love the Jeff Buckley version of hallelujah, he borrowed, without credit, John Cale’s arrangement.

By: John

John — Tue, 22 Jun 2004 05:52:50 +0000

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.

By: Adrian

Adrian — Thu, 06 May 2004 09:30:06 +0000

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

By: Levi

Levi — Thu, 22 Jan 2004 19:09:35 +0000

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.

By: Chester

Chester — Thu, 15 Jan 2004 03:03:44 +0000

Fringe Benefit does a good rock verison of Suzanne.

By: moxy

moxy — Sat, 10 Jan 2004 23:18:31 +0000

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.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 20 Dec 2003 14:15:51 +0000

Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah is the single best song to listen to in the shower.

By: Sigivald

Sigivald — Wed, 10 Dec 2003 22:16:07 +0000

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.

By: tyler

tyler — Mon, 25 Aug 2003 05:06:55 +0000

I think Ron Sexsmith’s cover of “Heart With No Companion” it’s excellent. Why didn’t that make the list?

By: anne

anne — Thu, 14 Aug 2003 19:58:39 +0000

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.

By: marc w.

marc w. — Tue, 22 Apr 2003 07:59:30 +0000

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.

By: TMFTML

TMFTML — Mon, 21 Apr 2003 17:50:52 +0000

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.

By: Saxdrop

Saxdrop — Sat, 19 Apr 2003 00:05:14 +0000

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.