Comments on: I’ll stand before the Lord of Song

By: Martin McCallion

Martin McCallion — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:59:05 +0000

@The Magician: Everyone likes Dylan songs when sung by someone else They’re often better than the originals, much though I love the guy.

Or rather, maybe, they’re more accessible than the originals. Dylan can require some effort.

As far as I know he hasn’t recorded it, but I found a live version on YouTube.

As to the Buckley version, I had never heard it until yesterday - or not knowingly: I don’t remember any version being on ??The West Wing??, but if it was there, I must have heard it. Do you recall which episode it was?

By: The Magician

The Magician — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:34:23 +0000

You said “You could say that the Clashified version is – I don’t know: definitive, maybe.” …

… and that’s entirely my reason for accepting people’s comments that Buckley’s version is definitive … it’s not necessarily “the best” or “my favourite” but it’s the version people know and compare other versions to … I suppose a bit like Whitney Houston’s version of the Dolly Parton song, or Natalie Imbruglia’s version of Torn, or any other song where the populare/well-known version isn’t by the original composer.

I’d heard other versions of Hallelujah I’m sure, but the one that first grabbed me was actually the ones they played on Scrubs and The West Wing (Cale for the first, and Buckley (I believe) in the second)

And I pretty much shouted “NOOOOOO!!!!” when I heard it was to be “the winner’s song” for x-factor this year.

It’s a song of passion, and emotion, and for them to pick it as the winner’s song not knowing if it was going to be a boyband, a 16-year old or a Beyonce-wannabee, well, it was a “brave choice” (i.e. totally idiotic!)

She does an ok job, but the arrangement is poor, and the Buckley version is much better than that, and more accessible to a wider audience than Mr.Cohen’s … at least in my opinion … but then I’m a person who likes Bob Dylan songs when sung by someone else

And speaking of which, I hadn’t realised that Bob Dylan had recorded Hallelujah, now that I’ve got to hear!

By: Martin McCallion

Martin McCallion — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:30:06 +0000

@Graham: You won’t, I’m sure, be surprised to hear that technical singing ability is rarely high on the list of things that draws me to a song, or singer (I’m listening to Lou Reed as I type).

But yes, Buckley’s version is pretty good. And as Fiona says, it’s all good for Lenny.

By: Graham

Graham — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 02:28:08 +0000

For it to often be described as definitive only requires that people who talk about it often think of Buckley’s version first, which I’m sure is the case for at least two reasons: firstly, because it’s had more exposure over the last decade than any other version (to the extent that I have at least one friend who is sick of Hallelujah in any version), and secondly, that it’s actually a very good version which probably appeals to the mass market more than either Cale’s or than Cohen’s own - Buckley was technically a better singer than either of them by a fair way and he had a delightfully light touch when it came to timing.

And yes, Cale’s version was replaced on the soundtrack album by Wainwright’s because Cale wasn’t on the issuing label (Sony?) and would therefore have cost more.

By: Martin McCallion

Martin McCallion — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 21:49:10 +0000

I haven’t read that yet. Of course, if it was ‘Avalanche’, we’d be discussing whether Cohen or Cave did it better, rather than Cohen or Cale (what is it with the initial ‘C’?)

By: Fiona

Fiona — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 20:21:30 +0000

7/8 for me too. I slightly prefer Cale’s version to Cohen’s, I really like Cohen but I adore Cale’s voice. I don’t much care about the X Factor version as long as it makes Leonard Cohen lots of much needed money.

Did you see the Guardian article on this today? There were some interesting comments, including suggestions for next year’s inappropriate X Factor final cover version. I reckon they should go for Cohen again and do Avalanche next time.