Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah. Could there be a more obvious choice for this week's Saturday Covers song? With practically the whole of Britain chanting the song after its phenomenal promotion through the evil that is The X Factor, the winner Alexandra Burke releasing it as a Christmas single and no less than three versions of it fighting for Christmas #1, no other song would really suit for today's Saturday Covers. This is going to be one hell of a post.
Here's the thing: Leonard Cohen is a legend. To quote directly from the cover of my copy of
Beautiful Losers (a book I highly recommend you read), he's a
"poet, internationally famous singer and songwriter extraordinary, Leonard Cohen is no ordinary man." If the book says so,it must be true.
Apparently Cohen's original poem Hallelujah had over eighty verses. He's cut it down a bit for this version, but it's still got all the passion of the original. Vocally, maybe Cohen's not the best singer (those low notes are like listening to a singing volcano), but he's got the emotion in his voice, he's got the style. As
The Telegraph put it, he wouldn't even get through the auditions of The X Factor, let alone win. Not to mention the impending Christmas #1 by the
actual winner... I can barely contain my excitement while Leonard Cohen's
original version is currently stuck at #34. This is a disgrace.
Anyway, although Cohen's Hallelujah isn't too highly regarded by the public who all want the stupid X Factor cover, it's still the original, and that counts for a lot. He's the man behind the music, and like it or not, he's the real winner here.
(mp3, 4.3mb)
Cover #1 (not chronologically, but in my nice little order) is provided by Bon Jovi. That's right - cheese-rock at its best. But let's not judge a band by their hopeless ballads. Bon Jovi have written some amazing stuff, don't forget. You may not like to admit it, but you love
Livin' On A Prayer. Everyone does. So let's give them a chance, eh?
As far as Bon Jovi's softer songs go, a lot of them a cringeworthy, simply because the band are trying too hard. Trying too hard to get us to cry. Well, they certainly do that. But in Bon Jovi's Hallelujah cover, the already well-established song isn't the thing that gets us cringing. It's just the vocals. We shouldn't fault Jon Bon Jovi's singing ability - he's a well accomplished vocalist. But the way he tries so hard to get some emotion, the way he desperately fakes the passion... it doesn't sound genuine. The singing's beautiful, but the emotion's false. Let's not forget, the song has plenty of Biblical references, but Jon Bon Jovi's an atheist. How can he genuinely sing with passion about something he has no time for?
Putting the singing aside, the performance is actually really nice. The backing vocals are less prominent on this recording that Cohen's original, but it's compensated for by a lovely solo violin line. The highlighted minor chords add the much-needed effect if you're going to cover the song well, with added emphasis on particular notes. It's all a very musical affair, and by no means a half-arsed cover. A high score for the music... a low for the singing.
Bon Jovi - Hallelujah (mp3, 5.4mb)
There's not a lot that can be said about Shrek, but I'll give it this: it provided a great cover of Hallelujah.
Rufus Wainwright's version of Hallelujah is possibly the best so far (so far, remember... there's more to come). Interestingly enough, it was John Cale's verison that was featured in the actual film Shrek, but due to legal reasons (damn those legal reasons), Rufus Wainwright was asked to record a version for the soundtrack album. And I'm glad he did. What Bon Jovi's cover was missing, this recording has. It's got the emotion, but it doesn't need to be overly forced. It's not so much emotional, as dramatic. The fluctuating dynamics, the varied articulation... it's all there, adding to the drama. The vocals are reasonable - reasonable enough to enjoy listening to the song, a lot. A massive well done to Rufus Wainwright here.
Rufus Wainwright - Hallelujah (mp3, 3.9mb)
There's not a lot to be said about Bono's cover. Why? Because it's appalling. Thumping "dance bass" lines constant in the background, pathetic chorus vocals, stupidly dramatic spoken word verses, a completely out of place trombone solo... it's not really worth a listen, but if you really want to lower your opinion of Bono even more, here you go. Credit for actually trying to interpret the song and make it original, but really, stick to U2.
Bono - Hallelujah (mp3, 3.6mb)
Just one more cover before I leave it be for today. Often considered the ultimate recording of Hallelujah, and currently #3 in the charts, Jeff Buckley's cover has a lot going for it. A completely original and inventive guitar opening before launching into the main riff, smooth vocals, subtle crescendos... this is a recording and a half. Proving that you don't need false emotion, you don't need stupidly over the top interpretation, you just need an ear for the song and the wish to flatter it.
There's actually a Facebook campaign going on at the moment, urging buyers to purchase Jeff Buckley's verison of the song for Christmas, and NOT Alexandra Burke's (The X Factor winner, remember? Seems so long ago since the top of the post). I agree that Jeff Buckley's is far superior, but let her Alexandra have her day. Buckley's had his.
But, oh... just listen to the sustained notes at the end...
Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (mp3, 6.4mb)
As much as I'd like to post The X Factor winner Alexandra Burke's version of the song for comparison and download, I'm not going to post a newly released single. I'm not that mean.
There's so many versions of this song, so here's something for you to ponder:
"It doesn't matter which you've heard... the holy or the broken Hallelujah."
. I'd be happy to feature your band! Just write me a quick note saying what type of music you play, maybe a link to your website/MySpace, and include a link to a few downloadable songs if you can (submissions without samples are usually disregarded).
