I've heard Jeff Buckley sing "Hallelujah" and Nina Simone sing "Suzanne" and both versions blew me away. There must be more brilliant Cohen covers out there -- they guy's an unbelievable songwriter. What's the next Leonard Cohen cover I absolutely must hear?
2006-10-11 22:05:59 · 12 answers · asked by roboseyo 3 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Music
My favorite is John Cale's version of "Hallelujah". Full of pain and anguish, with a bit of dementia on the side.
Cale knew Cohen in New York. Cohen often went to see The Velvet Underground because he was interested in Nico. Lou Reed was always trying to pal up to Leonard, at one time declaring Leonard to be Canada's most brilliant writer and himself as America's. Cale often ran interference.
Since I've run out of Cohen to buy, I've started on covers, some of it is amazing good. I was a bit disappointed in Judy Collin's recent CD of Cohen songs; her voice is too sweet for some of his work.
2006-10-12 16:51:31 · answer #1 · answered by raysny 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Jennifer Warnes did a whole album of Leonard Cohen songs. The album is called "Famous Blue Raincoat", and features Cohen songs like "First We Take Manhattan" (which features Stevie Ray Vaughan on guitar), "Bird On A Wire", and "Ain't No Cure For Love". Hearing a voice like Warnes' singing these songs really puts them in a new light. Cohen is a brilliant writer, but let's face it, as a singer, he's no Jeff Buckley (love his version of "Hallelujah", by the way).
2006-10-12 03:56:00 · answer #2 · answered by musicguru_62 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Rufus Wainwright did a cover of Hallelujah as well and it's just as good as Buckley's version.
And although it's not a cover version Jeffery Lewis did a song called Chelsea Hotel (Oral Sex Song) which is a song about Cohen's song of the same name.
2006-10-11 22:12:05 · answer #3 · answered by sarcasticquotemarks 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My first album with Leonard Cohen songs was called "Tower of Song." I had already read many poems and read his two novels. I was at the record store and went to one of those listening stations. They had this album with its display covered so that I could not see what it was. When I listened I head such amazing songs. Sting, Bono, Willie Nelson, Elton John, Trisha Yearwood, Susan Vega, Jann Arden, Aaron Nevel, Martin GOre (Depeche Mode), Don Henley (Eagles), Peter Gabirel, Tori Amos, and many others. Of them all, the cover of "Famous Blue Raincoat" by Tori Amos is the best. It is haunting.
Also there is another called "I'm Your Fan" with some more alternative songs on it. Still, they don't compare to Tower of SOng.
2006-10-12 10:04:31 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was going to say Concrete Blonde's "Everybody Knows" but someone else already beat me to it.
Jennifer Warnes did an excellent album of Leonard Cohen covers titled "Famous Blue Raincoat." That would be my second pick.
2006-10-14 05:07:29 · answer #5 · answered by oaksterdamhippiechick 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Concrete Blondes version of 'Everybody Knows' from the movie 'Pump Up The Volume Also, like Don Henley's version of the same song, but for different reasons :-)
2006-10-11 22:09:40 · answer #6 · answered by Army Of Machines (Wi-Semper-Fi)! 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There's a Dutch singer called Boudewijn de Groot. He did a really good Dutch version of Suzanne, translated by Lennart Nijgh.
2006-10-11 22:07:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
One of my favourite Cohen tracks, Dance me to the end of love, I thought I would hate anyone to do a cover of it, but was amazed by Madeleine Peyroux's version - it's not Cohen, but its wonderful
2006-10-11 22:27:03 · answer #8 · answered by Pington 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to hear Rufus Wainwrights Hallelujah it wicked!
2006-10-11 22:14:06 · answer #9 · answered by charlie a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That would be my "Lady of Midnight" done on banjo/mandolin with American indian flute and water-jug drum.
2006-10-11 22:10:07 · answer #10 · answered by Frankie P 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋