Leonard Cohen....

[Steve the Tea]

Nick Cave's version of Avalanche is pretty good. Nothing on the original though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX1vVP1Tb64

My reasoning with probably 99.99% of Cohen covers is that the performer puts far too much of themselves into the song instead of letting his stark words speak for themselves. One case in point, in a myriad of cases, was the butchering of, 'Hallelujah,' where a whole succession of singers thought they could do better than Cohen and turned a gem into tarnished glass. Sorry, NYCBlue, Cave's version also falls into this trap.

However Cave's 2015 restrained rendition in London I believe is much closer to the song's essence.
https://youtu.be/w5AjWTOTMg0

Janileigh Cohen, clearly allows the song to sing to us by not getting in it's way.
https://youtu.be/OsU_nYDF4TM

And of course, the Cohen original live:
https://youtu.be/xxaOcHcrd8k

StT.
<><

[NYCBlue]

My reasoning with probably 99.99% of Cohen covers is that the performer puts far too much of themselves into the song instead of letting his stark words speak for themselves. One case in point, in a myriad of cases, was the butchering of, 'Hallelujah,' where a whole succession of singers thought they could do better than Cohen and turned a gem into tarnished glass. Sorry, NYCBlue, Cave's version also falls into this trap.

However Cave's 2015 restrained rendition in London I believe is much closer to the song's essence.
https://youtu.be/w5AjWTOTMg0

Janileigh Cohen, clearly allows the song to sing to us by not getting in it's way.
https://youtu.be/OsU_nYDF4TM

And of course, the Cohen original live:
https://youtu.be/xxaOcHcrd8k

StT.
<><

I certainly see your point. I still think the NC version is reasonably strong however overdone. Songs Of Love and Hate is the only Leonard Cohen album I ever owned. My dad used to play it when I was really young. He ended up giving it to me because my mum hated it so much. I love that record, but somehow never got into Leonard Cohen's other stuff. Dress Rehearsal Rag is probably my favorite Cohen song. Thanks for those links. They illustrate your point well and the Janileigh Cohen version is a real treat. I've never heard of her.

[Steve the Tea]

I certainly see your point. I still think the NC version is reasonably strong however overdone. Songs Of Love and Hate is the only Leonard Cohen album I ever owned. My dad used to play it when I was really young. He ended up giving it to me because my mum hated it so much. I love that record, but somehow never got into Leonard Cohen's other stuff. Dress Rehearsal Rag is probably my favorite Cohen song. Thanks for those links. They illustrate your point well and the Janileigh Cohen version is a real treat. I've never heard of her.

If you start with Cohen's earlier stuff there's no major mind-shift to make. His second album is a classic. This one is off that. Have a good journey discovering the rest of Cohen.

https://youtu.be/GEmLSmb_2wk

StT.
<><

[NYCBlue]

If you start with Cohen's earlier stuff there's no major mind-shift to make. His second album is a classic. This one is off that. Have a good journey discovering the rest of Cohen.

https://youtu.be/GEmLSmb_2wk

StT.
<><