4 ms·

I dislike "Hallelujah" and am not aware of other songs from him. There's the line "Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld, so I can sigh eternally" in Pennyroyal Te

I dislike "Hallelujah" and am not aware of other songs from him. There's the line "Give me a Leonard Cohen afterworld, so I can sigh eternally" in Pennyroyal Tea, which made me not judge him, and then there was Chris Cornell's daughter Toni singing it for her father [0], which was really moving. What am I missing out on? [0] https://youtu.be/w5-M1lwLvDU?t=75 https://youtu.be/w5-M1lwLvDU?t=75

gmac 2y ago
It’s funny, I quite viscerally hate Cohen’s original Hallelujah, but I first encountered it as sung by Jeff Buckley, and that version I absolutely love. Otherwise I like his first album (Songs of Leonard Cohen) when I’m in the mood for something depressing, but everything else of his I’ve heard just sounds to me like a drunk on a street corner with a Casio keyboard.
- SECProto 2y ago
  > everything else of his I’ve heard just sounds to me like a drunk on a street corner with a Casio keyboard Though I disagree with the characterization, there's a beauty in it, too
- RankingMember 2y ago
  > on a street corner with a Casio keyboard Muscling in on Wesley Willis' territory!
indigodaddy 2y ago
I wouldn’t discount exploring further if you disliked Hallelujah, as the song is a bit niche even against LC’s larger library. Find a best of album and give it a go. ‘Everybody Knows’ and many others that you may better regard will certainly be on it.
jszymborski 2y ago
Pretty much every track is a hit, but here are some four random personal favourites: - Everybody Knows https://youtu.be/Gxd23UVID7k https://youtu.be/Gxd23UVID7k - First We Take Manhattan https://youtu.be/JTTC_fD598A https://youtu.be/JTTC_fD598A - Famous Blue Raincoat https://youtu.be/ohk3DP5fMCg https://youtu.be/ohk3DP5fMCg - Who By Fire https://youtu.be/ilGahIwQEQ0 https://youtu.be/ilGahIwQEQ0 Obviously too many to list here though, just pick up any album. By virtue of the fact that he was an incredible songwriter, his songs have such wonderful covers. The Tori Amos cover of Famous Blue Raincoat [0] is one of my favourites, and this cover of Who by Fire by PJ Harvey & Tim Phillips gives me chills every time [1] (also the theme for Bad Sisters which is an amazing series). Also, pretty much every Canadian who was an adult in 2010 has an emotional connection to the k.d. lang performance of Hallelujah at the Vancouver olympics [2]. [0] https://youtu.be/PMSbICWbjBw https://youtu.be/PMSbICWbjBw [1] https://youtu.be/PPY_MqCfMqE https://youtu.be/PPY_MqCfMqE [2] https://youtu.be/tcOQSk_cMO0 https://youtu.be/tcOQSk_cMO0
- indigodaddy 2y ago
  one of my favorite LC covers, Chelsea Hotel, by one of my favorite artists, lead singer for the Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers: https://youtu.be/BGKIA7QUEGY?si=d_uzxaJOmiNEAJAm https://youtu.be/BGKIA7QUEGY?si=d_uzxaJOmiNEAJAm If you dig her, check out this Intergalactic Lovers concert, basically most of the songs from Little Heavy Burdens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVUW5t1HK_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVUW5t1HK_Y
  - bhickey 2y ago
    You may enjoy the _Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song_: https://youtu.be/tKNXude-qqc?feature=shared https://youtu.be/tKNXude-qqc?feature=shared
- sonofhans 2y ago
  Concrete Blonde did a great cover of Everybody Knows — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb4K8pNmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb4K8pNmg Johnette is a poet herself and a fantastic vocalist; she keeps the cynicism and the heartbreak. The cover has always _felt_ like a Cohen song to me.
  - jszymborski 2y ago
    Really enjoyed that, cheers.
- atombender 2y ago
  My favourite cover of "Who By Fire" is by Susanne Wallumrød, featuring Giovanna Pessi on harp and Jane Achtman on viola da gamba [1]. The whole album — a mix of renaissance, baroque, and modern songs (such as The Plaint by Henry Purcell) performed on viola da gamba and harp — is superb. [1] https://youtu.be/I9RkoLkLOBA?si=rReBmU3qU-tO8Fyq https://youtu.be/I9RkoLkLOBA?si=rReBmU3qU-tO8Fyq
  - jszymborski 2y ago
    I love it! Hardly the only Leonard Cohen song that I think would feel at home amongst renaissance and baroque songs.
quintsbane 2y ago
The entire album New Skin for the Old Ceremony is worth a listen. It contains many of his “hits” and is approachable for a modern audience.
neom 2y ago
For me Cohen is a double whammy, if you like to (or are able to?) "look at music" - his music is really fun to look at, I mean the composition etc, just how he lays it out is really really good. His lyrics are also sublime, he started as a poet, many think he's not much of a singer, his voice is.. you know, whatever, I think it took me some time to really..take the time... to look at his music properly, to see what all the fuss is about? It's pretty good, if you like looking at music he might, be the best... :) - 2:18 thru 4:05 in here is some "very cohen-ish" type stuff I particularly enjoy, it's a really fun walk. I find a lot of new stuff in this song each time I listen to it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux8s4wJXNnA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux8s4wJXNnA
touisteur 2y ago
There's also "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and its rare cover by Jackson Browne https://youtu.be/w_mV4tdw2wY https://youtu.be/w_mV4tdw2wY And "Dance Me To The End of Love" which has also been beautifully covered. I'm also very fond of Chelsea Hotel (more touching if you get the context) and Boogie Street. Most of Cohen isn't very accessible to me as I miss many cultural markers, but they still very often feel appropriate (pop-up) in times of melancholy...

gmac 2y ago

It’s funny, I quite viscerally hate Cohen’s original Hallelujah, but I first encountered it as sung by Jeff Buckley, and that version I absolutely love. Otherwise I like his first album (Songs of Leonard Cohen) when I’m in the mood for something depressing, but everything else of his I’ve heard just sounds to me like a drunk on a street corner with a Casio keyboard.

SECProto 2y ago
> everything else of his I’ve heard just sounds to me like a drunk on a street corner with a Casio keyboard Though I disagree with the characterization, there's a beauty in it, too
RankingMember 2y ago
> on a street corner with a Casio keyboard Muscling in on Wesley Willis' territory!

indigodaddy 2y ago

I wouldn’t discount exploring further if you disliked Hallelujah, as the song is a bit niche even against LC’s larger library. Find a best of album and give it a go. ‘Everybody Knows’ and many others that you may better regard will certainly be on it.

jszymborski 2y ago

Pretty much every track is a hit, but here are some four random personal favourites: - Everybody Knows https://youtu.be/Gxd23UVID7k https://youtu.be/Gxd23UVID7k - First We Take Manhattan https://youtu.be/JTTC_fD598A https://youtu.be/JTTC_fD598A - Famous Blue Raincoat https://youtu.be/ohk3DP5fMCg https://youtu.be/ohk3DP5fMCg - Who By Fire https://youtu.be/ilGahIwQEQ0 https://youtu.be/ilGahIwQEQ0 Obviously too many to list here though, just pick up any album. By virtue of the fact that he was an incredible songwriter, his songs have such wonderful covers. The Tori Amos cover of Famous Blue Raincoat [0] is one of my favourites, and this cover of Who by Fire by PJ Harvey & Tim Phillips gives me chills every time [1] (also the theme for Bad Sisters which is an amazing series). Also, pretty much every Canadian who was an adult in 2010 has an emotional connection to the k.d. lang performance of Hallelujah at the Vancouver olympics [2]. [0] https://youtu.be/PMSbICWbjBw https://youtu.be/PMSbICWbjBw [1] https://youtu.be/PPY_MqCfMqE https://youtu.be/PPY_MqCfMqE [2] https://youtu.be/tcOQSk_cMO0 https://youtu.be/tcOQSk_cMO0

indigodaddy 2y ago
one of my favorite LC covers, Chelsea Hotel, by one of my favorite artists, lead singer for the Belgian band Intergalactic Lovers: https://youtu.be/BGKIA7QUEGY?si=d_uzxaJOmiNEAJAm https://youtu.be/BGKIA7QUEGY?si=d_uzxaJOmiNEAJAm If you dig her, check out this Intergalactic Lovers concert, basically most of the songs from Little Heavy Burdens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVUW5t1HK_Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVUW5t1HK_Y
- bhickey 2y ago
  You may enjoy the _Chelsea Hotel Oral Sex Song_: https://youtu.be/tKNXude-qqc?feature=shared https://youtu.be/tKNXude-qqc?feature=shared
sonofhans 2y ago
Concrete Blonde did a great cover of Everybody Knows — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb4K8pNmg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5Fb4K8pNmg Johnette is a poet herself and a fantastic vocalist; she keeps the cynicism and the heartbreak. The cover has always _felt_ like a Cohen song to me.
- jszymborski 2y ago
  Really enjoyed that, cheers.
atombender 2y ago
My favourite cover of "Who By Fire" is by Susanne Wallumrød, featuring Giovanna Pessi on harp and Jane Achtman on viola da gamba [1]. The whole album — a mix of renaissance, baroque, and modern songs (such as The Plaint by Henry Purcell) performed on viola da gamba and harp — is superb. [1] https://youtu.be/I9RkoLkLOBA?si=rReBmU3qU-tO8Fyq https://youtu.be/I9RkoLkLOBA?si=rReBmU3qU-tO8Fyq
- jszymborski 2y ago
  I love it! Hardly the only Leonard Cohen song that I think would feel at home amongst renaissance and baroque songs.

quintsbane 2y ago

The entire album New Skin for the Old Ceremony is worth a listen. It contains many of his “hits” and is approachable for a modern audience.

neom 2y ago

For me Cohen is a double whammy, if you like to (or are able to?) "look at music" - his music is really fun to look at, I mean the composition etc, just how he lays it out is really really good. His lyrics are also sublime, he started as a poet, many think he's not much of a singer, his voice is.. you know, whatever, I think it took me some time to really..take the time... to look at his music properly, to see what all the fuss is about? It's pretty good, if you like looking at music he might, be the best... :) - 2:18 thru 4:05 in here is some "very cohen-ish" type stuff I particularly enjoy, it's a really fun walk. I find a lot of new stuff in this song each time I listen to it - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux8s4wJXNnA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux8s4wJXNnA

touisteur 2y ago

There's also "A Thousand Kisses Deep" and its rare cover by Jackson Browne https://youtu.be/w_mV4tdw2wY https://youtu.be/w_mV4tdw2wY And "Dance Me To The End of Love" which has also been beautifully covered. I'm also very fond of Chelsea Hotel (more touching if you get the context) and Boogie Street. Most of Cohen isn't very accessible to me as I miss many cultural markers, but they still very often feel appropriate (pop-up) in times of melancholy...