I appear to be hallucinating again

[serinde]

Dragged audiovile into watching Scrubs. Got to fourth episode w/John Cale cover of "Hallelujah". Explained it was a Leonard Cohen song and though this version was quite fine I liked the original better. Naturally, being us, we repaired to the compu-cave for taste testing... Intarwub only divulges one version by the divine L.C., and it's this thing with echo on his vocals and a fucking backing choral and just a little bit too slow, but that seems to be the original; and where the hell is the version that I have heard, which is almost nothing but his own voice with a little bit of simple instrumental? Which I'm sure I heard on Radio Paradise, but their song search wotcha only shows up the same version the rest of teh intarnets admits to? And why am I banging my head into this when I should be getting a good night's sleep?

(And anyone who points up versions by Buckley, Bono, or Wainwright will get the stark fist of death in their genitalia, because not a one of their voices sounds the least like Leonard Cohen's, and a pox on you for suggesting I'd mistake them.)

Comments

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Well, duh. Buckley, Bono and Wainwright can actually sing.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

But e.g. Wainwright rushes through the verses (which are the point of the song) to spend time on the chorus. According to LC expert marnameow who has subjected me to endless comparisons and versions of that particular track.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

No, that was Wainwright doing Everybody Knows. Although I have little time for his cover of Hallelujah, either.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

I mean, he does it a bit on Hallelujah too, but I think the rant you're thinking of is the one about Everybody Knows, on the Cohen film.

[sbp.livejournal.com]

According to Marna there are several versions of the song, with different verses. There's an official live version that has different verses to the original record.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

There are two Official Cohen Releases - the one on Various Positions, and the one on Cohen Live. They're both a bit synthy, and they both do have backing singers - the live one is more synthy than the studio one, by quite a bit. But neither of them is man-anna-acoustic, exactly. I prefer the studio one, but the live one has my current favourite (quite filthy) line.

I have both on this here computer (one as an .ogg, though), if you want to compare them. (I have another five-odd bootlegged live versions, but they've of varying quality and very unlikely to be what you're thinking of, being as how they're really only of interest to very sad geeks like me.

(And because I am very sad, I have a lots and lots of covers of the song, too.)

[syringavulgaris.livejournal.com]

Thanks, but we snarfed downloads of both of those in my initial hysterical search.

I am full of woe. And I wish my brain would stop creating things out of whole cloth. Obviously I am remembering the ur-Version that only exists in the perfect reality, or something.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

Maybe you remember the lovely Cohen voice more than all the other bits, and that's why you think there's a different version.

For It Must Be Said...

[mangosteen]

"You got your stark fist of death in my genitalia!"
"You got your genitalia in my stark fist of death!"

[tactisle.livejournal.com]

Oh hey, I'd love to hear a version with just Cohen's voice and a stark simple accompaniment. I love his voice on that, it and Margaritaville are my benchmarks for the Voice of Awed Dissipation. (with a nod to Desperadoes Under the Eaves)

But I never could stand the fact that he seemed to have recorded it while trapped inside an oil tanker with two-thirds of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the engineer from Air Supply.

[nancaurelia.livejournal.com]

Maybe you did hear a version with almost nothing but his own voice with a little bit of simple instrumental in some sort of live or TV or live radio performance. That's the logical explanation, as opposed to a flaw in your musical memory, and I'm sticking with it unless proven otherwise.

[geeksdoitbetter.livejournal.com]

coz, my first hearing was during a West Wing season finale

and, it was much with the gorgeous voice - very diff from the cd i then purchased (which was Buckley ~grin~)

[briony530.livejournal.com]

Gee, I never even knew that was a Leonard Cohen song, and I really love that song too. The John Cale is the one I'm familiar with (seems to be the one used for things like TV music-overs). Syringavulgaris, is there ANYTHING you don't know??? Wow!