My opinion:
3. Jeff Buckley: Yeah, the cliché answer. But Buckley's version made the song so popular for a reason. Granted, his untimely death played a huge role in his "iconization", but all that aside it's still a more than memorable performance.
Honestly, if there would be a version completely sung by Norwegian pop sensation Kurt Nilsen, Jeff Buckley probably wouldn't have made my top 3. But to my knowledge there isn't. And k.d. lang gets an honourable mention.
As you probably know, Andy Wallace mixed "Grace" and while all of the vocal tracks on the album are only conservatively compressed, the dynamic range on 'Hallelujah' sticks out and it highlights Buckley's performance.
2. Leonard Cohen: The original. Cohen's a genius. Period. Arguably the most accomplished lyricist of our time. And this song is another testimonial. And much like Tom Waits, the character of his voice makes up for lack of range.
1. John Cale: Delivering the blueprint for Buckley's version, John Cale asks Cohen for the lyrics to 'Hallelujah' and receives 15 pages worth of verses. Cale weeds out the "redundant" verses, arranges a stripped-down piano version and gives the song a new identity. The definite performance, especially because he spares us the over-dramatic vibrato and pathos of later renditions, yet he's the only one who manages to give me goosebumps every time I listen to his version.
What do you think?
3. Jeff Buckley: Yeah, the cliché answer. But Buckley's version made the song so popular for a reason. Granted, his untimely death played a huge role in his "iconization", but all that aside it's still a more than memorable performance.
Honestly, if there would be a version completely sung by Norwegian pop sensation Kurt Nilsen, Jeff Buckley probably wouldn't have made my top 3. But to my knowledge there isn't. And k.d. lang gets an honourable mention.
As you probably know, Andy Wallace mixed "Grace" and while all of the vocal tracks on the album are only conservatively compressed, the dynamic range on 'Hallelujah' sticks out and it highlights Buckley's performance.
2. Leonard Cohen: The original. Cohen's a genius. Period. Arguably the most accomplished lyricist of our time. And this song is another testimonial. And much like Tom Waits, the character of his voice makes up for lack of range.
1. John Cale: Delivering the blueprint for Buckley's version, John Cale asks Cohen for the lyrics to 'Hallelujah' and receives 15 pages worth of verses. Cale weeds out the "redundant" verses, arranges a stripped-down piano version and gives the song a new identity. The definite performance, especially because he spares us the over-dramatic vibrato and pathos of later renditions, yet he's the only one who manages to give me goosebumps every time I listen to his version.
What do you think?
