Babbling Blueberry

I don’t do the whole iPod/iTunes thing. Instead, I use Rhapsody to listen to my music. You pay a flat fee per month (< $10) and I can listen to any song that I want. I think it’s a great deal. When I’m looking up a song in their database, I often find multiple versions of the same song by different artists and I wind up listening to all of them and comparing them.

Here’s what I’ve discovered for Hallelujah, originally by Leonard Cohen. To motivate you to stick around for this whole process, this post will eventually culminate in my favorite version of the song!

I love this song. The lyrics are so filled with meaning and emotion. I love the that the melody and accompaniment are so simple but so powerful at the same time. And tense and peaceful at the same time. What sparked me to go on this quest to listen to all these versions of this song was Jason Castro on this season’s American Idol. So we’ll start there. (There are links to YouTube videos where you can listen to the songs and guarantee that this song will get stuck in your head for the rest of the day. Not a bad thing.)

Jason Castro on American Idol - He was very smart to pick this song because you can’t really go wrong with such a strong foundation. But I think this version was not very memorable, especially compared to the others.

Leonard Cohen, the original - I love his deep rumbling singing/speaking voice, so full of gravitas. And when the full choral backup comes in, it is such a rich contrast.

Jeff Buckley, “most well-known version” - There’s a great guitar intro, but there’s nothing too special after this. Maybe it’s more popular because it sounds more “generic” than Leonard Cohen.

4 Norwegian singers - Kurt Nilsen, the Hobbitt World Idol winner gives me shivers with his voice. The tonal quality of voice is smoothly gravelly, but what is really great is that he controls his voice so precisely. And he adds plays with to basic melody and adds twiddles in a way that really take advantage of his singing strengths. And then the 3 other Norwegians! Having a quartet of male voices allows for filling out harmonies, like in the Leonard Cohen version. But this is more intimate. The way they pronounce the first vowel sound in “Hallelujah” kinda bothers me and I don’t think it’s because they’re Norwegian - the pronunciation of other words is pretty good. My guess is that they’re going for a “country” feel and went too far. This version is up there, but it’s not at the top.

John Cale, who’s that? - The singer’s voice is nicely gravely, but not exceptional among all these versions. What is interesting about this version is addition of the violin and cello with the baroque-y arrangement. Interesting in an intellectual way, but it’s not powerful or moving and it’s very distracting.

Rufus Wainwright - I usually like Rufus Wainwright, but he seems more whiny and weak than usual here. Rather than letting the “music” dictate how he sings the song, it seems like he changes the dynamics and mood of the song to fit the limitations of his voice.

Shrek Version - The music is a great fit for the movie. But if the focus is on the song and whether this is a good version, the imagery in the movie distracts from beautiful and thoughtful lyrics. The singer’s voice and what he does with the song competent but it isn’t memorable.

k.d. lang, my favorite version! - The twang works SO well with this song. And she has really good control of her voice. Sometimes she makes it strong and sometimes she makes it contemplative, giving this version a bigger range of emotions and dynamics. And that’s what this song really deserves.

“but love is not a victory march, it’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah”