[Originally Published: May 25, 2010]
Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, off his 1984 album Various Positions, is one of those songs that seems ubiquitous but the original version rarely heard. The song plays out as an epic saga and has a seemingly endless supply of lyrics that never drag on if delivered properly. It’s been covered nearly as many times as there are verses. Countless times it’s appeared on soundtracks to films and television shows as a poignant backdrop to directors’ attempts at tugging on heartstrings. While what follows are each great renditions, I implore you to start with the original done by a maestro and true craftsman of song.
The Contestants:
Jeff Buckley: Buckley’s hauntingly dramatic version from his 1994 debut Grace is the best known cover of Hallelujah. It’s one of the best known covers of any song ever. Many people who love the Buckley version have no idea Cohen was the originator – I know I’ve met more than a few.
[audio:https://glidemag.wpengine.com/hiddentrack/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/hallelujahbuckley.mp3]READ ON for the scoop on the rest of this week’s contestants…
As quickly as Jeff Buckley rose to stardom, he was tragically taken away with fans left only with his debut Grace
This August marks the 15th anniversary of the release of Grace. To celebrate the anniversary of Buckley’s landmark LP, Sony Legacy has recently issued their latest tribute to the late singer-songwriter – Grace Around The World.
Now, as part of our epic Everybody Wins When I Plug Something And In Return They Offer Me Free Shit To Give Away program we’re giving away two copies of the Deluxe Version of Grace Around The World. Simply leave a comment below telling us about your favorite Jeff Buckley tune in 25 words or less and you’ll be entered to win. This contest ends on July 5th at 11:59PM. Please only enter once, duplicate entries will be ignored.
We’ll pick two winners at random on Wednesday and each winner will receive a copy Grace-Around The World Deluxe Edition mailed to them by yours truly, so good luck and get to it. READ ON for more details on the release…
