While a perfect cover can change a song almost beyond recognition, sometimes it takes just a few taps of the chisel, as it were, to turn a great song into a perfect one. Cowboy Junkies didn't actually made radical changes to two classics by Velvet Underground and Neil Young. They adopted the essentials and the spirit of these songs. Reduced to a sleepy, almost narcotized pace they stripped the songs to a minimum. The result are two timeless cover versions.
There were song I know for ages and they appear to my ears from time to time and I feel save and glad listening to it. Some songs are for eternity and this one is one of them. Leonard Cohen wrote it more than 30 years ago and it is a song I love in many versions by now. All in all a simple song with a short message but I think that this message a lot of musicians inspired to make their very own and unique version about. For me almost version has it's own own genuine. This might be one of these songs that could me take to my grave (hopefully a very long time from here).
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you dont really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew her
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Maybe I've been here before
I know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
love is not a victory march
Its a cold and its a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
You say I took the Name in vain
I dont even know the Name
But if I did, well really, what's it to you?
There's a blaze of light in every word
It doesnt matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
I did my best, but it wasnt much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didnt come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah...
And this version is by the master himself eight years ago in Montreaux:
Back in 1974 Al Green recorded Take Me To The River a classic downtempo soul song. Some people recognized this one as a good song and played it like many others of Al Green. In 1978 Talking Heads made this cover on their second record More Songs About Buildings And Fruit. It was one those songs for me that combined classic soul music with intelligent pop music and some NY-based punk influences. David Byrne once wrote about this song: "Coincidence or conspiracy? There were at least four cover versions of this song out at the same time: Foghat, Bryan Ferry, Levon Helm, and us. More money for Mr Green's full gospel tabernacle church, I suppose. A song that combines teenage lust with baptism. Not equates, you understand, but throws them in the same stew, at least. A potent blend. All praise the mighty spurtin' Jesus."
Another cover version that is better than the original.
Today in the series two songs that are almost 50 years old and which was recorded when most of us played football with the kids next door on the street. Bob Dylan was always an artist whose songs were covered during the last decades. But Jimi Hendrix' version of All Along The Watchtower I've first recognized when I was at the cinema. In the 70's it was usual to show us some supporting movies before the main movie started. Most of them were very arty and we sat there waiting until the movie started. Some were inspiring others not. But I remember one afternoon when me and my mates went to see the latest Bruce Lee move and we sat down in our chairs and then no supporting movie started. Instead then they showed us a live version of this song with Jimi at the guitar. For me it was an epiphany to listen to this rough, clear and inspired sound. The movie was out of date and I felt for this sound. The next day I went to my local record shop to get me the first records. I still listen from time to time to his music. And I think that this version is much better than Bob Dylan's original.
As I told you some month ago I recognized Kris Kristofferson by his first movie Cisco Kid in the late 70's and from this time I was addicted to country-sized singer/songwriters. Me and Bobby McGee was a hymn to my generation and freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose was the slogan for us. For sure it is a song from the hippies but this could be also the slogan for every punk in the late 70's/early 80's.
One of those musicians that recorded covers galore is the country icon Johnny Cash. A lot of them are better than the originals or minimum interpreted in a very unique sound only he could do. Hurt was recorded after his wife June Carter died and shortly before left for heaven. From all of his cover versions I like this song best. He sings Trent Reznor's song by Nine Inch Nails in his very own style with his dark baritone over a wispy acoustic guitar and some piano chords. I hurt myself today / to see if I still feel and What have I become my dearest friend? / Everyone I know goes away in the end are some kind of legacy or suicide notes. Somber, dark and for eternity.
Devo, a band formed in the mid 70's in Akron, Ohio, were one of the weirdest bands during the upcoming punk/new wave era in the US. They dissent popular music to a minimum to open our ears to new sounds. One of their greatest was their version of The Rolling Stones classic Satisfaction. A very new and raw version of a song everybody knows for ages. Their first record from 1978 Q: Are We Not Me, A: We Are Devo is still outstanding for this era. They faced the way for many other bands from across the ocean like Talking Heads and more. This song is still a classic like Mongoloid and Jocko Homo. They are worth to give them a memory in this way.
Back in 1994 Nirvana released their MTV-unplugged session. In this session they played a lot of less known songs and also cover versions of songs by The Vaselines, Meat Puppets, David Bowie and Leadbelly in their very own and unique way. Shortly after this session Kurt Cobain commited suicide blowing his head away with a gun. I loved this record when it came out because it showed Nirvana in a totally different way. Playing songs with big emotions in a very relaxed way. Cobain probably played these song with depressions in the back and he picked the right songs for this event. Played by great musicians and sung by Cobain with his fragile but also enthusiasm voice. This was the record a lot of people could agree with 20 years ago.
