And that was called love for the workers in song

[venta]

It's Friday, and it's about 3 o'clock. It's time to go underneath the covers (with the lights out).

Following an overwhelming response last week (one person replied, they said yes) I've taken the file info out of the mp3, so your media player can't accidentally give the game away.

I always recommend listening to a cover version without knowing what or who it is, so click on the link before reading ahead...

Link to cover version expired

REM covering First We Take Manhattan, originally by Leonard Cohen.

Let me say straight away that I don't hold with the whiney "OMG they, like, ruined my special song" school of cover-attitudes. No, they didn't ruin it. I think you'll find your favourite song is right were you left it. They just produced a version which isn't as good (in your opinion) as the original.

Alexandar Burke is, in my book, allowed to churn out all the Cohen covers she wants to. I don't expect that I'm going to like them much, but I'm guessing she can cope with that. I'm a big fan of Leonard Cohen, I'm probably always going to prefer his songs sung by him (with the possible exception of Mr Buckley's version of Hallelujah).

So, is this cover of First We Take Manhattan as good as the original? No, says the gospel according to Venta, it is not. It is, however, different and interesting (especially in the vocal department) and I deem it worthy of a couple of careful listens.

Comments

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

I actually really like Jennifer Warnes's version, probably more than the Cohen one. Which isn't because I don't like LC - I do. But if I find myself with an earworm, it's her version I'm hearing.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I'm not aware of her version, but according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_We_Take_Manhattan) it was written by Cohen but originally recorded by Jennifer Warnes. Which makes her version (according to my rules :) not a cover version. I'll have to crawl about the web looking for it now, I'm curious.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

That whole album of hers is pretty good, I reckon.

[zotz]

That is exactly true, yes.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

Me too, Cohen's version is quite cheesy really.

[venta.livejournal.com]

You say that like it's a bad thing :)

[phlebas.livejournal.com]

She succeeds in making the poppier middle bit fit with the rest of the song.